When buying a costly carpet or laminate flooring, many purchasers get so overly enthusiastic with the general look that they totally disregard the underlay. This can be a big mistake. A top quality underlay will not only offer you that soft, springy feeling beneath your feet, nonetheless it will also protect your investment by dramatically increasing carpet life. Other benefits are improved heat insulation, which should help lower your utility bills, while special acoustic underlays are great at blocking out those unwanted sounds.

What sort of underlay?

Underlay for carpets comes in many forms. The most common is the rubber waffle type, and its cousin the rubber crumb. Another popular choice is polyurethane foam (PU foam), a large favourite with carpet fitters due to the light-weight, and being easy to control, cut, and fit. Australian Wool Underlay tends to be found in offices, where there's a requirement for good acoustic properties and long life. Whichever underlay you select, it pays to purchase the utmost effective you are able to afford. You won't regret it.

When installing laminate or wood flooring, the underlay options are similar. The sole major difference being that, when laying laminate over concrete, the underlay should incorporate a wet proof membrane (DPF). Some underlays include this, nonetheless it is obviously good to check.

Prepare your floors and install

No matter which kind of underlay you are installing, good floor preparation is essential. A floor needs to be smooth, dry and clean. Vacuum or sweep thoroughly and, if necessary, eliminate any protruding nails. You're now ready to set up the underlay!

• Nail the carpet gripper around the edge of the space, leaving a 10-15mm gap, wide enough so that the carpet will tuck neatly into this space.

• Rubber underlay must be laid with the waffle side on the floor and the backing uppermost. When working with polyurethane foam underlay, the coloured side should lie face down on to the floor, so your foam meets the carpet.

• Make sure that the underlay extends a couple of centimetres beyond the carpet gripper.

• The rolls of underlay must be fitted closely to one another, however not overlap.

• Once everything is lined-up correctly, staple the underlay to the ground along the inside of the gripper, and then trim the excess underlay with a sharp utility knife. The final step is to seal the seams with a particular underlay tape. This serves a double purpose. It'll prevent unsightly lines showing through in your carpet, and also keep the underlay in position once the carpet is being laid on top.

When installing underlay for wooden or laminate flooring, the ground preparation is even more critical. The outer lining must be completely level and clean. On concrete, install the underlay with the DPF facing the floor. Use enough underlay to make sure a surplus of 3-5cms at all times a floor and extending up the walls. The seams are then sealed with tape. When the laminate has been laid in place, the surplus underlay could be trimmed off, giving a nice finish.