floorwise underlays, Quality Without Compromise

With the quality and value of floorwise underlays there’s no need to compromise on proven performance and risk your reputation down the line.
When the pressure to deliver value is on, there is always a temptation to seek out products to satisfy the customer’s desire for the lowest possible installation costs. But floorwise warns this isn’t always the best strategy, particularly when those ‘affordable’ underlays compromise quality and longevity. Often untested in line with British Standards, these products may drive down cost in the short term but at what price to your reputation in the long term?
Recommending a good quality underlay that’s passed British Standards and which is guaranteed to perform will ensure your reputation will never be compromised. floorwise is committed to making sure all underlays – even its most affordable – are tested against relevant British and European Standards to ensure that they deliver superb quality and the best comfort and resilience in every roll.
There are four British Standards that are particularly relevant to carpet underlay. If you don’t want to risk the future of your installation and keep your hard earned reputation intact, make sure the underlay you choose has been tested and proven to meet all of these. If in doubt, ask your supplier to provide certificates for your chosen quality from a UK-based testing facility. Just like any reputable supplier, floorwise has UK origin certificates available for all its underlay products.
BS EN 14499:2015 is the minimum performance standard for carpet underlay, so every product should have been tested in accordance with it. It tells us about an underlay’s dimensional stability, how much it compresses over time and where it would be most suitable for use. Carpets wear largely due to movement of the fibres so if an underlay compresses excessively, for example when used in an application for which it is unsuited, it might reduce the life of the carpet it’s supposed to be supporting. Similarly, if an underlay compresses due to poor ‘bouncebackability’, it can result in rouching of the underlay leading to customer complaints and remedial work being required.
BS 4790: 1987, known as the hot metal nut method, shows how an underlay reacts to fire. This test effectively defines how the underlay can impact upon the speed with which a fire spreads from the initial source of ignition. One that burns quickly effectively increases the scale and spread of the fire whilst also reducing how long people have to safely vacate the premises.
BS 4745: 2005 looks at the thermal insulative performance and provides a tog value for underlay. A high tog value help to reduce drafts and insulates the room – floorwise underlays can achieve up to 3.5 tog. Today, a high-performance underlay and thick carpet can provide the same level of insulation as was required in the pre-2000 building regulations, so it can make a real difference to energy bills. Accurate tog values are also vital when specifying floor coverings to be used with underfloor heating systems so as to achieve a combined tog value of below 2.5 tog allowing heat to pass through the floor covering and keep the living space warm.
ISO 10140-3: 2021 provides a measurement of how much an underlay can reduce impact sound transmission. A high value here – the best floorwise underlays achieve D LW 45 – can be a real asset if there’s significant upstairs footfall as it will dramatically cut down on the noise transferred below. The D LW value is particularly important when deciding on what carpet or wood laminate underlays to use for flats and apartments.
Making sure your underlays meet British Standards is a good way to ensure that the underlay you are recommending to your customer meets their basic needs, but it’s also important to recognise that these are the minimum requirements for any UK carpet installation. Just because an underlay meets British Standards doesn’t mean that it’s up to the task of delivering comfort and durability over the life of the carpet. That comes down to the manufacturing quality, density and thickness of the product.
That’s why floorwise makes sure that right across its underlay range it provides accurate performance data so that they deliver on their comfort and performance promises, so you can meet the expectations of customers and minimise reputational risk. If you are looking for the most appropriate underlay for your customer which doesn’t compromise on quality, value, or your reputation, make it floorwise.
For further information on these and other great flooring products contact floorwise on 01509 673974, visit www.floorwise.co.uk or email [email protected]