Carpet Underlay
Most commercial broadloom carpet is installed using the dual bond method. Conventional ‘stretch-in’ installation where carpet is installed over underlay and attached to perimeter gripper strip and carpet tiles with integrated pad as part of the backing, are other installation options.
Whatever the type of underlay used, the combination of carpet and underlay provides greater underfoot comfort, excellent noise reduction and thermal resistance properties and, a lessening of the risk of injury when slips and falls occur.
The main types of underlay are re-bond foam, SBR latex, rubber and felt.
Australian standard AS 4288 – Soft underlays for textile floor coverings – includes a classification scheme with 5 categories of intended use, described as:
- LR – light residential use, not suitable for stairs
- GR – general residential use
- L – luxury use, domestic/commercial where high energy absorption is required
- GC – general commercial use, suitable for normal foot and wheeled traffic
- HC – heavy commercial use, suitable for heavy foot and wheel traffic and castor chairs
Product Information
The following underlay manufacturers are members of the Carpet Institute:
- AirStep: www.airstep.com.au
- Dunlop Flooring: www.dunlopflooring.com.au
- Dunlop Flooring Limited NZ: www.dunlopflooring.co.nz