What are the advantages of using underlay when carpeting?

While there are many exceptional flooring solutions available for homes around the UK, there’s no doubt that when it comes to luxury comfort, wall-to-wall carpeting can deliver. Carpets can make a considerable difference to the way living spaces both look and feel, but there are more decisions to make when making a purchase than just the colour and pile you’d like. In far too many cases, homeowners overlook the many benefits that underlay can deliver beneath a carpet and the crucial functions it can perform if correctly installed.

Carpet underlay has multiple purposes designed to ensure your brand-new carpet lasts longer and your home stays warmer. In the following sections, we’ll take a look at some of the key benefits of adding an underlay to your carpet installation.

Creating added warmth

Today’s quality underlay does much more than simply create a soft and uninterrupted finish to your carpeted floor – it can also keep the rooms that it’s installed in far warmer. Many premium quality carpeting will come hessian backed, with products featuring pin-prick holes from the specialist weaving process employed to fashion them. These minute holes enable cold air to enter upwards through the boards of wooden floors particularly. However, when you use an underlay, it will provide an effective barrier between the floor below and your carpet, which can mitigate this creeping cold from seeping into rooms.

Noise reducing properties

Having cushioning underlay can also help to cut down the noise of footsteps walking around on the flooring. This makes underlay an exceptionally useful inclusion when carpet is fitted on the upper floors of your house, or when your home is an apartment with others living below you.

It can also work to reduce any noise that travels upwards through your ceilings in lower rooms, making for far quieter and more peaceful bedrooms upstairs. This can be ideal when someone wants to watch television in the living room late at night without disturbing sleepers in the rooms situated above.

Additional comfort underfoot

The comfort level of your carpet is likely the reason why you selected it as your flooring solution in the first place. However, while you may have ordered the softest carpet available, if you try to lay it straight on either a concrete or solid stone floor, you’ll find it feels far harder than you thought it would.

Underlay delivers an extra soft cushion for your new carpet to be positioned on and fitted, making it far softer and springier under your feet. It can also help to even out any bumps and lumps present beneath the floor to create a smoother appearance once your carpet has been laid.

Extended life and a return on your investment

While homeowners that install underlay can enjoy all these benefits, there is one more advantage to be gained. Underlay will also lengthen your carpet’s lifespan, protecting its underside from damage with its cushion-like qualities. If these benefits appeal to you, ensure you opt for underlay the next time you fit new carpet.

How to remove odours from your carpets

During the coronavirus lockdown, people are spending more time at home, which means their carpets are receiving more use. With more use comes the potential for bad odours, which can linger. Here are several ways that stubborn odours can be removed from carpets:

Baking soda or vinegar

To combat the spread of the virus, many are vacuuming their carpets more frequently, but this does not always remove the odours coming from the carpet. The cheapest way to remove odours is to use baking soda or vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda on the carpet and leave for two hours or overnight before vacuuming. Alternately, mix a cup of white vinegar into two cups of water and spray on the carpet using a spray bottle. Vacuum after the carpet is dry. You can also add a tablespoon of baking soda to the vinegar and water solution.

Carpet cleaner

If soda or vinegar fails to remove all odours, use a carpet shampoo with a carpet cleaning machine, which can be hired or purchased. This will help remove odours from deep within the pile, and it will also make sure that all bacteria or viruses are removed. For the best cleaning job, use a professional carpet cleaning company.

Prevention

To prevent odours from occurring, regularly ventilate the room by opening the windows. Clean up spills as soon as they happen, before they can dry and increase their odour. Even if a carpet doesn't smell, it should still be cleaned thoroughly once a week.

Carpets in North Wales and Chester homes are stylish, comfortable and, as long as they are cleaned regularly, safe.

Can you install a vinyl floor by yourself?

Today’s vinyl options offer a versatile flooring solution available in multiple colours and styles, suiting a wide variety of tastes and applications. Sometimes crafted to accurately resemble wood and stone, luxury vinyl tiles can also add a natural look to living spaces, while new water proofing technology makes vinyl an excellent option for both bathrooms and kitchens. However, many considering a vinyl flooring option wonder if you can avoid labour costs and fit it yourself.

The pros of hiring a professional floor fitter

Installing vinyl floor solutions is among the most common DIY projects tackled by homeowners, but this doesn’t mean it’s the right option for you. Using a professional to fit any type of flooring can save you time and energy, and it can be affordable if you do your research. Some suppliers will even offer a free fitting service.

One advantage of having a professional floor fitter take on the job is the peace of mind it brings, as you know that your floor has been installed correctly. A vinyl floor that has a professional installation will typically last far longer than many DIY projects, offering you a return on the investment you stumped up to hire a qualified contractor.

Preparation involved and cost considerations

It’s worth considering all you may need to pay for and the time it will take to complete the job if you handle it yourself. First, you’ll need to track down the following tools or buy them if necessary – a carpenter’s square, a tape measure, utility knife, adhesive, if required by your chosen vinyl, and a floor roller, which can also be rented.

After you’ve selected the style of vinyl you want, your next job is to measure the space and work out how much flooring you’ll need. If a room is an odd shape, break your floor into areas you can measure separately, then add them together to find the total square footage of vinyl tiles you require. Purchase extras to cover accidents.

Before buying vinyl, ask yourself what thickness you will need and if an underlay is required. Thicker floors are suitable for high-traffic areas of your home, with more durable solutions holding up better under frequent use. If you’re adding flooring to a room you use less, such as where you sleep, a thinner option will usually fit the bill.

Not all floors require an underlay. In fact, there are products available designed to fit straight onto the subfloor. Underlay can be useful, however, if you want additional comfort levels or wish to raise the height of your floor slightly.

Full spread, floating, loose lay, glue down and peel and stick are all different approaches to fitting vinyl flooring. When your new vinyl tiles arrive, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s recommended installation method to the letter when you start your project.

In summary, if you’re confident in your DIY abilities and want to fit a floor while you have time on your hands, make sure you’re prepared with everything you need. Otherwise, wait until lockdown lifts and have it professionally fitted to keep life simple.

Is artificial grass suitable for cats?

The advantages of artificial grass for the people at your property are manifold. A far lower maintenance option, it can help homeowners decrease their gardening duties considerably. Its all-year-round attractive appearance is always welcome, and it can provide a comfortable and cleaner environment for relaxing on than natural grass. However, households that include a feline member of the family may wonder how an artificial lawn might measure for their four-legged friend.

In the following passages, we’ll look at some benefits of synthetic lawn when you have a cat and answer some common questions and concerns.

Safety first

While you should always check a product’s certification before buying, leading manufacturers create artificial lawns free from toxic substances, ensuring they are safe for all to use, including your cat. This means that whether they play on your lawn or nibble on the man-made fibres, no harm will come to them. The same can’t always be said for real grass lawns, which are often sprayed with chemicals to help them grow or pesticides to kill unwanted insects, which can lead to cats becoming sick after eating it.

Additional comfort levels

Cats will play happily on synthetic grass, just like the natural version. Artificial turf can often feel softer and springier for them than the genuine counterpart, especially during dry months when grass can sometimes lose its lustre and become sparse.

Will cat mess stain artificial grass?

Artificial grass can be a far better option than natural grass when it comes to unwanted mess. Whereas real grass will discolour, burn or stain from cats using it as a toilet, artificial grass will not. This being said, it’s always wise to tackle any solid mess straight away, with natural rainfall taking care of the rest in most instances. If necessary, you can use some simple detergent and a cleaning cloth to remove any mess from the fibres of your artificial lawn.

Can artificial grass also work indoors for cats?

Many parents find that synthetic grass can make an excellent play area for their children, as it provides a safe and clean space for them to enjoy. The same can be said for cat owners, who will discover an area of indoor artificial grass area may prove popular with their feline friends for all the same reasons and more. Cats are intrigued by different textures and the way they feel on the sensitive pads of their paws, making the fibres of man-made grass ideal when they must stay indoors.

It’s worth remembering that just like us, all cats are individuals, so be sure to acquire a sample of artificial grass first before purchasing a large quantity to ensure your cat responds well to it.

Easy to clean and safe to use, artificial grass is ideal both indoors and out for both cats and their owners. Whether you want a protective area for play or a comfortable new sleeping spot, artificial grass may be just the solution you and your cat seek.

Experts say room design should start with flooring

According to interior designers, homeowners should start the design process for a new room with the floor.

As reported by the Independent, designer Michelle Ogundehin explained this by saying that both visually and literally, a floor is the foundation of a room. This does not mean that the floor should be installed straight away, but that you should choose the carpet design and colour first, then match everything else to it. Carpet swatches should be carried with you when you visit paint, wallpaper and furnishing shops.

Some people start with a neutral-coloured carpet, as they think it goes with almost all colour schemes. However, Charles Annable, who works in the carpet industry, disagrees with this approach. He says that more and more people are opting for a bold look for the colour and pattern of their carpets, and that 2021 is a time for “bolder and better”.

Interior designer Matthew Williamson is also a fan of bold colours, and says:

“Colour and pattern can speak to us at aesthetic and emotional levels, elevating our homes, infiltrating through the walls, the furnishings, and of course, the floor.”

Designer Jodie Hatton says that it is worth investing in a high-quality, hardwearing carpet that will last a long time. If you have a hard surface floor, a colourful rug can elevate the look of a room.

When choosing carpets for your North Wales home, consider bold colours and then paint the room in shades that complement the carpet. This will completely change the look and atmosphere of the room.