9mm Carpet Underlay

9mm underlays help to hide minor imperfections within the subfloor. These can be anything from small dips to cracks and slight unevenness. Thick underlays are typically good at this, so as long as none of the issues are major, you shouldn’t experience too much unevenness. 

If you are not sure, it’s best to use a long spirit level against the subfloor and measure evenness that way. There are compounds and other such tools that you can use to fill gaps and ensure an even subfloor before carpet underlay is put down if the unevenness appears to be severe.

There are several locations in the home where a 9mm carpet underlay would be best laid. 

• Bedrooms – Your bedroom is your personal space, as well as somewhere that comfort is typically a high priority. With an underlay beneath your carpet, you can ensure that your feet will be comfortable from the thick underlay beneath your feet. 

• Living Rooms – 9mm carpet underlays will ensure that your living room will not only be comfortable but will keep your carpet in top condition going forward, on account of the support that certain thick underlays can provide. 
• Studies/Home Offices – These areas usually require less distractions and an area that is tranquil and stable. A 9mm carpet underlay only enhances this. 

This is not a straightforward question to answer. Whilst it’s undeniable that a thicker foam underlay would provide more warmth than a thinner foam underlay of the same series, how dense that foam is makes a huge difference. Less dense materials retain less heat than denser materials.

Thickness should not be the quality you look for when determining thermal insulation. It’s best that you start with the material, or tog rating:

Material – Some materials have a composition that lends well to heat retention (insulation). Close-knitted felt, for example. Felt is a natural insulator that is warm to the touch, and ensuring it’s thick and dense on top of that results in a great underlay for warm floors.
TOG Rating – Your underlayment should come with a Tog Rating. A Tog rating is a measure of thermal resistance. Higher tog ratings indicate that they trap and keep more heat than lower tog ratings. For reference – carpet underlays fall between 1.0 to 4.0.

9mm underlays are comfortable, more often than not, and that is the main reason they are sought out. This comfort is needed more than ever on short pile carpets, which are bought for their hardiness and cleanliness, but often suffer specifically from their lack of comfort. 

As a result, 9mm underlays are beneficial to short pile carpets, and are considered great investments for carpets of this type.

There are downsides, but often, this revolves around the actual product. But some considerations to think of: 

• Compatibility – Some underlays will not be compatible with other products, such as underfloor heating. Check before you buy.
• Floor Height – Thick underlays may raise the floor height. This is not necessarily an issue, unless it interferes with room functions – such as opening and closing the door.