The added value of the underlay opportunity

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Underlay is no longer the unfashionable Cinderella at the flooring ball, it’s becoming bigger and better business 

Have you noticed? Underlay is going up the agenda and up-market as retailers look for more ways to enhance sluggish flooring sales and ensure that those consumers who are buying, buy more.

With their new national TV and radio campaign of the Tredaire-nauts, Interfloor are raising the profile of underlay to the forefront of customers minds. Whilst being on a mission to bring luxury and comfort to homes across the universe, the Tredaire-nauts are here to help educate consumers on why underlay is an essential part of their flooring and the inimitable feeling of Tredaire underlay. 

This campaign represents more than just an advertising initiative;
it’s a strategic move to elevate the entire flooring industry. By
boldly going where no underlay brand has gone before, Tredaire is not only addressing the evolving needs of consumers but also supporting our valued retail partners in capitalising on increased consumer demand and engagement.

A superior underlay, such as Tredaire, can significantly enhance carpets feel and lifespan, as well as improve acoustic and thermal insulation. The campaign is also paired with groundbreaking retailer support, providing all stores with brand new sample range designs, display units, banners, floor mats, window stickers and much more!

The Tredaire-nauts are here to inspire consumers to explore the world of Tredaire, a world where underlay isn’t just a necessity, but a transformative experience. 

Also seeking to bring consumers to a better understanding of the benefits of quality underlay is Carpenter who have invested considerable time and money into an innovative POS initiative.

Carpenter’s Carpet Underlay Point of Sale board is designed to guide consumers to the perfect underlay solution for their home. With three distinct sections, this POS board simplifies the decision-making process, catering to various customer needs.

The sections are:

Standard – A versatile, all-around underlay option.

Comfort – Ideal for adding a touch of luxury underfoot, perfect for plush carpets like saxonys.

Performance – Offering a firmer feel, this underlay is designed to extend the life of the carpet, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic areas.

Fully customisable to match each retailer’s preferences and
customer demographics, this approach enables the retailer to
display the right underlay options for their store, whilst still
providing a valuable tool to boost sales and offer tailored
solutions to end users. 

The clear, concise design makes it easy for shoppers to choose the best underlay for their needs, enhancing the overall carpet-buying experience.

How do you feel about felt?

Croyden-based Biswell Flooring has found a sweet spot for the use of sustainable underlay from Anglo Recycling in their higher end axminster installations in London apartment refurbishments and hospitality projects.

Anglo Recycling works with leading UK retail companies such as John Lewis, major UK carpet manufacturers and national fitting companies and have found a way of producing great range of carpet underlay felts using more than 1,000 tonnes each year of virgin carpet offcuts that used to go into landfill.

Biswell Flooring orders Anglo products in bulk and sends the container back to the recycler with the baled waste they have generated from installations over the previous six months or so.

Below picture: Biswell bales the offcuts before sending to Anglo.

“And the underlay is a great product,” he says.
“It has the right kind of quality feel for the kind of work we do and a strong price to weight ratio.”

Biswell got together with Anglo through Carpet Recycling UK (CRUK) – both are members of this leading organisation committed to divert textile wste from landfill. Simon Macauley of Anglo commented: “Biswell is a great example of how the industry can work together on recycling – protecting the environment without any compromise on quality or performance and with a sound economic case.”

In a tight market, high end flooring options have been holding up well and the same seems to be true of underlay, says Andrew Gill, product manager, floorwise.

“There’s clearly interest in underlays that offer excellent
long-term performance, as we’ve seen growing demand for
higher quality foam underlay products,"

“So, we’ve introduced four brand-new foam underlays that
offer the ultimate in comfort and durability in our premium Feel
the Difference collection. 

“By using our SHD+ and UHD+ densities in an excellent quality of
post-industrial recycled foam, we’ve ensured that these new underlays not only feel fantastic under carpet, but that they also continue to provide great bouncebackability. Made in the UK, the new Finesse, Charm, Indulgence and Delight give homeowners a choice depending on their budget and requirements. 

“With great impact sound reduction and thermal insulation,
these Feel the Difference underlays make homes noticeably warmer and quieter. They are also our first underlays to also be tested for VOC emissions and as you would expect, they perform excellently, achieving the highly demanding and internationally recognised French A+ rating,” says Andrew.

These four new PU underlays from floorwise improve choice and ensure Feel the Difference continues to be a great portfolio for homeowners wanting a competitively-priced underlay that delivers first class comfort and durability.”

Wilsons Underlays is continually developing and innovating to produce underlays for all applications and two new specialist underlays are currently in the pipeline with the launch of HeatStream and are highly anticipated for 2025. 

Twice-recycled with a lot of bottle

Yorkshire-based textile manufacturer Texfelt launched an
8mm Eco-Step variant to its SpringBond underlay range at the Flooring Show in Harrogate with the eye-catching credential that 1,000 plastic bottles would be save for every three-bedroom house installation.

Offering superior benefits to end-users, Texfelt’s Eco-Step underlay is suitable for a range of applications, particularly new housing developments. It has been developed to be the go-to underlay to meet 8mm industry specifications, meaning that housebuilders now have a sustainable alternative to standard PU foam underlay, with has enhanced performance, is 100% chemical free and has no lumps and bumps due to its precision engineered manufacturing process. 

Environmental credentials include the product being manufactured using 180 recycled plastic bottles per roll of underlay. Eco-Step also benefits from Texfelt’s ‘twice recycled’ process, which uses waste from the manufacturing process of other SpringBond^® products to create the 8mm Eco-Step underlay. 

Danny Shortall, Group Sales Director,
comments on the new product:
“We have listened to what the housing market have asked for and we’re proud to have developed a product that balances comfort, innovative manufacturing, and affordability in response to industry needs. We aim to provide an accessible price point for those looking to avoid using standard PU foam underlay.” 

“Our 8mm Eco-Step is the ideal product for those needing to meet industry standards or requiring an entry-level sustainable underlay alternative. On the other hand, our 9mm and 11mm ranges continue to provide enhanced levels of comfort & performance and are the ideal solution for commercial spaces or luxury environments.”

  FOR MORE INFORMATION

Anglo Recycling • 01706 853513 • www.anglorecycling.com

Ball & Young • 01536 200502 • www.ballandyoung.com

Carpenter Underlays • 804-359-0800 • www.carpenter.com

floorwise • 01509 673974 • www.floorwise.co.uk

Interfloor • 01706 213131 • www.interfloor.com

Texfelt • 01274 905411 • www.texfelt.co.uk 

Wilsons Underlay • 01924 451138 • www.wilsons-underlays.co.uk