If you correctly approach the installation of flooring, then it will last much longer. Competently is to use certain tricks that extend its service life and allow you to save on repairs. For example, when laying carpet, the trick is to use a backing. Its presence allows the use of thinner coatings that are easier to maintain and cost less. The underlay enhances sound insulation, prevents moisture from appearing on the reverse side of the carpet, enhances the spring properties of the covering, and adds softness to it.
Walking on such a floor is more convenient and comfortable.
Features of the
The peculiarity of any type of substrate is that it extends the life of the coating and, depending on the material, doubles or even triples it. This is achieved due to the high shock-absorbing properties of the substrate, which takes the main part of the load, and distributes the rest evenly over the carpet area approximately 1 m2 from the human foot. Without a backing, all carpets take on all the friction and wear out faster. With it, there are no traces of furniture on the carpet, the pile rises faster and more completely.
The second feature is giving the flooring extra softness. A spacer between the floor and the thin carpet compares it in softness to a long-pile carpet.
It's not even worth mentioning that a short-pile or looped carpet is much easier to care for than a fluffy carpet.
If the thickness of the substrate is not less than 0.5 cm, then it is not necessary to further level the surface (lay a new screed over the old one) If the floors are wooden, then the underlayment prevents the effect of a "floating" floor, prevents the floor covering from swelling and falling through.
Another characteristic is a high level of noise insulation, increasing the thermal properties of the carpet and, most importantly, increasing the hygroscopicity. Thanks to the interlayer, the coating will not grow moldy from accidental moisture, which often occurs on a concrete screed in the off-season, neighbors below will not complain that elephants are running around your house, and in winter your feet will be warm even without socks.
Materials (edit)
Substrates are made from synthetic and natural materials, while synthetic ones are not always worse, just each material has its own purpose. The consumer selects it based on his priorities and the basis of the carpet: latex, jute, glue-based or synthetic felt. Let's take a closer look at each material:
PVC-based polyurethane foam and polyurethane backing - this is the most popular type of interlayer. It is notable for its low cost, availability (available in every store), conducts air well, protects the carpet from moisture and creates excellent sound insulation. Perfectly hides floor level differences up to 3 mm
Fastening to the floor is carried out with an adhesive method, for this it is better to use B-2 glue. This material is laid only on dry and even floors, all air bubbles are removed immediately. If there are joints between the floor slabs, they must be leveled. It is imperative to check the fresh screed for hygroscopicity, and if it has not completely dried out, it is better to give it another week or two for this. This type of substrate can have base and top made of polyethylene, or it can have a paper base and a felt top. The carpet is laid on the substrate using hooks using the stretching method. The backing itself is placed joint-to-joint without gaps and overlaps. Used for all types of carpets, including synthetic felt
Rubber pads are made from rubber (crumb rubber), which is interconnected by hot pressing. It is an excellent cushioning material and is often used on gym mats and sports tatami mats. It also insulates the room well, is a durable and solid filler. Most often it is used where flooring is going to be laid on a natural felt base
Cork backing one of the most expensive, but also the most environmentally friendly. Despite its low thickness, it perfectly absorbs even the thinnest carpet (therefore it is used in rooms with a high degree of stress), perfectly warms the floor and is absolutely hypoallergenic, therefore it is suitable for allergy sufferers and children. Smoothes out unevenness in the floor up to 2 mm. The only limitation for laying cork is the presence of a stable level of humidity in the room
If it fluctuates a lot, then it is better to choose a bitumen-cork substrate.
For those who like to wash carpets with a washing vacuum cleaner, the polyethylene foam backing (isolone, ponofol). It has a wide spread in thickness - from 2 mm to 2 cm, is completely hygroscopic and comes in two types - with and without foil. Foil backing is an excellent insulator for water, steam and heat. Can be found in rooms with high humidity levels. The downside of this cheap material is its fragility and instability to UV rays. That is, over time, the substrate simply stops regaining its original shape, and it also deteriorates from regular exposure to direct sunlight
Pun-polystyrene substrates - a special type of foam, they are durable and reliable. It is found both in rolls and sheets, the thickness is from 1 mm to 1 cm. It is divided into foil (low thermal conductivity, suitable for underfloor heating systems, low hygroscopicity, high wear resistance and thermal conductivity) and extruded polystyrene (not afraid of long-term point exposure to heavy objects, is laid in unheated rooms, more expensive than foil)
Polypropylene nets are not used as a backing, they only reinforce the floor under high-pile or velor carpet.
Floor
Usually the carpet is laid on a concrete or wood floor. Each of them requires preliminary preparation for the substrate.
The wooden floor in a private house or old apartments must first be sanded and each nail must be checked: whether its head protrudes, whether it is loose. If the nail is loose, it is better to remove it and hammer in a new one next to it so that the head is flush with the level of the board. Plywood floors do not need to be leveled or sanded, but if there is a significant skew in level, then a thicker underlay is recommended in the place where the lowest point is. Before installation, the floor must be free of grease and protruding paint spots.
The concrete floor under the carpet must also be pre-treated. You need to start by determining the moisture content of the base. For this, a plastic film 1x1 m is cut off, attached to a concrete screed with adhesive tape around the entire perimeter and left for a day. If there is no condensation on the film, then the substrate can be laid. It is recommended to treat the floor with a chlorine compound in order to prevent the development of fungus.
After that, a primer is applied to the concrete, which prevents it from crumbling and spoiling the substrate.
Which is better?
The carpet underlay is represented by certain manufacturers, reviews of which say that the quality of the material fully complies with all the stated standards:
For carpet no more than 2 mm thick, a backing is suitable Napa… In addition to excellent elasticity, it has antimicrobial properties and allows you to attach the coating in two ways: by pulling and gluing
Substrate from BerberMax fits perfectly both on a concrete and on a wooden base, has additional reinforced inserts, which allows it to be laid even under a base carpet (resistance to mechanical stress and fracture)
Coverage from HC-Blue includes a reinforced mesh, antimicrobial impregnation and viscose threads. At the same time, it is suitable for any type of carpet, increasing its service life by 3-4 times
Tuplex suitable for a floating floor, as it has the effect of self-leveling, concealing all irregularities and without injuring the floor covering
How to choose?
First you need to decide on the type of carpet and understand how it is combined with the type of existing base, then the purpose of the room and the degree of load on the floor covering (high traffic, heavy furniture) are determined.
Whichever type of carpet backing you choose, a personal inspection of the material in the store is always required: the backing should be dense, springy and not appear loose.
It must necessarily restore its shape after pressure, while the restoration must occur instantly.
Check out the composition of the material not only by the price tag, but also by the certificate offered to it. Do not be afraid to look stupid, your health depends on it. If you smell a foreign smell while sniffing synthetic material, then immediately dismiss this option. A good backing does not smell.
Buy only carpet backing. When the seller assures that the substrates for different types of coating do not differ in any way, do not believe it. Each of them has its own density, thickness and certain properties.
Installation
Installation of substrates is carried out in two ways: glue and glueless. Glue method - applying glue to the base (concrete or wood) and laying the substrate on it by the type of wallpapering (with forcing air bubbles from the center to the edges). Special attention is paid to the glue. Often used PVA will pull the substrate together and the substrate will shrink. It is better to choose an adhesive based on polymer substances.
Also, the glue method includes laying the substrate on double-sided construction tape. The peculiarity of this method of fastening is that the base must be perfectly cleaned from dust, therefore it is more suitable for wooden pilaf.
When laying the underlay, it must be taut so that waves do not form.
The glueless method involves laying the substrate on the floor without first coating it with glue. But at the same time, the carpet itself is glued to the substrate. Due to this two-layer "cake", the substrate adheres firmly to the floor and does not move.
You can learn how to properly lay the roll backing on the carpet in the next video.