Investing in new floors can be expensive. Even if you opt for a cheaper floor, you can still pay out quite a bit if you end up needing to cover a massive floor area. You might, therefore, be tempted to look for places where you can cut costs, like with the underlay. However, wood floor underlay is a vital step which you should not miss. Let’s take a closer look at why you need it. 

What is Wood Floor Underlay?

Underlay is a special layer which is placed between the floor of the building or the foundation and your floor of choice. It might seem odd to need a layer between the two but it can provide a number of key services. If you have a problem which you need addressing with your floor, underlay might be one of the easiest ways of fixing it. 

Uncomfortable

Many people like the look of wooden floors though they come with some distinct disadvantages. One of these can be that wooden floors are nowhere near as comfortable as something like carpet or vinyl flooring. If you have small children, you might feel more at ease if you buy wood floor underlay to put under your chosen floor. It will give just a little bit more cushioning and will protect your little one from any knocks if they fall over.

Sound

If you live in an apartment building, you might be concerned that too much noise is going to seep down into the unit below. No-one wants to keep their neighbours awake with heavy footsteps but it can be hard to know exactly how to cut down on noise pollution. It is, however, possible to find wood floor underlay which offers up to 20 decibels of noise reduction. You will be able to go about your daily business without worrying about how noisy you are being. 

Insulation

Worried that your floors are too cold underneath? Wood is not as cosy as other floors. There are some who would much rather know that they are always going to have a warm floor underneath. Using the right wood floor underlay will help you combat some of this chill. Underlay is also going to be very important if you want to put in underfloor heating. If you are choosing this route, your underfloor heating engineer will be able to advise you on which is best for you.

Do You Need Underlay?

You might think that you might be able to get away without any underlay. However, such a decision can result in a floor which is not up to the standard you expect. It is not enough to simply think you can get away with just selecting a wood floor which looks amazing. You also need to make sure that it is comfortable underfoot. A big part of that comes through the underlay. It can help to make even the hardest of wood floors feel just a little bit nicer. If you are thinking about a wood floor for your home, you should definitely look into wood floor underlay to go with it.