To not have underlay for carpets in new build?

[MoiraNotRuby]

Has anyone ever skipped underlay and how much difference did it make? I am moving to a well-insulated small-roomed house and need to carpet the whole place. Had a quote for a carpet that can be laid without underlay and it would save a lot of money.

Context is that I am working 3 jobs and still having to borrow money for the floor so want to minimise what I spend. I know everyone says 'get the best underlay you can afford' but realistically am I going to regret the lack of underlay or is it truly worth getting into more debt?

You definitely need good underlay, you will be disappointed with the carpet otherwise.

I would not put a carpet on floorboards without underlay. You will see the ridges of the floorboards through. Not straight away. But in time as it’s been walked on and settled. I have lived in houses, where carpet was glued onto the concrete. It’s really not as nice.

Hi OP, someone may have already said this but you can buy rolls of underlay and gripper rods on ebay and online carpet places for cheaper than the carpet shop will do them and cut the underlay yourself. It is easy to do (you can you tube it). It will save a lot of money on the fitting. You can piece bits of underlay and tape them together so you don't have as much leftover as you do carpet.

You need expensive underlay and a cheap carpet, not vice versa. You will regret not getting it. We have a very well insulated new build but even under our wooden kitchen floor we've got underlay.

There’s a room in my house that doesn’t have underlay (previous owners) and it’s awful, there’s no softness on the foot it’s like walking on a hard floor and I hate it. When it gets replaced it will definitely be getting underlay.

@DelilahBucket

You need expensive underlay and a cheap carpet, not vice versa. You will regret not getting it. We have a very well insulated new build but even under our wooden kitchen floor we've got underlay.

Honestly my choice is

A. Cheap carpet

Or

B. Cheap carpet and cheap underlay

There is no 'expensive this and cheap that' option. But I take your point.

New builds should have really good sound proofing (I work in construction and the building regs for sound proofing are really high. If it’s shit you need to invoke your NHBC warranty and get them to come and look at it. If a party wall isn’t built to Robust Detail it has to have a sound test)
But, it would be unusual for a new build to have floorboards? It would normally be concrete downstairs and screwed down chipboard upstairs? Either way, it is not a good idea to have carpet without underlay. It never lays flat properly and always looks wrinkled and feels crap when you walk on it…

@mewkins

Hi OP, someone may have already said this but you can buy rolls of underlay and gripper rods on ebay and online carpet places for cheaper than the carpet shop will do them and cut the underlay yourself. It is easy to do (you can you tube it). It will save a lot of money on the fitting. You can piece bits of underlay and tape them together so you don't have as much leftover as you do carpet.

Thanks, I had not thought of that option. I'm pretty crap at DIY when there is a time pressure but I will have a look on YouTube.

@Mummyoflittledragon I was just going to type exactly the same. One of my friends had a carpet laid without underlay in her bedroom.
Within twelve months you could see the outline of the floorboards in the main walking area as you go through the door. It looks terrible, apparently it wasn't a cheap carpet either.
Always get the very best underlay that you can afford.

I clean a new build with no underlay and you can tell it's missing. It's not nice to hoover and doesn't feel great.

@Buildingthefuture

New builds should have really good sound proofing (I work in construction and the building regs for sound proofing are really high. If it’s shit you need to invoke your NHBC warranty and get them to come and look at it. If a party wall isn’t built to Robust Detail it has to have a sound test) But, it would be unusual for a new build to have floorboards? It would normally be concrete downstairs and screwed down chipboard upstairs? Either way, it is not a good idea to have carpet without underlay. It never lays flat properly and always looks wrinkled and feels crap when you walk on it…

I'm currently renting a new build and never ever hear the neighbours, it feels quite bizarre. In a good way! People love to slag off new builds but having moved from an old place I'm super impressed with the quality.

We moved to our house 2 years ago and put down the cheapes carpet in the shop without underlay.
2 years down the line we are having new carpets laid with underlay.
As we are on a budget we are doing a room a month.
So far we have done our hall, stairs and landing and today we had our front room done.
Honestly the difference in the feel and warmth of the rooms is amazing and i wouldn't have carpets without underlay again.
Also the children do not sound like a herd of elephants running up and down the stairs either anymore.

I had underlay throughout when I carpeted my new build, neighbour skipped it on the upstairs and you can definitely tell the difference. In my house, even with underlay, when the heating has been off for a few hours, the cold soon seeps through from the concrete floor.

Could you buy just underlay for upstairs and when you have enough money (a year or two) have it carpeted?

Maybe get a cheap rug for next to the bed.

Wear slippers so it doesn't get too roughed up.

We have moved into a house with some felt/foam backed carpets, and you can absolutely tell. They’ve worn weirdly, and aren’t at all comfortable to walk on. It’s not floor we tend to sit on, but it’s not nice to walk on.

To be honest it made it top priority to change in our house despite the dodgy kitchen. I’d get underlay. Especially if you’re already getting the cheapest carpet (although carpet is expensive, I do feel you on that)

Could you make do with rugs until you can afford underlay? We’re doing that until we can have carpet fitted, there’s a four month wait here.

OP could you just do one room at a time or upstairs then downstairs? Rather than getting into debt/money being tight.

As for your question, definitely underlay.

The other thing you need to be aware of is that 100% polypropylene melts if it comes into contact with heat. So accidents like dropping an iron/curling tongs/ hot drink etc on it will have a lasting effect on the texture. Choose a heather type carpet as this will minimise the visibility of the damage.

Do your customers tend to report back so you know how their carpet is doing a year /few years on?

Good question. Of course someone who sells it would recommend it.

If you really can’t afford it, have you thought about only putting it in the well trafficked rooms? Living room / kitchen/ hall.

I bought a new build and put underlay down. It does make a difference and helps keep the house warm. It helps massively with noise reduction too.

Your carpet will stick to the floor without underlay

You can actually buy some carpets that have underlay on them and may be cheaper. Also if you shop around some carpet shops might have cheaper pieces like off cuts and usually do and that would also be cheaper. The difference prices I got for my floor was unreal when I shopped around. But need underlay or else will be like walking on the concrete and not a nice feel at all. Can you not just do your living room and then save and do each room as you can afford to, buy some cheap rugs as summer be here.

I was you in my first tiny home. Worked 2 jobs so put in carpet that 'didnt need underlay'. Omg it was like walking directly on furry concrete. Took me two years to save up again to replace. Dont do it.

When we were first married we did the cheap option of buying foam backed carpet and laying it ourselves with no underlay. Although the fit was good the end result was pretty basic floor covering which wasnt very cosy.
When we had a bit more money we got new carpet and underlay and the difference was immense.
In your shoes I would buy the underlay directly from a carpet warehouse type place. You can cut it easily yourself and dont need much in the way of fixings. And as a PP suggested just have underlay upstairs and in little used rooms for now. Get nice carpet for the main room and entrance if necessary. And then buy carpet for more rooms when youve saved enough.

Agree with others - get the underlay put down, if you can stretch to it carpet some essential rooms. For thr rest, get rugs on free cycle or from boot sales etc.

Then, in a year r whenever you have thr cash, do a room at a time.

Honestly better to do it that way than put carpet down without underlay, regret it, and have to save up to redo it in a year or two.

@MoiraNotRuby

The carpet is the cheapest one in the shop

"100% polypropylene, with a felt backing, meaning it can be laid without an underlay and is therefore ideal for those on a budget."

Sorry op but this is code for “scummy landlords can use this, it doesn’t matter cos you won’t be living there!” You really do need underlay.