Help me decide on a carpet underlay

[LadyDeGrump]

Getting the carpets replaced in my new flat and need underlay throughout (none currently). We want good noise insulation - airborne and impact - because it is an upstairs flat in a rickety Victorian conversion and I don't want to upset neighbours below or to the sides. Ideally, we would also have a decent level of thermal insulation.

The two brands recommended to me are both Tredaire - 3 Colours Red and Dreamwalk. Dreamwalk is cheaper and does better on thermal but less well on noise. Is 44db protection as opposed to 46 very big?

Does anyone have experience of either and can anyone advise?

I've no idea what I've got. Any differencebeteeen the two will be negligible. Just go for the cheapest of the two.

2db difference is rated as barely perceptible. I'd go for the better thermal properties to benefit you.

Have a look on the internet, got quote of £500 for underlay from Carpetright, managed to get Cloud 9 for £180 with delivery inc.

Good point - we always buy underlay online and the price psm goes down when you buy bigger quantities.

i have recently just had new carpets and I couldn't decide between tredaire and cloud 9 - independent carpet fitter popped round to quote and said cloud 9 was far better than tredaire (he didn't sell it to me so not biased) and it was over and above better than the most expensive underlay carpetright sell (and cheaper!)...

Carpet right have a massive mark up on underlay. What they wanted to sell us for £7.99 psm we bought online from a trade supplier for £2.99 psm.

If you're in an upstairs flat surely you don't particularly want good insulation on your floor. All it will do is stop you benefitting from downstair's heating.

Thanks guys. We are carpeting whole flat so def buying rolls of underlay on interweb and not going through carpetright (although getting rest of carpet through them).

Think we are going to go for Dreamwalk as cheaper for v sim sound insulation.

I see the point about losing the benefit of heat rising from downstairs, but as flat is massive Victorian draughty jobby more concerned that we aren't losing what we pump out IYSWIM. We cant control when they do put on their heating but can control not losing ours.

If 44/46 db really isnt a massive difference in terms of noise then we will go for that...

Why is it that these things are so difficult before you do them and then once its down you never give a seconds thought?