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Do I need underlay for my rug?

In short, YES!

You have just purchased the perfect area rug, you have the perfect spot at home to put it, the rug is delivered, you lay out on the floor and it looks fantastic.

You may ask. “Do I need to have underlay underneath my rugs?”  In most cases, yes! It doesn’t matter what type of floor covering your rug will be laid over, the use of a proper rug underlay is necessary for numerous reasons.

However not all underlays are suitable for all rugs or floors.

Benefits of rug underlay

Extend Wear

Just like the underlay beneath a wall-to-wall carpet, a decent rug underlay assists to safeguard your rugs from wear and tear by absorbing the bulk of the effect of foot traffic. The underlay is intended to compress and rebound back (even a firm one will do this to some extent) which takes the tension off of the rug fibres. Without underlay to act as a shock absorber, the rug fibres will be trampled and the rug will display warnings of wear much earlier than it would with a proper underlay.

Sand, soil and grit is the main culprit for premature wear in rugs, and even with the best cleaning practices sand, soil and grit work their way into the foundation of the rug and to the surface below, causing premature wear. Installing underlay beneath your rug allows these soils to collect in the underlay rather than your valuable rug.

Prevent Slipping

A decent rug underlay holds the rug to prevent it from slipping about. Rugs that are secured by furniture can move, making them buckle and bunch up, and generating tripping risks. Rug underlay assists to keep the rug sitting level and in one position. Choose underlays aimed explicitly for placing a rug over hard surface flooring or laying a rug over wall-to-wall carpet.  Not all underlays are the same.

Helps with stains

When you have a spill or if your pet dog or cat has an accident on your rug, more often than not the spill or the urine will penetrate the rug and pool on the surface under the rug meaning that even though the stain on the surface of the rug may only be 5-10cm round, the stain on the back may be 2-3 times larger. By installing underlay, the stain will travel through the rug causing less damage.

Protect the Floor Underneath

Irrespective of the kind of floor under your area rug, it’s necessary to protect it. Rug backings can on occasion be coarse, which can cause scuffs and abrasions on a hardwood and other types of hard floor surfaces. Other risks that lie on the flooring beneath include colour transfer from the rug, the possibility of a minute pebble or another jagged item being trapped beneath the rug, and aggressive wear and tear on the surface of the flooring caused by the area rug slipping with foot traffic.

Rug underlay delivers a shielding barrier between the area rug and the floor beneath. Even wall-to-wall carpets where should be protected.

Additional Concerns

There are other, non-critical grounds for using underlay including luxury, sound lessening and insulation from a cold subfloor. The benefits of rug underlay are plentiful.

Compare our range of underlays

  • Standard Hard Floor underlay (AKO Extra) - reasonably priced, offering  an excellent level of grip on hard floors.  Can be easily cut to size with scissors. CAUTION - If flooring is treated with water-based lacquers, allow at least 3 months full drying time before using this product.  Only suitable on flooring treated with solvent-free sealants as there is a small chance it may mark the floor.  No adhesion when wet!  Available in bespoke sizes at no extra cost. Machine-washable.   Not effective if placed on carpets. Not suitable for use on LVT (vinyl) flooring such as Karndean and Amtico. Choose one of our fleece underlays instead.
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  • Premium Hard Floor underlay (AKO Profilo) - A premium product at a higher price.  Ideal for larger rugs, offering an excellent level of grip, comfort under foot and good impact sound insulation on hard floors.  Can be easily cut to size with scissors.  CAUTION - If flooring is treated with water-based lacquers, allow at least 3 months full drying time before using this product.  Only suitable on flooring treated with solvent-free sealants as there is a small chance it may mark the floor.  No adhesion when wet!  Available in bespoke sizes at no extra cost. Machine-washable.   Not effective if placed on carpets. Not suitable for use on LVT (vinyl) flooring such as Karndean and Amtico. Choose one of our fleece underlays instead.
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  • Standard All-Surface Underlay (AKO Dual Fleece) - reasonably priced, offering  an excellent level of grip on carpets and hard floors.  Can be easily cut to size with scissors.  CAUTION - any floor finish must be completely dry before installation.  If flooring has been treated with water-based lacquers, allow at least 3 months drying time before using this product. Available in bespoke sizes at no extra cost. Machine-washable.   Suitable for use on LVT (vinyl) flooring such as Karndean and Amtico.
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  • Super All-Surface Underlay (AKO Super Dual Fleece) - Priced higher than the Standard All-Surface underlay, it is ideal for larger rugs, offering an excellent level of grip, comfort under foot and good impact sound insulation on carpets and hard floors.  Can be easily cut to size with scissors.  CAUTION - any floor finish must be completely dry before installation.  If flooring has been treated with water-based lacquers, allow at least 3 months drying time before using this product. Available in bespoke sizes at no extra cost.  Machine-washable.   Suitable for use on LVT (vinyl) flooring such as Karndean and Amtico.
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  • Top Fleece Underlay (AKO Top Fleece) - A premium product at a premium price.  Ideal for larger rugs, offering an excellent level of grip, comfort under foot and excellent impact sound insulation on carpets and hard floors, especially high traffic areas.  Offers additional grip than the Standard and Super All-Surface Fleece underlays, ideal for more problematic rugs.  Available in standard sizes only but can be easily cut to size with scissors.Machine-washable.   Suitable for use on LVT (vinyl) flooring such as Karndean and Amtico.
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  • Premium All-Surface Underlay fleece (Teebaud) - A premium product at a premium price. Ideal for larger rugs, offering an excellent level of grip, comfort under foot and very good impact sound insulation on carpets and hard floors, especially high traffic areas.  Offers additional grip than the Standard and Super All-Surface Fleece underlays , ideal for more problematic rugs.  Available in standard sizes only but can be easily cut to size with scissors.  Not washable.  Suitable for use on LVT (vinyl) flooring such as Karndean and Amtico.