How long does underlay last?

[David WE Roberts]

Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of several
carpets?
I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as much as 25 years.

Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the carpets
are off to the tip.

Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?

No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners have
been it looks pretty good.
Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

[Ryan]

Hi Dave,

I think is depends on how the underlay is made and its condition now.
We've just had the house re-carpeted throughout using an local
independent. When he came to measure up he asked what underlay we had. I
couldn't tell him so I showed him piece where I could get the carpet up
easily. His comments was "that's probably done 20,000 miles before being
turned into an underlay". He then went on to say it had a life
expectancy of around 20 to 25 years depending on wear. The underlay we
have has was a woven backing and a solid foam rubber pad. Not air pocket
dimples like you have described.

The only advice he gave was to have a pads changed on the stairs as that
is a heavy wear area. When I lifted the carpets I found writing on the
underlay with the plot number on it, so it must have been down 12 years
so far. I only moved in 6 years ago. It was all in good condition except
the cloakroom. This looked like it was done with odds and ends and these
were falling apart. A new piece went in there.

Hope this helps,
Ryan

[Brian Gaff]

Yeah, some felt in this house has remained good for well over 20 years. The
dimple stuff is OK but its hard to tell what it would do under high traffic
places. The stuff to watch was that rubbish like the back of foam backed
carpets. That just turns to dust after about 10 years it seems.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Ryan" <ryan...@warpfive.co.uk> wrote in message
news:a75677...@mid.individual.net...

[Andy Cap]

On 23/07/12 14:58, David WE Roberts wrote:
> Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of
> several carpets?
> I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as much as 25 years.
>
> Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the
> carpets are off to the tip.
>
> Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?
>
> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners
> have been it looks pretty good.
> Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.
>
> Cheers
>
> Dave R

It comes in different qualities so combined with the variable usage, I
guess it's difficult to predict a life. By mistake they put the best
stuff in our lounge and after about 15 years, most of it still has good
spring, apart that is from the bit that comes in from the kitchen, which
I've been thinking about replacing. I've already replaced the underlay
in the hall, on the stairs and the landing, as it greatly extends the
life of the carpet.

Andy C

[Lobster]

On 23/07/2012 14:58, David WE Roberts wrote:

> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners
> have been it looks pretty good.
> Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.

Lifespan is definitely related to the initial outlay. Cheap crap
degrades pretty quickly, and is usually pretty obvious when/where it's
clapped out - flat, no spring left in it, often with piles of powder
leaking under it. That said, you don't want to compromise on it as the
life of the carpet is very much dependent on the quality of the underlay/

My top tip, when the carpets are off, inspect the underlay and do a bit
of judicious moving around - eg the area under a double bed will be
pristine, so cut out a comparable area in the most walked-upon area and
swap them over, covering the joints with duck tape or whatever.

(Oh, and top tip 2 - if you do buy new underlay (or any other
accessories like binder bars or gripper rods), get it online and not
your local carpet emporium, even if they are fitting it: they will
charge you way more for the ancillaries as that's where they make all
their money, not the from the headline price of the carpet itself)

David

[Andrew Gabriel]

In article <a753ks...@mid.individual.net>,

"David WE Roberts" <nos...@btinternet.com> writes:
> Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of several
> carpets?
> I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as much as 25 years.
>
> Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the carpets
> are off to the tip.
>
> Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?
>
> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners have
> been it looks pretty good.
> Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.

I had some fail in the first house I bought. It was OK for a couple of
years, and then suddenly all turned into powdered rubber like a sort of
lightweight sand, and moved around under the carpet like sand dunes.
The room wasn't used much (box room), so it wasn't wear related, but
time related (perished, I guess). No idea how old it was. The carpet
on top of it was in good condition, but unfortunately pink - I chucked
it, and vacuumed up the underlay...

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article <a753ks...@mid.individual.net>,

David WE Roberts <nos...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of
> several carpets? I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as
> much as 25 years.

> Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the
> carpets are off to the tip.

> Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?

> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners
> have been it looks pretty good. Woven backing and rubber dimples is the
> best way I can describe it.

Think it depends on the quality, as all which looks like that is not the
same. I've seen some that disintegrates in 10 years or so.

--
*Money isn't everything, but it sure keeps the kids in touch *

Dave Plowman da...@davenoise.co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

[NT]

On 23 July, 13:58, "David WE Roberts" <nos...@btinternet.com> wrote:
> Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of several
> carpets?
> I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as much as 25 years.
>
> Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the carpets
> are off to the tip.
>
> Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?
>
> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners have
> been it looks pretty good.
> Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.
>
> Cheers
>
> Dave R

I've had some last around 25years.

Any recomendatrions for online supplier?


NT

[Lobster]

Last lot of underlay I bought (about a year ago) was from
http://www.gwilsonfibres.co.uk/, who I'd certainly recommend

David

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article
<2a3145e3-1002-4cc4...@n33g2000vbi.googlegroups.com>,

NT <meow...@care2.com> wrote:
> I've had some last around 25years.

> Any recomendatrions for online supplier?

I replaced my crumbling bubble stuff with Cloud 9. Too early to say how it
will last - but it certainly seems to be holding up well on the heavily
loaded parts like the stairs.

--
*A plateau is a high form of flattery*

[Mark]

I've found a good independent carpet retailer and I am happy to pay
the little extra for the underlay etc as I want them to stay in
business.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) If a man stands in a forest and no woman is around
(")_(") is he still wrong?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article <abss085ruv38g32o9...@4ax.com>,

Mark <i...@dontgetlotsofspamanymore.invalid> wrote:
> I've found a good independent carpet retailer and I am happy to pay
> the little extra for the underlay etc as I want them to stay in
> business.

That's fine - provided you know what you're getting. Even the cheapest
underlay would likely last as long as any reasonable warranty. But nothing
like as long as good stuff. Of course if you change the carpet each time
you decorate, quality probably doesn't matter.

--
*The most common name in the world is Mohammed *

[David WE Roberts]

"David WE Roberts" <nos...@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:a753ks...@mid.individual.net...

> Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of several
> carpets?
> I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as much as 25 years.
>
> Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the carpets
> are off to the tip.
>
> Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?
>
> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed corners
> have been it looks pretty good.
> Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.

Thanks for all the responses.
Decided to keep it for the moment and stash it in the shed.
Carpet has gone down the tip.

[Phil L]

David WE Roberts wrote:
> Does underlay degrade quite quickly, or is it good for the life of
> several carpets?
> I have seen it suggested that underlay could last as much as 25 years.
>

It will, unless a carpet fitter sees it after 1 or 2, and then it's
'knackered' and needs replacing with more expensive stuff, obviously.

> Lifting carpets to gain access to electrics and plumbing, and the
> carpets are off to the tip.
>
> Question now is do we save the undelay or does that go as well?
>

If it seems OK to you then it's OK to leave down

> No idea how old it is, but apart from some flat spots where bed
> corners have been it looks pretty good.
> Woven backing and rubber dimples is the best way I can describe it.
>

Sounds like you'll get another 20 odd years out of it....a bedroom carpet
gets very little wear, normally a few minutes morning and night and maybe
another few minutes changing clothes etc, so 10mins a day is <61 hours per
year, or 1220 hours over 20 years, which equates to 50.8 days continuous
walking over the 20 years.


Leave it down

[Lobster]

On 24/07/2012 16:13, Phil L wrote:

> Sounds like you'll get another 20 odd years out of it....a bedroom carpet
> gets very little wear, normally a few minutes morning and night and maybe
> another few minutes changing clothes etc, so 10mins a day is <61 hours per
> year, or 1220 hours over 20 years, which equates to 50.8 days continuous
> walking over the 20 years.

But that said, it does also deteriorate to an extent with age alone,
notably the rubber stuff like the OP's

David

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In article <wYyPr.123068$IP4....@fx26.am4>,

Phil L <neverc...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Sounds like you'll get another 20 odd years out of it....a bedroom
> carpet gets very little wear, normally a few minutes morning and night
> and maybe another few minutes changing clothes etc, so 10mins a day is
> <61 hours per year, or 1220 hours over 20 years, which equates to 50.8
> days continuous walking over the 20 years.

Not sure it makes a vast difference to how long the cheap stuff lasts. It
might well be a chemical action which is time based.

--
*How much deeper would the oceans be without sponges? *

[DerbyBorn]

ars, which equates to 50.8
>> days continuous walking over the 20 years.
>
> Not sure it makes a vast difference to how long the cheap stuff lasts. It
> might well be a chemical action which is time based.
>

The feet of furniture and castors do the most harm because the underlay
doesn't get a chance to spring back. The carpet backing stretches into the
dent. It doesn't seem to recover.