Underlay problem?

[nathan.r.linn]

Hello all!

As a first time buyer last year I've noticed a couple of things I never wou ld have when living with parents. One of these is the underlay in the livin g room.

We had new carpet (last April) and underlay install in the living room and in certain areas it sounds like your walking on nappies or a crinkling soun d underneath. Sorry for the terrible description but I'm not sure how else to describe it. The sounds not loud but when there is no TV on you can hear it. I'm sure that's not normal but with not paying attention to other hous es I've lived in I don't know. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :)

[Andy Cap]

If it a wooden floor, it sounds more like the floorboards than the underlay. There's no short-cut other than to lift the carpeting and re-secure th boards, best done with screws. IMO cheap underlay is also a false economy. The best stuff makes any carpet last far longer.

Andy C

[nathan.r.linn]

Hello Andy.

It's concrete floors underneath the underlay and carpet sorry I should have put that above. Which makes me think the underlay mite have gone. We paid extra for better underlay.... Or supposed better underlay. Or of course the sound could be normal and I'm just being paranoid lol

[Chris J Dixon]

Does the underlay have any branding? Can you describe it? Do any of these pages help identify it?

Is it foam, felt, rubber, something else? Does it have a backing? Which way up is it? Does the noise seem to be the underlay distorting, or rubbing against the floor?

Chris

[Tricky Dicky]

Sounds like you have something similar to stuff I found under our carpets w hilst moving some radiators. It seems to be made up of shredded recycled pl astic, crap stuff that falls apart as soon as you look at it. Cannot say I notice any sound with carpet on top but when walked on bare it sounds like walking on supermarket plastic bags, which is likely what it is made off. The only thing to do is replace with something decent. I would not recommen d placing carpet on a bare floor, if it is planked you will see every join and these will end up being the points the carpet will wear through first.

Richard

[harryagain]

As a first time buyer last year I've noticed a couple of things I never would have when living with parents. One of these is the underlay in the living room.

We had new carpet (last April) and underlay install in the living room and in certain areas it sounds like your walking on nappies or a crinkling sound underneath. Sorry for the terrible description but I'm not sure how else to describe it. The sounds not loud but when there is no TV on you can hear it. I'm sure that's not normal but with not paying attention to other houses I've lived in I don't know. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :)

The noise can be caused by the underlay rubbing against the floor as you walk on it. They used to put down stuff that looked like brown paper to stop this years ago. Dunno what the modern equivalent would be now. You could experiment over a small area with sheets of newspaper under the underlay to find out if this is the cause.

[Geoff Pearson]

I have this too - I suspect the underlay is meant to be the other way up - I did two rooms at the same time and one has this plastic bag noise, the other doesn't.

[nathan.r.linn]

Hello all, the under lay is

ml

I dont know how good or bad this stuff is. Bit of a novice when it comes to this. Im trying to figure out if the problem is the underlay has worn out already or has come away from the floor. In any case would a normal warrant y cover this? Planning on heading up there this afternoon but wanted know w hat mite be the problem first.

Thanks all again for your help and advice

[fred]

In article , Geoff Pearson writes

Possible I suppose, the picture in the provided link shows it the wrong way up, the more papery side should be upwards.

Personally I staple tack the underlay to the floor at 0.5 - 0.75m intervals and tape the seams so it becomes a single mass and can't 'walk'. The o/p's solid floor means stapling wouldn't be possible but a low tack spray adhesive sprayed on the floor could stop the underlay walking if that is the problem (and it has not been laid wrong way up).

I'd be surprised if it has failed in just a couple of years as that sort of stuff is usually pushed with upwards of 10yr guarantees.

[nathan.r.linn]

That mite be the case it's upside down and creating more noise. I have the person coming around in the morning to see what he thinks. Thanks for the s uggestions just wanted to make sure I was not being daft with a suggestion as I don't know it that's normal' I'll post on here when he's been around w ith his response if anyone is interested or disagrees with what is said... Make sure he's not just trying to dupe me