Knowing how to choose underlay for carpet is not really difficult because there are only a few main varieties. There are rubber styles that are used quite often under wall to wall carpeting and have a waffle design that may give protection to the carpet and some spring or bounce, and the newer foam varieties that offer insulation and acoustic enhancement as well as varying degrees of softness. There’s also felt underlay that is more a heavy matted product that is not used much these days and isn’t really recommended if you want a springy feeling.

These days the most common underlay is foam. When it comes to the foam products, how to choose underlay for carpet is simplified to just two basic types. There is regular polyurethane that is also called Prime and the cheaper bonded polyurethane design that is made from foam chips. It’s quite simple to choose what you need based on how much bounce you want your carpet or rug to have. In the UK Cloud 9 is one of the most popular brands and is very affordable and available online. In the US you will find the term carpet padding more often than underlay.

Stair Rods As Accents

Part of the rug and carpet process, once you have selected the underlay and the rugs you want, is choosing stair rods that will hold the carpets or runners in place so they don’t slip off the stairs and cause accidents. Although their purpose is primarily a practical one, the stair rods are visible and therefore have become decorative items that accent the carpet. Perhaps one of the most complete lines of assorted styles are the Zoroufy stair rods that are very high quality and come in antique designs as well as sleek modern versions that blend with contemporary rug designs. They have 8 different collections: The Inspiration collection which is very affordable, the Select collection which which is designed primarily to accent runners and come in rods that are up to 4 feet long. They also have the Sovereign collection which offers many unique finishes, and Heritage Zoroufy stair rods collection which is a line of luxury accents with special features that are unique to Zoroufy. In addition you will want to check out their beautiful and elegant line called the Dynasty and the Stair Jewel, which are both highly decorative and have intricately carved brackets and finials. Aside from the residential lines they also have a commercial collection called the Grand Dynasty stair rod collection and the Stair-Hold line of accents that is an alternative to actual rods since these are in fact a collection of clips.