With the energy bills so high, and Winter upon us, we’ve all been looking at ways to improve our home’s insulation. This is especially true for many older homes in Suffolk, where warm air starts to escape through gaps in the floor boards. In fact studies have shown that between 10-20% of a home’s heat loss is through the floor.
So what can be done? One less obvious solution is to use an underlay with a high Tog Rating. Yes, just like a duvet, carpets and underlays have Tog Ratings! This is a measure of how much heat can pass through the material, which is effectively an indication of how good an insulator it is. The higher the Tog Rating, the more insulation the material provides.
Wool is a great insulator – it has millions of tightly woven fibres that not only have a very low conduction rate, but also trap air. A good wool carpet with provide a Tog Rating of 2.0-3.0, so combine this with an insulating underlay and you’re on to a winner!
Palladium 10mm from Tredaire is an excellent example of a high insulation underlay. With a Tog Rating of 2.59, it’s one of the best for keeping your home nice and cosy. It also gives your carpet a lovely bouncy feel with its high density construction. This extra cushioning not only makes your carpet feel more comfortable, it can even help extend your carpet’s lifespan and reduce footfall sound.
Pair up Palladium underlay with a high Tog carpet such as Alternative Flooring Pebble Loop (2.6T), or Cormar Natural Berber Twist Deluxe (2.0T), and you’re well on your way to getting that 10%-20% floor heat loss significantly reduced.
A word on underfloor heating…
If you’re laying or have got underfloor heating (UFH), research carried out by The Carpet Foundation and the Underfloor Heating Manufacturers Association showed that most carpets can be used with UFH without stopping heat from coming through into the room.
Come to talk to our Flooring experts at Barretts for more information, and don’t forget our free, no obligation measuring and estimating service.
