Underlay does several jobs at once — sound reduction, levelling, damp protection, and underfloor heating compatibility — and the right choice depends on which of those matters most for your installation. Beyond the brand-specific ranges (Duralay, Elka, QuickStep), this category also covers dedicated acoustic systems and levelling panels.
Isocheck: A Dedicated Acoustic System
Isocheck Impact Mat 300 is a different category of product to a standard roll underlay — a three-layer system combining two layers of high-density mass-loaded vinyl with an isofiber core, aimed specifically at reducing both impact and airborne noise through timber floors and staircases. It's laid directly over the subfloor in a brickbond pattern. The system is completed with the Isocheck Insulation Strip and Angled Flanking Band, both used with the Monodeck 17T underlay to isolate the floor from the room's perimeter — fitted around the edges as boards are laid, then trimmed once skirting or edge beading goes on. This level of acoustic isolation is generally aimed at more demanding sound-reduction requirements than a standard roll underlay achieves alone.
Levelling Panels for Uneven Subfloors
Techni-Board panels (1200 x 500 x 5mm, 10 per pack) are polystyrene insulating boards rather than a rolled underlay, suited to laminate, engineered and solid wood in domestic installations. They're dust and fibre-free — a genuine advantage for click-joint flooring, where loose fibres can interfere with the locking mechanism — and are aimed at eliminating noticeable unevenness in the subfloor before the main flooring goes down.
Canopy Professional Gold
Canopy Professional Gold (7mm) combines a high-density foam core with a foil backing, giving sound and thermal insulation, subfloor levelling and integrated moisture protection in one product. It's aimed at higher-quality laminate or engineered installations, particularly in multi-storey properties where noise transmission to neighbouring units matters.
Supporting Products: Foam Filler and Foil Tape
Two products here support the installation rather than acting as underlay themselves. Everbuild Fix & Fill Expanding Foam is a quick-setting, one-part polyurethane foam that expands up to 50 times its original volume, useful for filling larger gaps or voids beneath a floor before underlay goes down — it can be cut, sawn or plastered over after about an hour once cured. Aluminium Foil Tape is used for jointing insulation panels and sealing joints, offering flame-retardant, temperature-resistant performance where a vapour-proof seal between sections matters.
Common Questions About Floor Underlay
When would I need the Isocheck system instead of a standard underlay?
Isocheck's three-layer mass-loaded vinyl and isofiber construction targets a higher level of sound reduction than a standard roll underlay, making it more relevant where building regulations or particularly demanding sound-transmission requirements are involved — timber floors and staircases especially.
What's the benefit of Techni-Board over a rolled underlay?
Being dust and fibre-free makes it particularly suited to click-joint flooring, where loose material can interfere with the locking mechanism. It's also a straightforward way to level a subfloor before laying laminate, engineered or solid wood.
Do I need Fix & Fill foam before laying underlay?
Only if there are larger gaps or voids in the subfloor that need filling first — it's a preparation step, not a substitute for underlay itself.
What is the Isocheck Insulation Strip and Angled Flanking Band used for?
Both are used with the Monodeck 17T underlay system to isolate the floor from the room's perimeter, fitted around the edges during installation and trimmed once skirting or beading is fitted.
