Wilsons – Performance in person

Wilsons Underlays’ stand at this year’s Flooring Show was dedicated to demonstrating the outstanding qualities of its bestselling underlays in person, all of which are tested rigorously to International and British Standards, and manufactured to meet today’s requirements. Plushwalk, ThermalStream and ToughStep were showcased, with the latter being the newest introduction to the company’s range.

ToughStep is specifically engineered as a double-stick underlay for natural floorcoverings like sisal where a stronger and dense structure delivers better performance for rigid, natural carpets with little elasticity, keeping them stable and preventing rippling or distortion. Visitors were able experience the firm feel of ToughStep themselves on the Wilsons stand, particularly in comparison to the other products offered by the manufacturer.

As usual for the company, its flagship product at this year’s Harrogate show was Plushwalk, an underlay that incorporates memory foam with a built in Damp Proof Membrane (DPM). The infamous tester pods returned again this year for visitors to step on it and feel the difference Plushwalk makes underfoot – specifically developed for luxury applications, Plushwalk transforms carpets – and the proof was in the pudding once again at the tester pods. “Plushwalk excels in improved compression recovery,” explains Ruth Hardaker, UK Sales Manager for Wilsons, “so when you stand on it, it reacts and bounces back up to 92%, compared to around 78% for standard foam underlays.” This also makes it exceptional at high traffic areas such as the stairs or hallway, so it’s not difficult to see why Plushwalk has become a favourite amongst customers and end-users alike. Wilsons created a new practical demonstration to highlight this feature specifically – at the compression recovery demo unit, visitors could see for themselves how well Plushwalk performed under repeated compression.

Plushwalk’s DPM is another USP, says Ruth, protecting from accidents and spillages from above, as well as damp and mould from below. Combined with the fact Plushwalk is extremely high quality and easy for fitters to cut and install, there are so many reasons why Plushwalk is the No1 bestseller. Available in three thicknesses, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm, the product gives customers ultimate choice and flexibility.

Finally, the company showcased its ThermalStream underlay for underfloor heating, with an innovative demo unit that allowed visitors to feel the incredible rate of heat transfer through their hands. Using an ISO 17025 approved method, the company has shown that ThermalStream shows a massive 46°C heat transfer at 200K/W. Offering an additional 46dB of noise reduction and is suitable for both electric and hydronic UFH systems. ThermalStream is suitable for several different kinds of carpet, including woven, berber, velvet and twist.

ThermalStream’s most impressive innovation is its perforated structure, enabling both that impressive rate of heat transfer without sacrificing on comfort. Compared to standard underlays for underfloor heating, which are typically only around 8mm thick, ThermalStream is 10mm, providing comfort and excellent heat transfer at the same time. Of course, the company prioritised safety over everything – ThermalStream is now also flame retardant to a BFL s1 Classification, making it suitable for commercial applications too.

Joining The Flooring Show for the second time, Wilsons once again had a very positive experience. “We attend quite a few shows,” Ruth tells The Stocklists, “and this one has been excellent. The footfall is there, we’ve had lots of new enquiries. We’ve been really happy with the response this year.”

www.wilsons-underlays.co.uk