Rubber's decent, but not always my first choice:
- Smell can linger longer than you'd think, especially in humid climates—had a client complain for nearly a month.
- Rubber's heavy, making installation trickier if you're DIYing.
- Personally, synthetic felt has been solid for me: lighter, easy install, no odor issues.
- Rubber's durability is great, sure, but felt's held up surprisingly well too—just something to consider.
I've had similar experiences with rubber—especially the smell issue. Had a tenant once who swore the odor gave him headaches, and honestly, I couldn't blame him. It lingered way longer than expected, even after airing out the place.
Synthetic felt has been pretty reliable for me too. Easy to handle, no weird smells, and surprisingly durable. But I've also had good luck recently with cork underlayment. It's lightweight, easy enough to install yourself, and tenants seem to appreciate the extra bit of sound insulation it provides. Only downside is it's a bit pricier upfront, but so far it's been worth it.
Rubber's durability is definitely appealing, but if you're sensitive to odors or DIYing your install, felt or cork might be better options overall. Just my two cents...
Does cork hold up pretty well under heavy furniture? I'm leaning towards cork myself, but I've got a hefty couch and bookshelf setup... just wondering if it'll dent or compress over time. Glad to hear it's working for you though!
Cork's pretty decent stuff overall, but from what I've seen, heavy furniture can definitely leave marks over time. Had a client last year who put cork underlayment beneath their hardwood floors—looked great initially, but after about 6 months, you could clearly see indentations where their couch and entertainment center sat. It wasn't disastrous or anything, just noticeable if you moved the furniture around.
If you're set on cork, you might wanna consider using furniture pads or coasters under the heavier pieces to spread out the weight a bit. That can help minimize the dents. Cork does bounce back a little, but honestly, once it's compressed for a long period, it doesn't fully recover.
Another thing I've noticed is that the quality and thickness of the cork matters a lot. Thicker, denser cork holds up better under weight, but even then, it's not totally immune to compression. If you're really concerned about long-term appearance, you might wanna look into rubber or foam-based underlayments—they tend to handle heavy loads a bit better without permanent indentations.
Just my two cents based on what I've seen out there. Good luck with your setup.
"Thicker, denser cork holds up better under weight, but even then, it's not totally immune to compression."
Yeah, that's pretty spot-on. I've seen cork hold up decently in lighter-use areas, but heavy furniture definitely leaves its mark over time. Rubber underlayments seem to handle compression better in my experience—had a client switch from cork to rubber pads under their home gym equipment, and it made a noticeable difference. Might be worth considering if you're worried about long-term durability.
