Page 70 - History-of-flooringLR

Underlay history

Interfloor is built on a rich British manufacturing heritage which includes a number
of UK and world firsts and two of the UK’s oldest brands: Duralay and Tredaire.

Dating back to the 18th century, Interfloor can trace its roots back to the earliest

hand weaving companies which have evolved into the modern flooring industry
which currently employs over 6,000 people and generates over £950m.

During the 1940s, when wall-to-wall carpet became the ‘fashion’,
a Lancashire-based weaving company named Durie & Miller
(dating back to 1789) made its first foray into the flooring
industry with felt underlay for carpet squares. It wasn’t long
before the team (including a member of the original Miller
family) came up with something truly innovative – the world’s
first crumb rubber underlay. The Duralay brand was born;
destined to become a world-class system for flooring
installations.

70 The History of Flooring