Do I Need Floor Underlayment

Laminate flooring is installed using a free float method where the flooring is not mounted to the sub floor.

Do i need floor underlayment.

Its purpose is to provide a smooth flat surface for the floor covering. And it is enough to serve the purpose of an underlay. One of the most common laminate flooring questions is do i need laminate flooring underlayment laminate flooring underlayment is essential for installation as it allows to laminate flooring to expand and contract properly on top of the subfloor. An underlayment is a necessity for any wood floor installation even on a plywood subfloor.

This is the layer that you see and walk on. Just under the visible floor covering is a layer of some kind of material usually only about 1 4 or 1 2 inch thick. There s a base layer in most cases when using the vinyl floor. The underlayment provides many benefits including moisture protection sound and thermal insulation and a cushion to make the floor more comfortable to walk on.

With these materials you do not need to purchase and install a separate foam padding underlayment. The easiest way to figure out if you need underlayment for your new vinyl plank flooring is to look at your current floor. Tip felt underlayment can be as much as twice as expensive as foam underlayment but it provides better sound absorption. Do i need underlayment for laminate flooring over vinyl.

Laminate is a wood product and will expand according to the climate of the room. Today you can find many laminate floors that have been manufactured with underlayment padding built into the underside of the material. If you re laying the lvp over an existing cushion backed vinyl floor or a below grade tile floor then you won t need to use an underlayment. But the hard laminate material doesn t lie directly onto that surface.

So an additional underlay is not really compulsory. Laminate flooring is designed for quick and easy installation over almost any flat smooth floor surface. Virtually every type of flooring except for some types of vinyl requires an underlayment and its purpose varies with the flooring material. The underlayment is installed as a cushion and sound barrier between the sub floor and laminate flooring.

This is the finished visible flooring surface such as hardwood planks carpeting ceramic tile or vinyl. The flooring is actually on top of the sub floor without the use of nails or fasteners. You do not need foam padding under solid hardwood for many reasons but one reason is that hardwood is so dense that it limits the transmission of sound both within the room and to floors below. If you re planning to install new flooring it s important to give some thought to the underlayment an intermediate surface lying between the structural subfloor and the surface flooring.

Due to the vinyl flooring design it s usually not necessary for an underlay.