Do I Need Floor Underlayment

The warranty may require it.

Do i need floor underlayment. 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. Laminate flooring is installed using a free float method where the flooring is not mounted to the sub floor. And it is enough to serve the purpose of an underlay. Its purpose is to provide a smooth flat surface for the floor covering.

With these materials you do not need to purchase and install a separate foam padding underlayment. So an additional underlay is not really compulsory. The underlayment is installed as a cushion and sound barrier between the sub floor and laminate flooring. The easiest way to figure out if you need underlayment for your new vinyl plank flooring is to look at your current floor.

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. But the hard laminate material doesn t lie directly onto that surface. Due to the vinyl flooring design it s usually not necessary for an underlay. Laminate is a wood product and will expand according to the climate of the room.

An underlayment is a necessity for any wood floor installation even on a plywood subfloor. There s a base layer in most cases when using the vinyl floor. Do i need underlayment for laminate flooring over vinyl. Virtually every type of flooring except for some types of vinyl requires an underlayment and its purpose varies with the flooring material.

Laminate flooring is designed for quick and easy installation over almost any flat smooth floor surface. Laminate flooring with attached underlayment. The underlayment provides many benefits including moisture protection sound and thermal insulation and a cushion to make the floor more comfortable to walk on. 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.

The flooring is actually on top of the sub floor without the use of nails or fasteners. It needs a layer of underlay or underlayment to cushion the laminate planks and ensure a comfortable durable finished floor. Today you can find many laminate floors that have been manufactured with underlayment padding built into the underside of the material. Just under the visible floor covering is a layer of some kind of material usually only about 1 4 or 1 2 inch thick.

Tip felt underlayment can be as much as twice as expensive as foam underlayment but it provides better sound absorption.