Underlayment: Preparing An Install Surface The Correct Way

Underlayment is often overlooked in many flooring projects. Everyone envisions a beautiful floor as the finished project. They often think about the flooring itself, but will often forget about what needs to go under the flooring. So what exactly is underlayment and why do you need it to install many different floors properly? You need to make sure that you have a solid base underneath your flooring and it meets the manufacturers requirements in order to keep your warranty.

There are several reasons why you would need underlayment for your flooring. Many houses have uneven or wavy subfloors. In this case, underlayment would be a great solution to the problem. Another common problem area is when you have vinyl installed over a wood subfloor. Taking up the old vinyl will most likely damage the plywood or particle board beneath. This means that it is necessary to create a new level surface on top of the old vinyl before you can install new vinyl. Otherwise, the pattern of the old vinyl can transpose up through the new vinyl floor. Another common reason to get underlayment is when you're installing laminate. All laminate requires some form of underlayment as it is a floating floor.

So what materials can you use for underlayment in these different problem areas? In the case of the vinyl, you can use 1/4" luan underlayment or you can use 1/4" BC plywood. There are actually a number of different options out there like this for vinyl underlayment, but the important thing is that it is solid and smooth. You will nail this down through the existing vinyl into the subfloor below. This only works if you have a wood subfloor. If the subfloor is on concrete, you'll just take up the old vinyl.

If you're installing laminate flooring, you'll also need underlayment although it is a completely different material. There are a number of different underlayments available for laminate. If you're on a wood subfloor the minimum that you will need is a thin foam underlayment. This comes in a roll and you simply unroll it and fasten it to the ground underneath the laminate. The best option is actually a sound-deafening thick foam that is also available. It will give you the cushion you need and make your laminate sound more solid like a real hardwood.

Laminate is a floating floor that locks together at the joints. Without a pad underneath the laminate, the joints will begin to break when people start walking on it. In order to meet the manufacturer's requirements and keep your warranty, you'll have to have an underlayment beneath it. If you're on a concrete subfloor, you'll also have to put a moisture barrier beneath the underlayment. This can be accomplished by using a layer of visqueen vapor barrier or by simply buying a 2-in-1 pad that contains a moisture barrier and a pad.

Check with the store that you buy the floor from before you start to install. They will be able to guide you in the direction you need to take with your underlayment.