Why You Should Put Underlayment Under Your Laminate ...

Why You Should Put Underlayment Under Your Laminate Floor

We can admire the beauty, the texture, the luster and the faithful reproduction of natural wood or stone because we can see it. But what you can&#;t see &#; the floor&#;s underlayment &#; is just as important and deserves just as much attention.




 

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What is laminate flooring underlayment?

Underlayment, or &#;padding&#; as it&#;s often called, is the spongy, closed-cell plastic foam sheet that comes in rolls. It is rolled out between the actual laminate flooring planks and the subfloor.Very often, particularly in a below-grade installation on a concrete basement floor, a vapor barrier is recommended in addition to the underlayment. That vapor barrier would go between the subfloor and the underlayment. &#;Combination underlayments,&#; as described on learn.builddirect.com, include an attached vapor barrier. Some laminate flooring planks come with the underlayment attached to each plank. Underlayment is not optional. If your laminate planks don&#;t have it already attached, we recommend that you buy rolls of underlayment on which to install your laminate floor.

Is laminate flooring underlayment important?

Its importance can&#;t be overstated. INSTALLFloors.org says, &#;Underlayment and subfloors are, arguably, the most important aspect of any flooring project in both residential and commercial settings. Proper selection and installation of underlayments and subfloors is crucial to the proper wear and stability of any flooring.

How does laminate flooring underlayment work?

Underlayment does two things that are critical to a successful laminate flooring installation:1. Underlayment takes out any minor deviations in the subfloor.2. Underlayment delivers superior acoustical performance.If your laminate flooring planks already have an underlayment pad attached do not use additional underlayment because doing so will void your Swiss Krono warranty.

What sizes do laminate flooring underlayments come in?

According to homerenovations.about.com, laminate underlayment is foam that comes in rolls that are usually about 3 feet wide and between 30 and 100 feet long. Thicknesses range from 6 mm to 8 mm.

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Vapor barriers and laminate flooring underlayment

If your installation is over concrete, we recommend a 6-mil-poly vapor barrier &#; even if the underlayment you are installing already has a vapor barrier attached. Why? Unintended nicks or tears during the installation process can violate the integrity of the attached vapor barrier. Adding another vapor barrier is an extra level of protection.

Will carpet or carpet padding work like a laminate flooring underlayment?

No. Our product cannot be installed over carpet or carpet pad so these items must be removed prior to installation. This is for the same reason adding additional pad is not recommended.

Is there a quality difference in laminate flooring underlayment?

Yes. We recommend spending as much on underlayment as you can afford because performance generally follows price in underlayments. The white underlayments are usually the least expensive and don&#;t perform as well.

Most contractors do not put anything under the slab unless you specifically ask for it and even then they want you to supply the plastic or whatever you want to use. Ive been involved in several shop or house basement builds and none of the concrete guys liked putting in any kind of barrier (its more work for them). But like one of the other posts says, "its your shop". A couple things to watch for with plastic or foam is to make sure they don't poke holes in the plastic with their tools and if they walk on the rigid foam with loose fill under it there is a strong chance that they will crack it in so many places that it wont be worth much. With foam, it's a good idea to tape the seams if possible. I have seen a couple nightmare scenarios with either product. But both products are a good idea and work great when installed correctly. My neighbor built his shop a few years ago and the concrete guys walked around tamping down the wet concrete with shovels and pieces of re bar and they poked so many holes in the plastic that it is essentially useless. One other related concern when using anything under the floor is that a vapor barrier/insulation does increase the "tightness" of the structure and depending on how well insulated the rest of your shop is the floor can get pretty wet due to the humidity levels. I'm in Missouri and I used plastic under my own floor and rigid foam insulation on all the walls and roof which made the shop extremely tight. Something I did not consider was the fairly high humidity we have during July and August. The coolness of the slab attracts every bit of moisture in the air and I have to run a dehumidifier to keep the water off the floor of the shop and to keep it from dripping off the underside of my cars. I do not run a furnace or air conditioner year round which would help but it just depends on the kind/location of shop you are building.

 

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