If you&#;re new to the flooring world, you may not even have any idea what underlayment is. Someone probably told you that you needed it, and you went to look it up only to end up totally confused.
After all, there&#;s a lot of terminology to consider. We&#;re going to keep it easy, though.
Today, we&#;re going to answer all your questions including when/if you need underlayment, which types are best for your specific floor, and how much it will cost you.
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Underlayment is the layer between your subfloor and your new floor. Yup, it&#;s really that simple. Underlayment is usually made out of rubber, cork, rubber cork, felt or foam.
Unless your flooring came with an attached underlayment, you probably need a separate underlayment. Underlayment adds warmth and softness, and more importantly, increases the longevity of your new floor. Let&#;s take a moment and talk more about the benefits of underlayment.
Underlayment isn&#;t just something we tell you to throw down under your carpet or laminate. It has several purposes:
The flooring underlayment operates as a protective barrier between your floor and subfloor. Floating floors are especially prone to expansion and contraction as the temperature changes. Underlayment provides a barrier from the friction of movement, keeping your floor totally together during shifting.
Underlayment is often the layer below your flooring and can be installed anywhere in your home. Unless your flooring comes with an attached underlayment, assume that you will need one.
In addition to an underlayment, you will often install a vapor barrier in basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. These help protect your new floor from moisture. Wherever you&#;re installing flooring, expect to need an underlayment or barrier.
The thickness of underlayment seems to be the question that most customers struggle with. That&#;s because with underlayment the thickness isn&#;t the most important consideration. Other factors like type, sound ratings, and density matter just as much, if not more than the thickness.
With that being said, most underlayments are 2-3mm thick, but are sometimes thicker for carpet or to smooth out an uneven subfloor.
It&#;s often advertised that 6mm underlayment offers double the sound absorption as 3mm underlayment. I&#;m going to skip the science and let you know that&#;s not true. Plus, sound absorption is altered by other factors, like material and density, and not just thickness.
Keep in mind, it&#;s a good idea to check with your manufacturer to see what they recommend. Some thinner products benefit from a thinner underlayment like felt.
Foam is known as the most basic variety of underlayment. Although it comes at such a low price, foam underlayment still offers plenty of sound reduction. You&#;ll also find you have plenty of options with foam underlayment from basic foam to 2-in-1 underlayments that have a built-in vapor barrier.
It&#;s also one of the most versatile underlayments and can be used under a variety of flooring types including laminate, some vinyl, and wood. If purchasing carpet, a foam &#;carpet pad&#; works best for carpet rolls.
Foam underlayment is super easy to install &#; in fact, some options even come with an adhesive strip, making it as easy as sticking on a post-it note!
Rubber is one of the best choices for underlayment because it is super versatile. It protects your floor from mold and mildew and protects your ears from hollow sounding floors. In fact, it is one of the most sound absorbing and insulating underlayments out there.
Rubber underlayment is most commonly used under wood, tile or carpet, but cannot be used under vinyl due to staining.
Rubber is an excellent choice over wood and concrete subfloors and is super easy to install underneath just about any floor. Since it&#;s often made from recycled rubber products, it&#;s eco-friendly, too!
Cork underlayment tends to be a favorite among apartment and condo owners. There&#;s a reason for that! Cork absorbs sound better than most underlayments. It&#;s great at adding insulation to your home as well.
Cork is also an eco-friendly choice in underlayment. Plus, the natural antimicrobial nature of cork prevents the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew as well. That makes cork a great choice for allergy sufferers.
A warning on cork &#; although you can install it underneath just about any floor, it is not the best choice for all environments. Water can damage cork flooring, so for basements, bathrooms and other flood-prone areas, you might want to go with rubber instead, or a cork with a vapor barrier.
The best of both worlds! In a shocking turn of events, rubber cork underlayment is underlayment made of both rubber and cork. I know, I know. Try to contain your surprise.
Rubber cork underlay is an expert at preventing cracks in your tile from your house settling and the natural movement over time. You can think of this underlayment as an invisible bodyguard that keeps your floor looking good even though it&#;s out of sight.
Rubber Cork can stain vinyl, but is great under other wood and tile flooring. Like cork it is mold and mildew resistant, but we do recommend installing a vapor barrier with the underlayment.
Felt underlayment is usually made from recycled fibers and is often denser than foam. The density is what makes felt a great sound absorber. Not only is felt great at absorbing sound, it&#;s also great at insulating your home and cushioning your step. Some say better than other underlayments!
Since felt fibers are made from recycled materials, it&#;s also an environmentally friendly underlayment choice. Some felt underlayments come with a vapor barrier built in for extra durability. Felt underlayment can be used under a variety of flooring including hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and more.
This is the most common question that is asked about underlayment. We&#;re going to make this easy-peasy with a handy chart. However, if you&#;d like to know more, keep reading. We&#;ll look at each flooring underlayment in-depth below.
Foam is a favorite for laminate flooring and it&#;s what we would recommend the most. You&#;re in luck! Foam has the most options when it comes to underlayment and offers plenty of sound reduction.
If installing laminate flooring in any moisture prone area like basements, bathrooms, or kitchens, it&#;s recommended you buy a foam underlayment that has an included vapor barrier.
On the other hand, if your prime concern is sound transmission (such as between apartments or condos), then another great recommendation would be cork underlayment, which can offer a little more sound absorption.
The answer to this question can be a bit tricky. The first step vinyl buyers should take is looking at manufacturer instructions and warranties. Some warranties will be voided with the use of certain underlayments.If you&#;re able to purchase an underlayment, we recommend cork. With cork, you don&#;t have to worry about staining or damaging the vinyl. If underlayment is not recommended, you&#;ll probably still need a vapor barrier underneath.The good news is a ton of vinyl flooring comes with an attached cork underlayment, so this may not even be a concern for you! Waterproof vinyl flooring like TritonCORE offers an attached underlayment, so you&#;ll save time and money.Rubber and rubber cork underlayment are not safe for vinyl due to the possibility of the rubber staining. Cork, foam, and felt are usually safe for vinyl unless the manufacturer says otherwise.
Want more information on Felt Flooring? Feel free to contact us.
For carpet, you will almost always use a foam or rubber carpet pad. These pads come in many different thickness options ranging in properties and pricing. Thicker pads will (typically) make your floor softer and more comfortable to walk on. We suggest using a foam carpet pad for broadloom carpet, and rubber for carpet tiles.Make sure to pay attention to the properties of the carpet pad you&#;re looking at, not just the price and thickness. While you can find some thicker options at lower price points, they make not do all the things you want them to do (like absorb sound), or at least they might not do them very well.Make sure to check out those specs! The Carpet Cushion Council (yes, that&#;s a thing) recommends a minimum of ¼&#; of padding under residential carpet, though most people buy a ½&#; underlayment.
For tile flooring where a thinset is used, the best solution is a rubber-cork underlay. You can also install ceramic tiles directly over plywood or a cement board. Rubber cork underlay is designed for crack suppression.
When installing hardwood or engineered wood flooring, the best underlay options are cork and foam.
However, foam does have more give than cork so, while it is the more popular option, we recommend cork. Cork has less give, making it less likely to flex underneath your planks. There are some extra dense grades of foam that can work under wood floors, but they are usually not as durable as cork.
Installing underlayment is a lot easier than most people think. In fact, I can outline the process in a few simple steps:That&#;s it! With a few tools and a little labor, your underlayment is ready to go. Of course, it&#;s always good to check with the manufacturer to see if your product has more specific directions.
The average price by material from cheapest to most expensive generally goes foam, rubber, then cork. However, there can be some fluctuations based on features the underlayment has (e.g., a built-in moisture barrier), thickness, and the way it is constructed (rolled underlayment is usually less expensive than sheet underlayment).
It&#;s not just about what you&#;re putting on top! Not all subfloors are created equal, and not all underlays work with every subfloor. Some are a little needier and have more demands than others.
Q) What is Sound Control?
A) When we talk about sound control, we are talking about limiting the amount of sound transference from one room to another. Underlayment helps stop the transference of sound between rooms, like from an upstairs room to one down below.
A) IIC is a measure of the reduction of impact noise. Impact noise is noise like footsteps. The minimum IIC rating for most building codes and HOA requirements is 50 and above.
A) STC stands for sound transmission class. It&#;s a measure of the reduction of sound we hear that falls between 125 Hz and 4,000 Hz. The minimum requirement for an STC rating is 50.Keep in mind that buying an underlayment twice as thick, doesn&#;t necessarily translate to a higher rating. For example, a 2mm underlayment may have a rating of 50; a 4mm underlayment may have a rating of 55.
Q) What is a Moisture / Vapor Barrier?
A) Moisture barriers and vapor barriers are the same product. The terminology is often used interchangeably with one another, which creates confusion among readers. Rest assured though, a vapor barrier is also a moisture barrier.
Moving on, vapor barriers prevent moisture from passing through the barrier from the subfloor and protects your floor above. It&#;s usually installed in areas that are more prone to moisture.
Q) Do I Need Underlayment if There&#;s Attached Underlayment to My Product?
A) There are a ton of vinyl flooring options that often come with an attached underlayment. If your flooring comes with an attached underlayment, it&#;s best to not have additional underlayment. In fact, in some case, doubling up on underlayment can actually damage your floor.
You may, however, add a vapor barrier to your installation project.
Q) Does Underlayment have Crack Suppression?
A) Rubber, cork, and rubber cork underlayment all offer crack suppression. Rubber cork is usually the prefered choice for this issue.
Q) Which Underlayment Do I Buy?
A) If, by now, you&#;re still a little bamboozled by this whole underlayment thing, feel free to contact one of our flooring specialists, and we&#;ll help you out.
Where Will the Flooring Be Installed?
The type of flooring you choose will be determined in part by where you plan to install it, and over what type of surface. Solid wood flooring, for example, cannot be installed directly over concrete and is a poor choice for humid areas such as basements and baths. Ceramic or porcelain tile requires a stiff, flat surface underneath to prevent cracking.
How Will the Floor Be Installed?
Different types of flooring are installed in different ways, some of which are DIY-friendly. For example, &#;floating&#; floors&#;typically laminate&#;consist of interlocking floorboards that use no adhesives; this easy-to-install design is popular with DIYers. But ceramic or porcelain tile is bound to the subfloor with thinset, and the gaps between the tiles are filled with grout. Solid wood flooring is typically nailed down or glued. Installation of either is better left to professionals. Consumer Reports flooring ratings show which installation options are available for each rated product.
Will the Flooring I Choose Need an Underlayment?
Underlayment materials include foam, cork, rubber, felt, and specialized soundproofing mats. The different function that each type performs will affect your choice&#;as will the type of flooring you&#;ve chosen and the existing subfloor. &#;If you&#;re installing hardwood flooring over a concrete subfloor, use an underlayment that offers moisture protection,&#; says Stefan Bucur, founder of Rhythm of the Home, a website specializing in home improvement. &#;Similarly, if you&#;re installing laminate or engineered flooring over an uneven subfloor, consider an underlayment that provides additional cushioning and helps to even out the surface.&#; Some luxury vinyl floors in CR&#;s ratings have thin foam pads attached to their bottom surfaces, replacing the underlayment. Thicker underlayments generally are more expensive, Bucur says.
How Important Is a Flooring Material&#;s Thickness?
Thin vinyl flooring is more likely to split or break during installation. That could mean you&#;ll have to buy more flooring to cover those accidents. Focus on vinyl flooring with a thickness of 7 mm or more; you can find thickness information on the product&#;s label or online product page. Thickness can be a factor in the durability of other flooring materials&#;and for solid wood, its ability to be refinished. (New solid wood planks are typically ¾ inch thick, enough to withstand multiple refinishes.) Check Consumer Reports&#; flooring ratings for our test-based durability judgments of dozens of flooring models.
Does the Thickness of a Floor&#;s Wear Layer Matter?
The wear layer is the clear protective coating applied to the top surface of a manufactured floorboard. Home Depot lets you search flooring by wear-layer thickness, shown in mil (thousandths of an inch). A thick wear layer sounds like it would protect better against foot traffic. But in Consumer Reports&#; tests, we found that wasn&#;t necessarily so. For instance, between two vinyl flooring products with 20-mil wear layers, one earned an excellent score for foot traffic resistance while the other ranked below the middle. Bottom line: Don&#;t depend on the reported thickness of the wear layer alone. Consult reviews and Consumer Reports&#; flooring ratings for the full picture on wear resistance.
What Should I Know About Surface Textures and Edge Styles?
The type of edge on the tile or planks you choose will have a bearing on how your floor looks&#;and how easy it is to clean. Prefinished wood and some laminate planks have beveled edges, which makes for a more forgiving installation but can trap dirt and grit later. Tile edges may be pressed (traditional) or rectified&#;meaning they&#;re mechanically cut to fit precisely together, which allows for thinner grout lines and an appearance that&#;s almost seamless, and a floor that&#;s easier to clean. Flooring with a textured surface can also trap dirt over time, but some texture is advisable in bathrooms and other wet areas to prevent slips and falls. Consumer Reports&#; flooring ratings indicate which products are smooth, very textured, and in-between. Both texture and edge styles can influence floor care.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Pvc Vinyl Flooring Factory.