Why Do Vinyl Floor Not Require Underlayment

It is important to know if you need underlayment or not with a vinyl flooring installation.

Why do vinyl floor not require underlayment.

Unlike laminate flooring most vinyl floors are designed to lay directly on top of the subfloor. Vinyl flooring is so thin that any imperfections underneath it like bumps grooves or cracks will show right through. To break it down here are the main reasons you need. Tip felt underlayment can be as much as twice as expensive as foam underlayment but it provides better sound absorption.

The easiest way to figure out if you need underlayment for your new vinyl plank flooring is to look at your current floor. When installing vinyl plank flooring over existing floor materials underlayment may not be required but it can help with cushioning and sound reduction. If you are installing laminate flooring with pre attached underlayment on a wood subfloor you do not need any additional underlayment. Why people use underlayment people turn to underlayment for comfort underfoot sound reduction and moisture barriers.

Laminate flooring is made out of composed resin and fiber board materials with a photographic applique layer under a clear protective layer. Why do you need to worry about moisture for your flooring. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. If your pergo floors do not come with underlayment then it s important that you purchase it and lay it over your subfloor before installing your new pergo floor.

Be sure to prepare your subfloor before installation to assure a seamless and smooth surface. The attached underlayment will allow your flooring to float just as standard underlayment would. It is designed to create a smooth durable surface which is why it is so important for vinyl flooring. Do i really need it.

The type of vinyl flooring and type of subfloor you have will determine if you are able to use a vinyl flooring underlayment. If you don t add underlayment to your pergo floors you ll violate the floor s warranty. A luxury vinyl tile lvt underlayment is a specially formulated underlayment for installing underneath luxury tiles. 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 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. It can also be used under hardwood laminate and carpet but this is much less common these days because subflooring is typically smooth enough for these materials many of which are installed with a different type of underlayment or pad.