Do You Have To Put Foam Under Laminate Flooring

But what you can t see the floor s underlayment is just as important and deserves just as much attention.

Do you have to put foam under laminate flooring.

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. Consider the issue of sound transmission. The only time you would skip the underlay would be if you purchase flooring with a built in underlay which is rare.

As you unroll each roll the clear plastic end lies on top of the end with adhesive strip and two white pieces of foam will be butted up against each other. You may find that the flooring still requires a vapor barrier. Laminate flooring is so thin that it needs underlayment s extra help to feel and act like real wood. Please refer back to your flooring manufacturer before proceeding.

If you purchase this type of flooring check the manufacturer s specifications before you install it. With these materials you do not need to purchase and install a separate foam padding underlayment. The underlayment has a plastic strip on one end that goes along the wall and up the wall that will be covered by the baseboard and the other end has a strip of adhesive tape. Doing either one of the mentioned above methods you will probably break the warranty of the flooring.

This 2 in 1 underlayment will allow your laminate flooring to float while correcting any minor subfloor imperfections and will protect your floors from moisture. Underlays for floating floors are usually made of plastic foam. Laminate flooring is designed for quick and easy installation over almost any flat smooth floor surface. Take off the pre attached underlayment and install separate underneath 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. Laminate flooring offers all the rich beauty of hardwood flooring without the expense and hassle of keeping the floor buffed and polished. Do not install a vapor barrier that has extra cushioning.

If you are installing laminate flooring with pre attached underlayment on a cement subfloor you need to install a vapor barrier to prevent moisture from seeping up through the subfloor. Perfect for under laminate flooring with pre attached pad or luxury vinyl plank flooring where you don t need the extra padding. Laminate flooring with attached underlayment.