For almost all hardwoods, tiles, laminates and carpets there is a type of underlay between the flooring product and the subfloor. This underlay varies depending on the flooring that is being used. Some add a cushioned protection while others are designed as a vapor barrier or floor leveler.
Underlays have 2 main purposes: The first is to protect the flooring from imperfections and moisture; and the second is to provide a base to protect the subfloor because this is part of the home’s structure.
1. Felt: The old standby for putting down on the subfloor when doing hardwood is a paper felt. This layer is to even out small imperfections and to prevent the wood-on-wood contact which could lead to squeaking. For concrete floors it is recommended that a vapor barrier be put down first.
2. Foam: For laminate floors and hardwood there is a 2mm foam layer that can be rolled out and stapled down.This material is commonly used with floating floors.
3. Noise Reducing: These are foam underlays which can be used to dampen the sound between floors. These come in various thicknesses.
4. Foli and foam: A foil-coated foam doubles as both a cushion and a vapor seal which would work great for basement floors. The big plus is that when it used in the bsaement the product will reflect heat back into the home.
5. Carpet-Bubble: A popular form of underlay for carpet is a rubberized-bubble product that is wonderful on the feet but could stretch the carpet and cause premature wear.
6. Carpet-Flat: The flat form of the rubber underlay is a popular product and lasts years. In fact you can change your carpet and leave the underlay down because it will wear that well.
7. Tile Underlay: At one time tile was installed directly on the subfloor. However this made taking it up a real chore if you wanted to change it. Then plywood wood or marante board was put over the subfloor as a barrier. Now, there are products like cement board and other products which prevent movement and heaving which could casue tile to break, esepcially on thresholds.
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