Tips On Laying Laminate Flooring Underlay

A foam underlayment specifically designed for laminate flooring is probably the best choice.

Tips on laying laminate flooring underlay.

Laminate underlayment is a soft pad that is installed under laminate flooring. Underlayment is either pre attached to the bottom of the laminate flooring by the manufacturer or it is installed separately by the user. 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. Some laminate flooring underlay will have a straight edge and an edge that has tape.

Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. The same moisture considerations apply to laminate floors as apply to wood floors but here cushioning and insulation are usually just as important. Don t install laminate flooring in an outdoor environment don t install laminate over residential carpet don t install a double layer of laminate underlayment too much cushion can compromise the locking system and integrity of the joints don t run your laminate floor lengthwise over 30 linear feet without a transition. Lay the straight edge tight to the wall.

The underlayment will be less likely to bubble as you lay the flooring. Our flooring pro recommends installing underlayment perpendicular to the way the planks will be installed. When the boards are within 6 inches of the outside edge of the underlayment lay another strip. 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.

Unroll the underlay until it reaches the opposite wall. You can buy foam underlayment with or without an incorporated vapor barrier. He also suggests installing only a few rows of underlayment at a time to avoid tearing it up with your boots. If you re laying laminate flooring onto a concrete subfloor you ll first need to lay a damp proof membrane to protect the laminate flooring from moisture.

Begin installing the flooring after laying the first row of underlayment. 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. The underlayment helps the laminate planks lay smoother connect better and for the flooring to feel slightly softer underfoot. Alternatively use a laminate flooring underlay that also contains a damp proof membrane.

Best laminate flooring underlay for concrete floors if you are laying a floor on a concrete or screed sub floor then you must use a damp proof membrane dpm and tape all the joints up with vapour barrier tape.