What Kind Of Underlayment Do You Use For Vinyl Flooring

If you re wondering about luxury vinyl plank underlayment that s one of the appeals it usually doesn t need underlayment.

What kind of underlayment do you use for vinyl flooring.

Vinyl underlayment is an optional add on to click lock vinyls that are 4mm or thicker. 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. Like plywood or osb flooring you can forgo the underlayment entirely if you prefer. Before installing a vinyl floor you will need to make sure your subfloor meets these requirements.

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. Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles. A vinyl flooring underlayment will not be as thick as a laminate or hardwood underlayment. Vinyl floors that are glue down or loose lay will not need a vinyl underlayment as these floors will be installed directly over the subfloor.

There are several types of underlayment for this type of flooring and we ve seen brands with a thin layer of foam pre attached as well. What about concrete should you use a special underlayment for laying vinyl on concrete. Unlike laminate flooring most vinyl floors are designed to lay directly on top of the subfloor. Vinyl tile vinyl tile is available in three main styles with vct or vinyl composition tiles peel and stick tile and luxury vinyl tile.

If you re installing new vinyl flooring over an existing floor such as hardwood tile laminate or vinyl then cork or foam make good choices. However you ll want to use one in every other application including covering existing hardwood floors vinyl flooring that isn t cushioned and concrete floors. In most cases you will not want to use a vapor barrier type underlayment when installing laminates on a standard plywood subfloor because wood is a natural material that needs to breathe installing a vapor barrier over this can cause moisture to become. In fact as a softer flooring adding an underlayment could mean too much cushion resulting in dents and more wear and tear sooner.

Opt for a dense underlayment if you go for one. Because you can install sheet vinyl over existing vinyl it offers the option of changing design without breaking the bank. In most cases 4 by 8 foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. A breathable foam type underlayment is generally used when installing laminate flooring over plywood or osb subfloors.

Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications.