Laminate
flooring is thin and built with a type of fibreboard, unlike engineered wood
flooring which is constructed with solid hardwood or plywood. Laminate flooring
is usually difficult to set up on surfaces that have the slightest hint of
imperfection, hence, it is recommended to use underlayment for a supplement.
Underlays
are essential for laminate flooring for the following reasons:
Improves Subfloor Deficiencies
Subfloors
are usually featureless and not perfectly flat. After removing the existing flooring,
exposed subfloors are usually dotted with splinters, nail holes, pits, gaps,
and grooves. A new subflooring can also be imperfect due to seamed OSB or Plywood sheets.
Engineered
wood or solid hardwood can be used to cover up small gaps easily, passing
directly over blotches so that there is no need for underlayment. Ceramic and
porcelain tiles can also be used to cover up some small holes and gaps, filling
them in with mortar works. Still, there will eventually be subfloor
imperfections arising from laminate flooring. Such laminate damages can be
prevented by underlayment.
Softens Footfall
When
you are doing the flooring on hard surfaces like concrete, you may need the
extra padding from underlayment to provide a softer surface to walk on. With
wood subflooring, there is already a good amount of flexibility, and the
surface of the laminate will only be slightly softened by underlayment. On the
other hand, concrete, brick, and similar forms of masonry will need all the
softening properties that underlayment offers.
Laminate
underlayment provides a softer landing for your foot, however, it tends to give
the flooring a hollow feel. The feeling comes out distinct when you walk from a
harder surface like tile, to a floor with laminate underlayment. You will get
an almost similar feeling on your footfall with underlaid laminate flooring as
you would get with real wood flooring.
Sound Absorption
Laminate
flooring is so thin that it has to be complemented with underlayment to feel
and act similar to real wood. Take a look at the sound transmission. There are
many reasons why foam padding under solid hardwood is unnecessary. One reason
is that the denseness of hardwood tends to prohibit the transmission of sound
within the room and to the floors below.
Regulates Moisture
Important
point on laying laminate flooring to
bear in mind. If there is a possibility of moisture spreading upwards from a
concrete slab, cement board, or tile, then moisture-proof underlayment or
vapour barrier will be necessary. Even in a non-climate controlled-space such
as a crawlspace, flooring, or wood subfloor can be exposed to rising moisture.
Traditional foam underlayment will limit the spread of moisture, but there are
certain underlayments that need a distinct 6 mil. polypropylene vapour barrier.
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