Underlayment. You should always install engineered wood over an underlayment. Moisture barriers and underlayment prevent moisture build-up under your floors, keep your floors warm, reduce noise, and even out subfloor imperfections.
Yes, you generally need an underlayment for engineered hardwood flooring, especially if you're installing it as a floating floor. Underlayment helps with sound absorption, adds a bit of cushioning, and acts as a moisture barrier, which is essential if you're installing over concrete or in areas prone to humidity.
Generally, you will need to use one if you are using engineered wood flooring and you want to float it in your home. You can float an engineered wooden floor over an underlay, but never a solid wooden floor. Also, you can't float parquet blocks, they must be glued down into place.
When installing hardwood or engineered wood flooring, the best underlay options are cork and foam. However, foam does have more give than cork so, while it is the more popular option, we recommend cork. Cork has less give, making it less likely to flex underneath your planks.
If you've decided to install engineered hardwoods, there are four possible installation methods depending on the subfloor: glue, nail, staple and float. Whichever method you choose, you'll need to prep the subfloor by cleaning, leveling, and checking and adjusting door clearance.
Ply is generally more durable, stronger and will create the most reliable subfloor for your flooring. High-quality tongue and grooved plywood is your best option, and we always recommend exterior grade ply subfloors for kitchens and bathrooms.
Rubber underlay with combined foil vapor barrier is ideal for laminate flooring and engineered floors that are to be installed using the floating method over concrete sub-floors.
While engineered hardwood is more moisture-resistant than solid hardwood, it can still take damage from spills, standing water, or excess humidity. An underlay—especially one with a built-in vapor barrier—adds extra protection against water damage and other moisture issues.
Subfloor conditions
HORIZONTAL / FLAT – Maximum tolerance of 5mm over 3 meter, or 3mm over 2 meter. Sand high areas or joints. If the floor is glued, fill the low areas with a latex additive cement surfacing product with a minimum resistance to compression of 20 000 kPa.
Underlays usually come in thicknesses between 1.8mm and 6mm, but they can be even thicker. Generally, the thicker the underlay you put down, the more noise reduction you'll get; that said, it's not always the case and it's best to judge them by the decibel rating they've been given.
Because wood tends to contract and expand as temperature and moisture change, flooring without an expansion gap will become less stable and durable. This is why it is very important to leave an expansion gap when installing engineered wood flooring.
The choice between floating and glue-down installation for an engineered wood floor depends on various factors such as subfloor type, room dimensions, and personal preference. Floating installation offers easier DIY and allows for expansion, while glue-down provides a firmer feel and minimizes movement.
If you want your engineered wood floor to last a long time, you need an even subfloor. Underlays smooth out the subfloor and cancel out minor dips and flaws that might otherwise affect your new floor. The even surface an underlay provides creates more stability for your engineered wood floor.
black felt paper is rolled out over the wood subfloor prior to installing the new floor. This hardwood felt paper is necessary to greatly reduce the chance of any moisture coming up through the subfloor and will help protect the new hardwood flooring.
Flatness required as follows- 3/16" in 10' or 1/8" in 6'. Floating floors requirements are more stringent, see section 4.4 for more details. Sand high areas and joints. If the floor is to be glued down, then fill low areas with the appropriate cementitious sub-floor leveling compound.
You should always install engineered wood over an underlayment. Moisture barriers and underlayment prevent moisture build-up under your floors, keep your floors warm, reduce noise, and even out subfloor imperfections. This extra support under your floors will lengthen the lifespan of your engineered wood planks.
Particle board is made from wood chips, sawdust and resin and is one of the older materials used for subfloors. It's best for engineered hardwood floors, carpet, or luxury vinyl as it doesn't hold nails or staples.
Before engineered flooring can be installed, it must be at or close to the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) to avoid moisture-related failures like cupping, crowning, or warping. But before that point can be reached, wood planks must either be dried to that point or acclimated at the installation location.
Floating installation: This is the most popular option for a DIY installation since it does not require attaching the new floors directly to the existing subfloor. You'll still need an underlayment. However, once that's installed, you simply glue or snap the planks together to finish the project.
Some experts recommend using a microfibre mop on engineered wood floors to stay ultra-gentle, but using a regular mop is also fine, as long as it remains damp and not soaking wet.
Once the surface is prepared, you can apply your engineered underlay. Place a roll at one end of the room and unroll it from the wall. Simply use scissors or a knife to trim at the opposite end. Continue across the room, making sure the edges meet but don't overlap as this will create an uneven floor.