If there is no shiny surface, one side usually features a thin backing material secured by what looks like mesh. This should face up into the room, in contact with the carpet. The rubber or foam side should face down towards the subfloor.
The underlay should be laid foil side down (essential to ensure maximum resistance to moisture from the subfloor) allowing a 5cm excess of underlay to run up the perimeter wall. Each roll of underlay should be closely butted-up.
Rubber underlay should be placed face down so that the backing is facing up and the coloured film is on the floor.
Tip: Make sure the two white sides are as close as they can be and lay one over the other and tack it down. That is how you will know if it's on upside down -- if the tape strip is down, it is backwards. It is very important that the underlayment run the same direction as the flooring.
Synthetic roofing underlayment is to be laid horizontally (parallel to eave) with printed anti-slip side up, starting at the bottom of the lowest roof eave, with a 1.5″ underlayment overhang at the eave covering the pre-installed eave drip edge.
In most cases, foil-backed underlay should be laid foil side down, allowing the foil to fulfil its job as a DPM.
If you are using rubber underlay, roll it out rubber side down with the paper facing up - if you're using polyurethane underlay, like the ones we supply, the printed side should face up.
2: Installing Underlayment.
Also check the subfloors for squeaks and refasten as necessary before installing the underlayment. Install plywood underlayment smooth side up. To avoid damage to the surface, install underlayment immediately before laying the finish flooring.
Position the underlayment roll with the silver side down, facing the subfloor. The overlapping side should be towards the open room, and the tape strip should be next to the wall. The underlayment will be positioned parallel to the wall and installed the same direction of your flooring.
Installation Methods
Make sure that underlayment seams run perpendicular (at a right angle) to the long dimension of the planks.
Lay gold-side down
The gold side needs to face the subfloor, as any moisture rising from the subfloor won't enter the underlay OR your flooring. So to reiterate, to create an effective moisture barrier and stop damp from getting into the polyethene (PE) foam, it must be laid gold-side down.
No, definitely not. The underside does not have any UV protection, has less bitumen saturation and also the side laps will not seal properly, as they finish incorrectly.
Separate Underlayment. Laminate flooring manufacturers typically recommend an underlayment. What happens if you don't put padding under laminate flooring is moisture coming through the subfloor can cause it to warp and mildew. And footsteps on the floor will be louder.
Start the process in one corner of the room and place or roll out the underlay parallel to the longest wall. If you're wondering which way to lay underlay for laminate, remember that the vapour control layer must be laid with the foil side facing down, towards the subfloor.
Installing Plywood Underlayment
You can cut sheets with a circular saw, jigsaw, table saw, or handsaw, just like any wood sheet material. While underlayment traditionally was glued down to wood subflooring, most manufacturers today recommend installing it without glue, which greatly simplifies the installation.
Very often, particularly in a below-grade installation on a concrete basement floor, a vapor barrier is recommended in addition to the underlayment. That vapor barrier would go between the subfloor and the underlayment.
Either side of the foil can be used to place food on, unless you are using Bacofoil® The Non-Stick Kitchen Foil, then the food should be placed on the non shiny side side, as this is the side that is coated with a food safe silicon to stop food from sticking.
Step 4: Use a flooring underlayment to smooth out any remaining inconsistencies. A flooring underlayment can help to smooth out any remaining peaks and valleys in the subfloor and prevent problems down the line. However, remember that an underlayment can't work miracles, so don't count on it as your only solution.
When installing sub-flooring, you'll want the rough side facing up as well for traction when working. This is especially true when you have OSB that has been treated with a sealant or moisture barrier. Moisture resistant resins can create even more slippery surfaces.
Rather than nails, screws are best to use for subfloors — these fasteners are convenient, easy to remove and capable of providing torque that nails lack. Because of their structure, screws can penetrate plywood more easily and improve the connection, whereas nails can weaken the plywood.
Once your floor is clean and dry, lay the laminate underlay along the lengths of the room – taking care to leave a gap of at least 10mm around any pipes. On concrete floors, lay the underlay with the vapour barrier side down. On wooden floors, lay the rubber side down first to prevent any unwanted movement.
Start in a corner and roll out your underlayment. Trim the roll so that two inches of the underlayment run up the wall. Move onto the next row and continue across the subfloor until the room is covered. You can use duct tape or seam tape to secure the edges and the sections where the underlayment connects.
There is no fastening the underlayment to the subfloor. However, during installation some installers like to fasten underlayment to the subfloor to prevent the underlayment from moving. If your choose this route, staples are a good choice to fasten the underlayment.
Your choice of carpet won't have a huge amount of influence on the type of underlay you need. However, if you've opted for a thinner carpet, you may want to choose a slightly thicker underlay. This will provide extra cushioning without compromising on the style of your carpet.