What goes under vinyl flooring?

Author: Narciso Stiedemann  |  Last update: Saturday, August 2, 2025

The most used types of underlayment for vinyl are cork, foam, felt, rubber, plywood, and OSB.
  • Cork. When it comes to reducing noise in your home, cork is an excellent option. ...
  • Foam. ...
  • Felt. ...
  • Particle Board. ...
  • Rubber. ...
  • Plywood and OSB.

Does anything go underneath vinyl flooring?

Underlayment is not required if the vinyl flooring will be laid over a cushion-backed vinyl floor or a tile floor below grade. In all other applications, however, you should use one, such as covering existing hardwood floors, vinyl flooring without cushion, and concrete floors.

What should I put down before laying vinyl flooring?

Get some 1/8" Hardboard, Lauan or birch plywood (one side smooth) and lay it down without gaps over the sub floor. At this thickness, you can staple it down. smooth any edges/fill any gaps. Lay your vinyl.

What goes between subfloor and vinyl flooring?

When installing over a concrete subfloor, a felt underlayment is the best choice. Felt does a fantastic job of insulating the flooring from the cold concrete. It will also provide shock absorption. This will help absorb the impacts of everyday foot traffic, making the flooring more comfortable.

What is the best underlayment for vinyl flooring?

Felt underlayment is a popular choice for vinyl plank flooring due to its affordability and ease of installation. It is made from recycled materials and offers excellent noise reduction properties. Felt underlayment also provides a slight cushioning effect, making your floors more comfortable underfoot.

Why You Need Underlayment For Your Floors

What happens if you don't put a moisture barrier under vinyl flooring?

When moisture penetrates your flooring, it can cause mold, mildew, and the potential for water damage. A moisture barrier helps control the water vapor's movement to help protect your floors. Therefore, if you're installing floors in an area that sees moisture, even a little, a vapor barrier is needed.

What underlay do you put under vinyl?

Vinyl, also known as sheet vinyl, comes in large rolls and has a thick, dense backing, so it doesn't need an underlay. LVT, also known as luxury vinyl tiles, comes as separate tiles or planks in two fitting options: click and dryback.

Can you put vinyl flooring directly on plywood?

Vinyl flooring can go over a plywood subfloor without a vinyl flooring underlayment as long as the substrate is sturdy, smooth, and flat. If your plywood subfloor is in poor condition, you may need a thin plywood underlayment to smooth the surface out.

Should I put anything in between the subfloor and underlayment?

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.

What is the best backing for vinyl plank flooring?

Choosing a vinyl flooring with rubber backing is ideal. Rubber features several properties that make it a quality choice for a long-lasting floor. Rubber is a strong option that can withstand heavy loads. It also offers valuable shock absorption that can help to make your floor more comfortable to walk on.

How do you prepare a floor for vinyl flooring?

Make sure your subfloor is dry, smooth, structurally sound, and free from debris (that means scraping off the old glue if you've ripped out old vinyl or laminate). Move your roll of vinyl into the room where it's being fitted at least 24-48 hours beforehand to allow it to acclimatise to room temperature.

What plywood should I use under vinyl flooring?

Cover the floor area with either a 4mm or 6mm plywood - the thickness selected should be determined by the quality of the surface being covered. Ply should be of suitable quality, eg SP101. Wood should be fixed using screws, twisted shank or ring shank nails, serrated or divergent staples.

How long does it take to install 500 sq ft of vinyl plank flooring?

How long does it take to install 500 square feet of vinyl plank flooring? It takes a professional crew about half a day to a full day to install 500 square feet of vinyl plank flooring. For a do-it-yourselfer, it may take a day or two to install 500 square feet of vinyl plank flooring.

Can mold grow under vinyl flooring?

Yes, mold can grow under vinyl flooring if moisture becomes trapped underneath the flooring material. Vinyl flooring is not a breathable material, which means that moisture cannot escape through the flooring.

What can vinyl flooring be laid on?

With the proper substrate, you can install vinyl flooring over:
  • Concrete flooring.
  • Laminate flooring.
  • Vinyl flooring.
  • Solid hardwood flooring.
  • Engineered wood flooring.
  • Ceramic or stone tile.

What happens if water gets under vinyl flooring?

Excess moisture and water under the flooring can deteriorate and soften vinyl planks. It can also lead to mold growth, setting up a potentially unhealthy indoor environment. Addressing surface-level moisture as well as any water damage under vinyl floors is essential to avoiding a worsening situation.

What happens if you don't put underlayment under vinyl plank flooring?

Under vinyl flooring, underlayment is essential for moisture control, sound deadening, warmth, and minimizing floor deflection.

Can I put flooring directly on subfloor?

Most modern vinyl flooring, such as Happy Feet, comes with an attached underlayment or pad, often with a moisture barrier built-in – unless the pad is cork. If the product you choose doesn't have an attached underlayment, you can almost always install directly over the subfloor without one.

Should you put a vapor barrier between subfloor and underlayment?

Yes. Hardwood flooring is quite sensitive to moisture and it's always worth adding a moisture barrier during installation. It is a necessity with concrete subfloors and damp areas, but water-resistive underlayments should be considered with other subfloors as well.

What do you put under vinyl sheet flooring?

The flooring underlayment is a thin layer of material, such as fiber, felt, rubber, self leveling cement or foam. It helps to cushion, absorb sound, insulate heat, reduce the wear of the floor and strongly improve the installation quality.

Can you put vinyl directly on wood?

Yes, definitely wood and vinyl are a good crafting match. Whatever type of wood you want to use, there is a suitable vinyl that you can use to decorate it. Vinyl can certainly adhere to any wooden surface. You can make both indoor and outdoor signs with vinyl and wood.

What is the best adhesive for vinyl to plywood?

Acrylic-based adhesives are very efficient and strong when it comes to gluing vinyl floors. Acrylic-based adhesives are heat-resistant, can handle fluctuations in temperature and do not loosen up due to moisture.

Do I need underlayment for vinyl flooring on plywood?

Underlayment is needed if you're going to install vinyl plank flooring over tile, vinyl flooring, and even hardwood. As mentioned, with the plywood floor, there's no need to worry about a moisture barrier; the underlayment should provide cushioning and sound-deadening benefits.

What is the easiest flooring to install yourself?

The Top 5 Easiest Flooring To Install Yourself
  • Laminate Flooring. Laminate flooring is a highly sought-after option for its exceptional durability and extensive variety of styles. ...
  • Vinyl Plank Flooring. ...
  • Carpet Tiles. ...
  • Engineered Wood Flooring. ...
  • Peel and Stick Tile.

How thick should underlayment be for vinyl flooring?

Since vinyl planks are generally thinner than a laminate, the underlayment is also thinner. If too much cushion is beneath the vinyl planks, the locking system and joint integrity will be compromised. Most vinyl underlayments are 1mm to 1.5mm thick.

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