In short, vinyl flooring itself can be completely self sustainable and does not require an underlayment to function properly. Another reason underlayments may be suggested for vinyl flooring is if the vinyl flooring type is thin. When the vinyl flooring is thin, it becomes a lot easier to flex and bend.
If you're laying the LVP over an existing cushion-backed vinyl floor or a below-grade tile floor, you won't need to use an underlayment. However, you'll want to use one in every other application, including covering existing hardwood floors, uncushioned vinyl flooring, and concrete floors.
Water vapor can cause serious damage to your home. For instance, if your flooring gets wet, it could cause mold and mildew, and even destroy your floor (source). No one wants that, so vapor barriers are there to help prevent the floor from getting wet.
Glue down vinyl plank flooring will not need an underlayment. You will install these planks by gluing them directly on top of the subfloor. It is very important to have a debris free and level subfloor for a glue down vinyl flooring installation!
Do I need an Underlayment? You may know luxury vinyl plank flooring can be installed directly over your existing flooring. This is where you determine whether you need underlayment or not. If installing your luxury vinyl plank flooring over an existing vinyl floor or tile then you won't need an underlayment.
Without underlayment to add a layer between these damp subfloors and the surface flooring, your laminate can quickly become wet, warped, and mildewy, harming its overall integrity. Moisture over time can also break down floor adhesive which causes the floor to start warping.
When you have a bump or dip in your subfloor, the uneven surface can cause vinyl planks click-lock-systems to become uneven. This will cause creaking or “popping” every time you walk over the floor. An underlayment can help fill in subfloor imperfections and leave your flooring a smooth surface to lay on.
Felt is a popular underlayment choice, offering better sound control than foam. With foam, you also have the option to choose an attached vapor barrier, and it provides better insulation than foam and cork.
Any type of flooring can benefit from an underlayment — no matter what type of subfloor it will be installed on, whether it's concrete, wooden or any other type of flooring. Underlayment can improve the vinyl's ability to absorb sound and can also make it feel better to walk on.
You can install vinyl on many types of subfloor, including concrete and wood. But that floor must be flat for your installation to be a success. An uneven subfloor can lead to potential problems, such as planks having varying heights that will make the flooring unstable and wear down more quickly.
If the proper expansion gap is not left during installation, and the planks on the sides push up against the wall, the pressure will cause planks elsewhere in the room to buckle. Buckling floors are repairable, however, they are a major inconvenience and can be tricky.
Objectively, the answer's “no.” You can have waterproof vinyl without underlayment. But our two cents is to get it anyways. It may be a higher cost, but the benefits of extra moisture protection, sound dampening, and increased flooring longevity will certainly outweigh the cons in the long term.
Unfortunately, even the most expensive and expertly installed vinyl floor can suffer harm from moisture. One of the problems we frequently hear from homeowners is having water under vinyl plank flooring. However, the resistance is eliminated by subfloor pipes which may have leakages to damage.
Some laminate flooring planks come with the underlayment attached to each plank. Underlayment is not optional. If your laminate planks don't have it already attached, we recommend that you buy rolls of underlayment on which to install your laminate floor.
An underlayment will still be required over top of a glue down vinyl subfloor.
Unfortunately, adding insulating underlayment under vinyl flooring will cause the flooring to be unstable. Because vinyl flooring isn't made from wood products, it does not have the same structure that laminate flooring does.
Subfloor should be flat within a tolerance of 1/8” over a span of 4 feet. Any unevenness over 1/8” must be sanded down or filled with a floor leveler. Voids or humps in the subfloor will prevent luxury vinyl from locking properly.
Flooring underlayment is not always necessary, primarily when you are using a flooring that has its own underlayment padding such as . But underlayment can help with a wide variety of issues, such as sound control in a cement floor application or cold floors in a basement for example.
Yes, luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) can be installed over concrete provided you follow the correct installation procedure.
When properly used, expansion gaps can relieve the pressure from heat expansion that can affect a floating floor and prevent any noticeable buckling or peaked appearance. If the floor is less than 50 ft in length or width, leave at least a ¼-inch expansion gap around the entire perimeter.
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.
How to lay vinyl flooring on concrete. As you don't have to install underlay for Vinyl Flooring or LVT, this can go directly onto the concrete subfloor. However, allow 24 hours for your flooring to acclimatise by leaving it out of its packaging.
You will need moisture-proof underlayment or vapor barrier when there is a chance of moisture migrating upward from a concrete slab, tile, or cement board. Even a wood subfloor or flooring over a crawlspace or other non-climate-controlled space can be subject to rising moisture.