QuietWalk is a premium acoustical underlayment designed to be installed beneath floating, glue-down, or nail-down flooring like luxury vinyl plank (LVP), laminate, and engineered wood. Made from recycled fibers, it absorbs sound, cushions footsteps, and manages subfloor moisture.
These droplets can damage floors over time and compromise your home's air quality by promoting mold growth. QuietWalk's Dri-Wick technology prevents vapors from becoming trapped, allowing concrete to breathe.
QuietWalk LV is 1.4 mm thick and made from dense recycled fibers and comes as a roll for easy of installation. LifeProof Universal Underlayment is 1.5mm thick, made from a non-recycled poly foam material that is a fold out design.
With the new addition of QuietWalk Plus, our customers are wondering what the difference between QuietWalk and QuietWalk Plus. The main benefits for QuietWalk Plus is: Enhanced film – The film allows the glue to adhere to the floor and subfloor. More Dense Pad – The pad is more dense.
The unique construction of the material makes it versatile enough for wood or concrete subfloors. QuietWalk has moisture management properties to help with any vapors naturally occurring from concrete subfloors. Both concrete subfloors and QuietWalk underlayment are "breathable" capillary products.
The best floor underlayment depends on your flooring type. For laminate and engineered wood, QuietWalk Plus is the top overall choice for sound reduction and moisture control. For luxury vinyl plank (LVP), opt for a specialized, dense 1.0mm to 1.5mm pad to prevent joint damage.
The best acoustic underlay depends entirely on your flooring type. For laminate or engineered wood, FloorMuffler Underlayment is a premier choice, QuietWalk Synthetic Fiber excels over concrete, and rubber underlayments are top tier for impact noise.
Short answer: yes, mould can grow under vinyl flooring — but only when moisture gets trapped between the planks and the subfloor. Vinyl itself is non-porous, so the planks don't host mould.
COREtec is a premium luxury vinyl plank (LVP) that offers highly realistic wood visuals, thicker composite cores, and extensive warranties. Lifeproof (The Home Depot’s house brand) is a budget-friendly option that relies on flexible vinyl, making it easier to install and more forgiving on uneven subfloors.
QuietWalk is our premium underlayment choice allowing firm support for multiple types of flooring with great acoustic benefits. Built with sound reduction and moisture dissipation in mind. The bonded vapor barrier is specially designed for optimal defense against water.
Research has shown that English Ivy can eliminate up to 78% of airborne mold within 12 hours. This makes it particularly useful in humid areas like bathrooms and basements where mold growth is more common.
Mold is generally at its worst from early spring through early fall (specifically July through October), peaking during the warmest and most humid months. Mold thrives in warm temperatures (60∘F to 80∘F) combined with relative humidity levels above 60%.
When Underlayment is Not Necessary for Laminate Flooring
QuietWalk underlayment typically ranges from 𝟏.𝟒 𝐦𝐦 to 𝟑 𝐦𝐦 (approx. 0.050.05𝟎.𝟎𝟓 to 0.1250.125𝟎.𝟏𝟐𝟓 inches) thick, depending on the specific flooring type you are installing.
While vinegar is a popular DIY cleaning solution, it's not recommended for laminate floors. Its acidic nature can dull the laminate's finish over time. Instead, opt for a pH-neutral cleaner specifically designed for laminate flooring to ensure it remains vibrant and undamaged.
Dawn dish soap does not kill mold, but it acts as an effective surfactant to lift and scrub visible mold away from non-porous surfaces. While it washes away the active growth and prevents airborne spores from releasing, you must use a disinfectant afterward to ensure the mold roots are destroyed.
Yes. Both dry and wet Swiffer mops are safe to use on vinyl plank, as long as you're using cleaning pads that don't leave behind residue. Just avoid soaking the floor.
In A Nutshell: Misconceptions About Mold
Your home can be 100% mold-free: No, there are always mold spores in the air. Anyone can effectively remove mold: No, you need professional services for that.
Stopping noise transfer between floors requires treating two primary culprits: impact noise (vibrations like footsteps) and airborne noise (voices, music). For the most effective solution, you need to decouple the materials, add dense mass to block sound waves, and fill empty spaces to absorb reverberation.
Best solutions: High-NRR foam earplugs — Foam earplugs with a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 30+ dB are highly effective at blocking mid-frequency sounds.
Sound cannot travel through a vacuum. Because sound is a mechanical wave that propagates by vibrating particles, it requires a physical medium like a solid, liquid, or gas to carry those vibrations. Since a vacuum is completely empty space lacking matter, sound waves have no particles to push against and cannot propagate.
Underlayment Not Required - Vinyl Plank Flooring - The Home Depot.
After cleaning the concrete surface, you'll need to add a vapor barrier. This is a necessary step before installing any floating floor over a concrete subfloor. After this is rolled out, you're ready to install your new flooring.
In 2026, flooring trends revolve around warmth and natural textures, with cool, flat grays officially on their way out. The most popular colors include: