1. Backer Board. This is the industry standard most preferred by construction pros when installing ceramic or porcelain tile. Backer board comes in four-foot-by-eight-foot and three-foot-by-five-foot rigid panels that contain a combination of cement, fiberglass, and sometimes crushed glass particles.
Cement board or backer board are the most standard underlayments. They come in various thicknesses for different spaces. You will need to tape the joints for this type of underlayment.
If you are installing luxury vinyl planks in wet areas such as laundry rooms, bathrooms, or kitchens, installing a waterproof underlayment can give you extra peace of mind. If there should be a spill or a plumbing leak, you can be assured that the water will not penetrate into the subfloor and cause structural damage.
Cement backerboard is more stable than plywood in high humidity and other wet environments. It won't swell and buckle the way that plywood does, so it's safe to use in mudrooms and bathrooms where things like spills and puddles are normal, as well as in areas with high levels of moisture in the air.
CORK UNDERLAYMENT
Cork is a fine choice for luxury vinyl planks and tiles. It is available in cork-only rolls and in cork with an attached vapor barrier for use over concrete. Your options are thinner half-pound cork and denser but more expensive 2-pound cork.
For floating floors, like loose-lay vinyl sheet or rigid vinyl planks, a vinyl flooring underlayment may be required as a vapor barrier and can also add much-needed cushion and warmth underfoot. You may also want to look for an underlayment designed for moisture mitigation and insulation.
For example, if you're installing vinyl flooring in a high-moisture area like a bathroom, you'll need a waterproof, vapor barrier underlayment. On the other hand, if you're installing it in a living room or bedroom, you might prioritize sound reduction and comfort features.
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.
Cement Backer Board
Constructed primarily of cement and reinforced with fiberglass, this type of board is waterproof and so is mostly used for tiled shower surrounds and enclosures, wetrooms and floors in areas exposed to direct water. No More Ply is a popular brand of cementitious backer board.
It is optional. It is required to have a waterproof membrane in a shower. Installing over a plywood underlayment isn't the best method in the first place. Wood floors tend to have excessive deflection and they are moisture sensitive to some degree.
Vinyl or Linoleum Bathroom Flooring
Choosing a top-quality sheet vinyl or linoleum (rather than peel-and-stick tiles) will reduce seams where water can seep through. A felt or foam backing makes vinyl softer than wood or tile, which is helpful in bathrooms, where slip-and-fall accidents are common on wet floors.
Even if there is no huge water leak such as from a hole in the roof, the steam and moisture of showers, bathtubs, and boiling pots can potentially affect the structure and safety of a house or building. This is why vapor barriers are needed in areas that are more moisture-prone.
A high R-value underlayment will make the floor feel warmer underfoot in the winter. Noise reduction: Some types of underlayment can act as a barrier to the transmission of noise. This can be important in certain working environments where silence is necessary, or in bedrooms where peace and quiet are preferred.
Having the tiles go under the toilet, makes it much easier to do repairs or removals. In the event that you choose to replace your toilet, you also wouldn't face the issue of a mismatched tile and toilet bottom.
If you're installing a new floor, pedestal sink, and toilet, you should install the laminate flooring first so it's under the sink and toilet. Because laminate flooring floats above the sub-floor on top of underlayment, it will expand and contract slightly with the temperature and humidity of the room.
If you are good with a trowel and understand how to set up and use screeds as a guide for leveling or forming the mortar, pouring a traditional mortar bed may be a good alternative to tile backer board, especially on uneven or sloping floors.
Hardiebacker is significantly lighter than Durock and WonderBoard, leaving this the lightest out of the bunch. How light it instantly makes it one of the most popular brands on the market. Since there isn't any glass mesh in it, unlike Durock, it makes the job much smoother and even minimizes the cleanup.
Choose a sheet thicknesses based on the application: Floors: A 1/4-inch minimum thickness is needed, but thicker panels are also fine. Walls: Use 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch-thick cement board, not 1/4-inch. The extra thickness is needed when spanning the studs and it provides a solid base for the tile.
Bathroom floors outside of showers are not considered wet areas. Is HardieBacker good for floor tile? Hardiebacker, and other fiber cement boards, are appropriate underlayments for tile floors over wood subfloors.
Both plywood and OSB are effective choices for your subfloor needs, but OSB may be a better option for a garage than plywood. Plywood is a better option for projects that require a lot of cutting and molding, while OSB is a good option for those who need to cover areas where moisture exposure may be an issue.
While treating existing floors with waterproofing products is always an option, for spaces prone to getting wet—such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and mudrooms—your best bet is to install a waterproofing material between your flooring and the substrate, like waterproof cement backer board.
Tongue-and-groove plywood is superior to regular plywood for floor decks because it creates a stronger, more rigid subfloor, and helps eliminate sagging and “bounce” at the seams between the joists.
Vinyl flooring clearly is a better choice in high-moisture environments than laminate flooring, making it an excellent choice in bathrooms. But for whole-house installations, laminate flooring often makes sense because it offers a wide range of choices.
Vinyl plank flooring provides an amazing water resistance ability. You can shower comfortably without having to worry about damaging the floor with water. One thing to note, however, is that most homeowners prefer luxury vinyl tiles when it comes to the water resistance capability.
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.