Skip to main content
Sites-llflooring-Site
Couple in an LL Flooring store looking at floor samples

Save up to 15%

Vinyl, hardwood, & more up to 15% off!

""

Up to $500 Cash Back

On $3,000 or more with floor and stair installation.

""

Picture our Floors in Your Space

Use the innovative Floor Visualizer to get the full showroom experience without even leaving your house.

Start here to schedule your FREE in-home flooring installation estimate

Please provide a valid email

Please provide a valid phone number

Learn More
truck

What is Underlayment? Floor padding for Laminate, Hardwood, Vinyl

3 min read
Published on May 18, 2022

Underlayment and padding provide moisture protection, stability, and warmth for your floor. They can also help even out minor imperfections in subfloors and dampen the sounds of foot traffic. At LL Flooring, we know that the right underlayment also goes a long way to extending the life of your flooring.

Questions we are here to answer include:

Which type of floor underlayment should I get? This depends on your type of flooring and the subfloor it will be installed on - and of course, your flooring goals.

Do I need underlayment if my flooring has attached padding? Only if your particular goals are to surpass the performance of the attached padding, or if your subfloor requires further considerations. Read below, and you can also discuss your floor and project with a flooring expert today.

 

Image
Roll of quiet walk floor underlayment for laminate, hardwood, and bamboo
Quiet Walk Underlayment for laminate, wood, and bamboo floors.

 

Find the Right Underlayment for Your Flooring

We offer a range of underlayment and padding. Whether you’re looking to prevent cracks in your tiles or add warmth to your basement, our selection has what your flooring needs.

 

 

Types of Underlayment

 

Foam

Foam underlayment works best with floating flooring. Its structure creates sound and impact reduction to quiet everyday noises. Foam also helps to level slight irregularities in subfloors. Foam underlayments can also receive antimicrobial treatments to help fight against mildew and mold.

Cork

This type of underlayment is ideal for a range of flooring types like tile, marble, and stone as well as floating and glue-down flooring. A prominent feature of cork is its ability to prevent stress cracks from moving through the subfloor into the floor surface. Cork underlay also insulates and helps increase the efficiency of heating systems. It is easy to install either with glue or with a loose-lay installation. Best of all, natural cork is eco-friendly and often receives approval from green building initiatives.

Rubber

High-performance acoustic rubber is an easy-to-install underlayment with outstanding sound suppression. It is naturally compression resistant and absorbs sounds from both above and below. Rubber underlayment can be made with 100% post-consumer recycled rubber that is environmentally friendly and 100% recyclable.

Moisture Barriers

Basements tend to be a bit damp and builders usually install moisture barriers on basement walls, but they can sometimes overlook the floor. At LL Flooring, we offer heavy-duty moisture membranes, to use in addition to underlayment, for keeping basement and slab-on-grade floors dryer than before. They also add an extra layer of comfort to otherwise hard floor surfaces. If you're installing your flooring over concrete (rather than wood), you may want to consider using a 6-mil poly sheeting (polyethylene) to mitigate moisture. The Dream Home 6mil Poly Sheeting has gotten great reviews, available to read on its product page.

 

basement slab floor underlayment with moisture protection
To turn your basement into a usable, livable space, proper moisture protection is necessary.

 

You may also want to explore a combined moisture barrier and underlayment. Sometimes crafted with recycled foam and a foil moisture vapor barrier, these underlayments offer superior moisture control, eliminating the need for 6 mm poly altogether while also providing excellent sound and thermal insulation properties. You'll also appreciate the fanfold pre-marked design that makes installation easy.

quality floor underlayment with moisture barrier
Premium padding Bellawood Platimum floor underlayment with moisture barrier.

 

 

Radiant Floor Heating

Installing radiant floor heating might sound like an extravagance at first, but these systems can help you save up to 50% on your energy costs. When it comes to electromagnetic field ratings, they’re ultra-low and safe. LL Flooring offers peel and stick products in 120V and 240V. We also offer programmable, wireless, and smart touch thermostats to keep your radiant floor heating working at ideal temperatures.

Image of floor heating thermostat
QuietWarmth Wifi Smart Touch Thermostat 

 

 

floor heating underlayment panel
Homeowners rely on floor heating panels for comfort and energy savings.

 

Check your flooring's specifications to find the best-matched underlayment or padding. Some materials, such as foam, are great for floating floors, while cork is better suited for stone and ceramic floors. At LL Flooring, our flooring experts are ready to help you make the best choices for your flooring project. Browse our selection and order online, visit your closest flooring store, or contact us for more information.

 

In the below video, Mike, the Materials, Accessories & Tools (MAT) Manager explains a customer's interesting review of QuietWalk Versa Underlayment, and how it transformed the guest room and experience in the home, also showing a remarkable demonstration of the energy absorption with and without additional padding.

 

 

Follow LL Style on Instagram & Pinterest

 

Also, do you learn about home improvement and design by watching informative videos?

SUBSCRIBE to the LL Flooring YouTube Channel to learn more, leave comments or ideas that helped you, and join the community!

 

Related Articles

This post may be a little long....but bear with us, we promise, there’s lots of useful…
Adore Your Hardwood Floor with These Cleaning and Care Tips Taking care of your floors…
Buying new floors for your home is an exciting and worthwhile investment. Ask yourself…