Best Underlayment for Laminate Flooring

We have a 1970’s Ranch style home and are planning to add laminate flooring throughout the home and trying to decide which underlayment would be best. We know we will need a moisture barrier, but there are so many different types, and as many opinions on which is best (felt, foam, cork?). Ideally we would opt for something that helps with minor subfloor changes (ie elevation changes between grout and tile), and also help reduce noise level/transmission. Is there a particular product that you recommend?

By the way, the house sits on a concrete slab, but we are covering existing tile and glued down vinyl plank flooring in some areas (some areas are bare concrete). The vinyl planks are VERY well adhered, and previous owners poured a leveling compound below the planks in order to meet with the level of the tile floor. We feel that the amount of work needed to remove all this flooring would not be worth it, and would lead to an even more uneven surface than it is now.

Our Answer

I agree that it is not necessary to remove the previous flooring. If the floors are at different levels, be careful to plan the threshold between rooms carefully to avoid tripping hazards. There are many types of door saddles available to help with this. If you have a dishwasher, make sure the new flooring runs all the way under the dishwasher so you don’t block the legs, making it more difficult to remove when the time comes.

As for selection of the best laminate underlayment, the experts at LL Flooring offer excellent advice on how to choose and install laminate underlayment:

A high-quality underlayment provides sound absorption and helps protect your floor against moisture damage.

Underlayment will always improve the performance of your floor, and the denser it is, the better. Underlayment adds numerous benefits to your floor.

Underlayment dampens and absorbs sound transmission, including footsteps.

By adding cushion to a hard surface, it makes walking and standing much more comfortable, and can provide additional insulation.

Most underlayments include moisture vapor protection to prevent moisture, mildew, and mold from forming under the flooring.

In addition to smoothing out minor imperfections in the subfloor, underlayment makes your floor more stable and supportive.

There are many types and brands of underlayment, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for.

Choosing an underlayment depends on your installation method, on the type of material you plan to use, and on whether you plan to install over wood or concrete.

When choosing your underlayment, you should also consider density, compression, sound transmission, moisture resistance, comfort, and of course cost.

The installation of underlayment is relatively straightforward once you’ve selected the right product. Just remember to always refer to the instruction sheet that came with your specific product before starting any project.

When installing over concrete it is important to understand that even if your underlayment provides moisture protection, a 6mm poly should be installed forming a barrier, to protect against elevated moisture vapor that may go beyond the underlayments capability.

Last but not least, today many laminate floors styles already come with pre-attached pads on the back. These will not only save you money, but they have also been tested for sound suppression and for support of the locking system – and will satisfy most underlayment requirements.