Do You Have to Put Down a Pad When Laying Wood Floors?

Fiber Board

• Fiber boards should be used if you have a slightly uneven subfloor or if you're laying new flooring over floorboards. Much like real wood flooring, fiber boards expand and contract as moisture and temperature levels fluctuate, so you'll need to acclimatize your boards in the room you plan to lay them in for at least 24 hours before starting work. You should lay a polyurethane sheet underneath your fiber boards to protect them against moisture from your subfloor.

Foam Underlay

• Basic foam underlay is the most commonly used underlayment solution for hardwood and laminate flooring. It works well on most firm and dry surfaces and is straightforward to lay. Standard foam underlay comes in sheets you can lay over your subfloor and stick together with masking tape. As with fiber boards, you'll need to cover your subfloor with a polyurethane sheet to protect your foam and flooring from moisture.

Polyfoam

• A polyfoam underlayment is a basic foam underlay with a polyurethane layer to protect against moisture. It’s usually slightly thicker than a standard foam underlay so is good to use on any subfloors that have irregularities or are not completely level. Polyfoam underlay is laid in the same way as a basic foam solution. You should make sure that all sections are stuck together with masking tape to stop moisture from penetrating any gaps.

Self-Adhesive Polyfoam

• If you want to make the process of laying your floor as easy as possible, this will be the option for you. Self-adhesive polyfoam has an adhesive layer covered by a plastic membrane. This is laid over your subfloor with the plastic membrane facing up. You then pull the plastic membrane back as you lay your floor boards. This gives your floor added strength but is generally more expensive than other underlayment options.