Is It Required to Lay Underlayment on Laminate Flooring?

Standard Foam

• Standard foam underlayment is considered entry-level material that is the most likely choice of padding used by homeowners. The material is good for covering wood or concrete subfloors if the concrete floor is above the first floor. The density of the standard underlayment varies between manufacturers, but generally the material is an eighth of an inch thick.

Moisture Barrier

• Moisture barrier underlayment is a combination of standard foam underlayment and a 6 mil polyurethane film. The polyurethane film acts as a moisture barrier on concrete floors at ground level or in the basement. Concrete wicks the moisture from the ground below it. If a moisture barrier isn’t used, mold and mildew will form between the concrete subfloor and the laminate.

Sound Barrier

• Sound barrier underlayment provides some barrier between the laminate and the floor below. The padding is made of rubber, fiber or denser foam than the standard underlayment. This type of padding muffles sound traveling from an upper room to the lower room, but it will not completely quiet the sound of you walking across the floor. Sound barrier underlayment is used on wood subfloors or concrete floors above ground level.

Cork

• Cork is the type of underlayment you use if you have a completely flat, wood subfloor and want a higher level of sound reduction or you want to raise the height of the subfloor. The material is generally one-quarter inch thick, but it depends on the manufacturer. Cork underlayment must be glued to the subfloor, which adds to the cost and time it takes to install laminate. Because cork is the most expensive underlayment, it is the least used type.