What Goes Underneath Laminate Flooring?

Subfloor

• The subfloor is located underneath laminate flooring and usually is made of plywood. Prior to laying laminate flooring, the subfloor should be flat and not have any loose pieces, which is evident if the surface squeaks when you walk on it. Securing these loose pieces using screws or nails is important. The subfloor also needs to be clean and dry prior to your installation of the laminate flooring.

Felt

• Builder’s felt is a valuable material that goes on top of your subfloor before you lay the laminate flooring. Builder’s felt, also known as tar paper, is an underlayment designed to prevent water damage to your flooring. Its thickness is measured in pounds. Install 15-pound builder’s felt by lining it up with your room’s longest walls and stapling the edges of the felt down every 48 inches using a hammer tacker. A roll of 15-pound felt is large enough to cover a 400-square-foot room.

Foam Underlayment

• Foam is another type of underlayment, and it is actually the most common option. To lay foam underlayment, simply spread the foam out in one layer over your subfloor. You will also need to trim the edges of the foam underlayment so that the piece fits in the room. Attaching the seams of the foam together with duct tape completes the process. The purpose of the underlayment is to reduce the sound of the laminate flooring as well as cover up any imperfections in the subfloor.

Vapor Barrier

• Placing a vapor barrier under a foam underlayment when installing laminate flooring, especially when working on top of a concrete floor, is important. The vapor barrier needs to be a 4 mil or thicker polyethylene barrier. Some two-in-one foam underlayments actually have a vapor barrier built in to them. A vapor barrier is necessary because concrete stores large amounts of water, and the soil underneath the concrete generates humidity that has the potential to damage the laminate flooring.