Installing Laminate Flooring Foam Underlayment
Putting down underlay is a pretty straight forward job. The
most important step is to prep the subfloor before you even
begin to install laminate underlayment. Done correctly it
will protect the interlocking mechanisms on the flooring and
increase the life of your floating floor.
Step #1: The Manufacturer's Instruction
Sheet
Read It!! I know we all ignore it, but if you have trouble
down the road and you've bypassed a special clause in the
find print, you'll have no leg to stand on.. some laminate
floors with underlayment attached are not warranted for
wood subfloors.. some are ... some underlays are approved
for over top of electric floor heating blankets other are
not .. it is always better to know before installation!
Step #2: The Subfloor
Most laminate flooring manufacturers have a requirement that
the floor must be flat within a 3/16" gap in 10'. Thus
if it is a wood subfloor you may have to consider sanding
off the high points if this can be done without affecting
the structural integrity of the subfloor.
For concrete, it may be a matter of mixing Portland cement
or equivalent floor leveling compounds to fill the valleys.
Make sure to read the product instruction sheet to assure
adequate drying time is allowed before flooring installation.
This technique can also be used on valleys on a wood floor.
For concrete floors it may be important to follow Wilsonart's
recommendation for testing moisture content in your subfloor.
Most installers do have special meters for this type of test
so ask where you buy your flooring. This standard is consistent
across most laminated floating floor products on the market
today.
"The Maximum allowable moisture emission rate for
installing Wilsonart Flooring is 5 lbs/1000sq.ft/24 hours.
" (Testing guidelines ASTM F 1869 test method)
Step #3: Undercut Doorways
Using a loose piece of laminate and underlayment padding as
a depth gauge, cut all your door jambs and casing up off the
floor to allow the floating floor to move underneath. Remove
all the baseboard.
Once you are comfortable knowing that the floor is within
the acceptable standards for flatness, and the mouldings have
been undercut to the correct height, clean the surface to
remove any debris that may affect the laminate floor from
sitting directly onto the surface. You can then begin putting
down underlay padding.
Step #4: Install Laminate Underlayment
If your floor is over concrete the first job is to lay a polyethylene
film down, then the first row of foam underlayment. (As discussed
earlier this could be accomplished by using a 2-in-1 product
that combines vapour barrier and foam in one product.)
Start in the corner where you intend to begin the floor and
run it tight up to the wall. Only roll out one strip of underlayment
at a time. Then begin installing your flooring. When you get
close to the edge of your underlay start a new row, overlapping
the plastic vapour barrier 8-10" and butting the foam
up tight together (NOT overlapping). Use plastic or foil tape
to hold the edges of the foam in place.
If you need a vapour barrier and you are using a 2-in-1
product that does not include an overlap, tape continuously
from one end of the strip to the end, to seal the entire
seam. Where the underlayment has a overlap it is only necessary
to tape intermittently to hold it in place until it is covered
by flooring.
Continue across the room. Use a pocket knife to trim the
foam when you reach the far wall...
Installing laminate flooring foam underlayment is a pretty
easy job with the critical issue revolving around proper subfloor
preparation and taping the foam so that it doesn't slip in
the installation process.
More Information:
Which
is Best Underlay for Laminate?
Noise
Reduction Underlay Standards
Noise
Reduction Underlay Ratings
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