No Underlayment Laminate Floor
Companies like Westhollow® and Pergo® are constantly striving
to make laminate floors that are as easy as possible for the
weekend do-it-yourselfer. So their newest evolution is to
create laminate floors with underlayment attached to the back
of each panel.
This process eliminates the cost and labour involved in installing
a separate foam underlayment.
This does not eliminate however, the need for a vapour barrier!
A vapour barrier in order to be effective, must have as few
seams as necessary, thus it is impossible to preapply this
to the back of individual panels of laminate flooring. With
underlayment attached you can install directly onto wood subfloors
BUT a continuous layer of minimum 6mil polyethylene is essential,
with a 8"-12" overlap on all the seams, where concrete
is the subfloor.
If you are interested in controlling sound transmission to
the floor below, with the use of specialized noise
reduction laminate underlay, do not purchase laminate
floors with underlayment attached. You CANNOT double up on
the foam padding. The extra cushioning will create too much
movement on the interlocking joints and lead to breakage of
the click bond.
Further Information:
Which
is Best Underlay for Laminate?
Install
Laminate Underlayment
Noise
Reduction Underlay Standards
Noise
Reduction Underlay Ratings
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Products, specifications, and techniques shown
are meant as a guide to better understanding for the designer, builder,
and/or homeowner.
Owners of this site assume no liability for and
makes no claim to the suitability of any products or information
shown, other than to report history of usage, and sharing of knowledge
from others.
It is the sole responsibility of the owner or installer
to adequately test for product suitability and application method
for a particular installation.
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