Do You Need Underlay For Vinyl Flooring On Concrete

If you ve chosen to go the vinyl path you re probably wondering about the best underlayment for vinyl plank flooring.

Do you need underlay for vinyl flooring on concrete. If you re laying the lvp over an existing cushion backed vinyl floor or a below grade tile floor then you won t need to use an underlayment. Underlayment isn t a necessity but you might consider it to add noise reducing qualities or additional softness to the product. As a result vinyl floors do not wobble or buckle under your feet. Installing new flooring is a costly enterprise so you want to get it right the first time around.

Actually you may not even need underlayment depending on the product and where you plan to install it. Vinyl floors that are glue down or loose lay will not need a vinyl underlayment as these floors will be installed directly over the subfloor. However some people prefer to add another thin layer of subflooring between the concrete and vinyl. However you ll want to use one in every other application including covering existing hardwood floors vinyl flooring that isn t cushioned and concrete floors.

If not you will have to look into purchasing a 6 mil vapor barrier first. It may also be a requirement in certain hoa or apartment complexes to have a sound barrier with your flooring. For vinyl flooring installations over wood subfloors you will not need to worry about a moisture barrier but you may want an underlayment for added cushion or sound reduction. Good to know if you need to cut the door get the approximate layout of the cut and use masking tape on top and bottom of the cut line to reduce splintering as the cut.

Vinyl flooring by its very design is very stable. The key to installing luxury vinyl over concrete is to ensure the floor is level and clean. Vinyl underlayment is an optional add on to click lock vinyls that are 4mm or thicker. So technically if you are installing vinyl plank flooring onto concrete you already have a subfloor.

This additional layer can improve insulation and should make your vinyl plank flooring warmer and less resonant. A vinyl flooring underlayment will not be as thick as a laminate or hardwood underlayment. Keeping your floor warm from cold concrete. So the first thing you want to look at does the underlayment have a built in vapor barrier.

What about concrete should you use a special underlayment for laying vinyl on concrete. A vinyl floor usually features a base layer which serves the purpose of an underlay thereby removing the need for an additional underlay.