About Underlayment
Choosing the right underlayment is key to getting the most out of your flooring. At Flooring Inc., we offer a variety of underlayments designed to enhance comfort, durability, and performance. Whether you're looking for added warmth, sound reduction, or moisture protection, we have the perfect solution. From foam underlayment, a top choice for floating floors and carpet, to rubber underlay, known for its versatility and ease of installation, we provide options for every flooring need.
Cork underlayment is an excellent choice for multi-level homes, apartments, and condos, offering natural sound absorption and insulation. If you need extra crack suppression under tile or hardwood, our rubber/cork hybrid underlayment delivers the best of both worlds. No matter what type of flooring you're installing, our high-quality underlayments provide the support and protection needed for a long-lasting, comfortable surface. Explore our collection today to find the perfect fit for your space.
Why is Underlayment Important?
Underlayment is an essential component in many flooring installations, and here's why it's important:
- Provides Cushioning and Comfort: Underlayment adds a layer of softness underfoot, making hard flooring surfaces like laminate, vinyl, or hardwood more comfortable to walk on.
- Improves Sound Absorption: It reduces noise by minimizing the sound of footsteps, making it especially useful in multi-story homes, apartments, or commercial spaces.
- Moisture Protection: Some underlayments offer moisture barriers, which help prevent damage from moisture seeping up from concrete subfloors, especially in basements or areas with high humidity.
- Subfloor Imperfection Coverage: Underlayment can smooth out minor imperfections in the subfloor, creating a more even surface for the flooring to sit on and reducing the chance of damage over time.
- Enhances Floor Longevity: By absorbing impact and reducing friction between the flooring and subfloor, underlayment can extend the life of the flooring.
- Required by Manufacturers: Many flooring manufacturers require specific types of underlayment to maintain product warranties.
Types of Underlayment
Take a look at the different types of underlayment we offer and learn about the benefits and common uses for the type of underlayment you choose!
Rubber Underlayment
Rubber underlayment is a dense, resilient material typically made from recycled rubber, designed to be installed beneath various flooring like hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl, and carpet. It provides excellent sound insulation, durability, and moisture protection.
Benefits of Rubber Underlayment:
✅ Superior Sound Insulation: Rubber underlayment is one of the best options for reducing impact noise (like footsteps) and airborne sound (like voices or music), making it ideal for multi-story buildings, apartments, and commercial spaces.
✅ Moisture Resistance: Many rubber underlayments naturally resist moisture, making them suitable for basements, kitchens, and bathrooms when combined with proper flooring.
✅ Durability: It is extremely durable and resistant to compression, meaning it won't break down or lose its shape over time like some foam underlayment.
✅ Eco-Friendly: Often made from recycled tires, rubber underlayment is a sustainable choice that helps reduce environmental waste.
✅ Subfloor Protection: Rubber helps absorb minor imperfections in the subfloor and provides a stable, even surface for flooring installation.
✅ Compatibility: Rubber underlayment is compatible with a wide range of flooring types, including hardwood, laminate, engineered wood, tile, and stone.
Common Uses:
- Multi-family homes and apartments (soundproofing floors)
- Gyms and fitness centers (shock absorption)
- Commercial building (noise control and durability)
- Residential homes (basements, kitchens, high-traffic areas)
Cork Underlayment
Cork underlayment is a natural, eco-friendly material. It is used beneath various types of flooring, such as laminate, hardwood, tile, and luxury vinyl to provide sound absorption, thermal insulation, and minor cushioning.
Benefits of Cork Underlayment:
✅ Excellent Sound Absorption: Cork is highly effective at reducing impact noise (footsteps, dropped objects) and airborne sounds (voices, music), making it a great choice for apartments, condos, and multi-story homes.
✅ Natural Thermal Insulation: Helps regulate floor temperature, making floors feel warmer in winter and cooler in summer, improving comfort and energy efficiency.
✅ Mold and Mildew Resistance: Cork naturally resists mold, mildew, and bacterial growth, which makes it a healthier option for homes.
✅ Provides Minor Cushioning: While not as thick as some rubber options, cork still offers a slight cushioning effect, adding comfort underfoot.
✅ Compatible with Many Flooring Types: Cork underlayment can be used under laminate, engineered wood, hardwood, and some vinyl flooring.
Common Uses:
- Condos, apartments, and multi-family housing (for sound control)
- Residential home (for comfort and thermal benefits)
Rubber Cork Underlayment
Rubber cork underlayment is a hybrid flooring underlayment made by combining recycled rubber and natural cork. This blend offers the best features of both materials: the superior soundproofing and durability of rubber, plus the natural thermal insulation and eco-friendliness of cork.
Benefits of Rubber Cork Underlayment:
✅ Moisture Resistance: Thanks to the rubber component, this underlayment is highly resistant to moisture, making it a great option for areas prone to humidity, like basements, kitchens, and bathrooms.
✅ Thermal Insulation: The cork in the underlayment helps regulate floor temperatures, keeping the floor warmer in cold seasons and cooler in warm seasons.
✅ Durable and Resilient: Rubber cork underlayment is designed to handle heavy foot traffic without losing its shape, compressing, or degrading over time.
✅ Eco-Friendly: This hybrid underlayment often uses recycled rubber and natural cork, making it a sustainable option for environmentally conscious builders and homeowners.
✅ Exceptional Sound Absorption: Rubber cork underlayment significantly reduces impact noise (footsteps, dropped objects). It is a great choice for apartments, condos, and commercial spaces where sound control is essential.
Common Uses:
- High-rise residential buildings
- Multi-family homes and apartments
- Gym and fitness centers
- Commercial offices
- Basements and moisture-prone areas
Foam Underlayment
Foam underlayment is a lightweight, affordable material commonly used beneath laminate, engineered wood, luxury vinyl, and carpet flooring. It is typically made from polyethylene or polypropylene foam and is available in rolls or sheets for easy installation.
✅ Cost-Effective Solution: Foam underlayment is generally the most affordable option, making it a popular choice for budget-conscious homeowners and large-scale installations.
✅ Basic Sound Absorption: It provides some reduction of impact noise (like foot traffic), but it is not as effective for soundproofing as rubber or cork underlayments.
✅ Adds Minor Cushioning: Foams add a slight softness underfoot, improving comfort, especially under laminate or floating floors.
✅ Lightweight and Easy to Install: Foam underlayment is easy to cut, handle, and roll out, making it a user-friendly choice for DIY projects.
Common Uses:
- Residential homes
- Apartments and residential properties
- DIY flooring projects
- Light-traffic areas
Carpet Pad Underlayment
Carpet pad underlayment, often simply called carpet padding, is a cushioned layer placed beneath carpet flooring. It provides softness, support, and insulation and can extend the life of the carpet by absorbing impact and reducing wear.
Benefits of Carpet Pad Underlayment:
✅ Enhanced Comfort: Carpet padding adds softness underfoot, making carpet feel thicker, plusher, and more comfortable to walk or sit on.
✅ Improves Carpet Durability: By absorbing the stress of foot traffic, carpet padding helps prevent carpet fibers from crushing and extends the overall life of the carpet.
✅ Sound Insulation: Helps reduce impact noise and airborne sound, making it an excellent choice for multi-story homes, apartments, and offices.
✅ Thermal Insulation: Provides an additional layer of thermal insulation, helping rooms retain warmth and improving energy efficiency.
✅ Protects Subfloors: Padding acts as a buffer between the carpet and the subfloor, preventing scratches and minor damage to the subfloor surface.
Common Uses:
- Residential homes (bedrooms, living rooms, hallways)
- Apartments and multi-family housing
- Commercial office spaces
- Basements (when using moisture-resistant pads)
Other Helpful Underlayment Content
Flooring Underlayment Buying Guide
Underlayment can be one of the most confusing subjects when it comes to flooring. Learn everything you need to know about underlayment to get the most out of your floor. If you’re new to the flooring world, you may not even have any idea what underlayment is. Someone probably told you that you needed it, and you went to look it up, only to end up confused.
After all, there’s a lot of terminology to consider. We’re going to keep it easy, though. Today, we’re going to answer all your questions, including when/if you need underlayment, which types are best for your specific floor, and how much it will cost you.
What is a Moisture Barrier, and When is it Needed for Flooring?
Most people are unsure of what to do with a moisture barrier when dealing with flooring. Is it even needed? If so, when? More importantly, what does a moisture barrier do? Overall, vapor barriers are misunderstood as a material that is only used for building walls. In reality, it’s used for both walls and floors, but for floors, they’re primarily referred to as moisture barriers.
By learning more about what moisture barriers do and how to use them, we can answer the main overarching question: When you’re considering installing new flooring, will you need a vapor barrier? That’s what we are here to talk about and answer. Let’s dive in!