Definition of Laminate Underlay
Word: Laminate Underlay {lam•in•ate un•der•lay}
Noun: Something placed under laminate flooring, to support, protect or raise it.
Noun: Material placed under laminate flooring to create comfort, durability and insulation.
Laminate Underlay (or laminate underlayment) refers to a layer of cushioning material –typically about 3mm - made from closed cell plastic foam, that is laid beneath laminate flooring to provide underfoot comfort, to protect the laminate, to add a moisture vapour barrier, to make the laminate last longer and to provide insulation of heat and noise. In general, laminate underlay is a layer that is underneath the laminate layer, thus laminate underlay.
Why buy Laminate Underlay ?
There are two main benefits of laminate underlay or wood underlay - noise reduction and helping to level the floor to make laying your laminate or wooden floor easier. There are two detailed questions and answers about this below. In addition, it helps to make the room a little warmer and, if you have a concrete floor, underlays with a vapour membrane help to keep the room dry. So, whatever your choice of flooring, whether you’re seeking a cheap laminate underlay, laminate floor padding or an underlay for wood flooring, we will give you a product that won’t let you down. And remember that laminate flooring insulation means insulating against the cold, the damp and noise. All of our laminate underlays are A grade. We do not, and never will, sell anything less than A grade underlay. Considering our incredibly low prices for laminate and wood flooring underlay, this is a truly warming thought.
What is Laminate & Wood Underlay ?
Underlay is the substance that sits between your wood and laminate flooring and the sub-floor itself and helps keep your floor feeling more core comfortable looking at its best, and your room sound proofed and warm for longer. There are different kinds of laminate and wood underlay to choose from – the most popular is sponge rubber underlay – and at AllAboutUnderlay.co.uk we make it very simple to find the right underlay for you and your flooring by stocking the best brands at the lowest prices. It is very simple to not notice the benefits and importance that laminate and wood flooring underlay has – and just like you would not buy old tyres for a new car, it is strongly recommended that you do not lay new laminate or wood flooring with old underlay. It may even invalidate any issues that you may later have with the laminate and wood manufacturer if no underlay or old underlay has been used with your flooring installation.
Why use new Laminate & Wood Underlay ?
Statements such as “I already have underlay for my wood”, “Underlay doesn’t make a difference” , “My laminate has built in underlay”, "Underlay costs too much” are all easily quoted when buying a new hard flooring – but the reality is very different: New underlay has acoustic benefits - the thin nature and engineering of modern laminate and wood flooring often results in a very harsh noise upon foot strikes and impact noises in general. Using new underlay helps prevents this by adding an extra layer of protection between the flooring and the sub-floor. New underlay has comfort benefits - whilst the difference made by installing laminate or wood underlay is not as marked as carpet underlay in comfort terms, it is still a noticeable increase from using a good one, compared to a poor underlay, or no underlay at all. New underlay has developed to have specialist benefits - wood and laminate flooring is carefully engineered to meet the needs of a number of situations, so it is important to use a good underlay that is designed for use with underfloor heating, concrete flooring, existing wood floor boards, or with a damp-proof membrane for rooms where your flooring will be at risk to water damage. New underlay has floor levelling benefits - if your sub-floor is not entirely flat then underlay for your new laminate, wood flooring can be used as a low cost option to mask these imperfections. Once laid its ready for the installation. Often old underlay holds on to dirt, mites and dust which can seep through new wood, laminate flooring making it appear dirty. Old underlay also often crumbles, collapse and cracks making your new flooring appear uneven.
Which is the Best Laminate & Wood Underlay ?
It can be very puzzling when you are offered many different options in wood flooring or laminate underlay shop – but the actual question is not which is the best underlay, but what you want do you want your underlay to do. There are two main types of wood and laminate underlay – both foam sponge, one designed for underfloor heating and one designed for solid floors. Both are lightweight and easy to fit, but the underfloor heating option is designed for luxury comfort whilst letting the warmth throughout, and the standard options is designed for the best comfort whilst keeping the warmth in the room. But as well as questioning what you are wishing your underlay to do, it is also important to question which is the best laminate and wood underlay for my room, as different rooms require different types of underlay.
Can Wood and Laminate Underlay help with Sound Reduction?
Rubber laminate underlay helps to suppress the sound of feet drumming on the flooring as people walk across it. This helps keep the noise down in the room with the wood or laminate flooring, and also makes a difference with regards to noise being transmitted to the room below. You should never try using thin carpet underlay to do the same thing as the air pockets in the underlay can actually amplify the sound of the footfall. What wood and laminate underlay can’t do is help to muffle the sound of anything in the room. This is because the underlay is underneath the wood or laminate floor and so can’t absorb any of the air borne sounds.
Can Laminate or Wooden Flooring Underlay even out any Imperfections ?
Yes, but only VERY minor ones, such as a slightly proud nail head. They cannot help if the floor is not even; what will happen then is that the laminate flooring will be properly supported in some areas and not in others, so it will creak and sag as you walk across the unsupported areas. As a rule of thumb, you might be able to get away with small blemishes around about a quarter to half the thickness of the underlay. This is only a rough guide and no more; the very best thing is to in all circumstances when laying laminate or wooden floors is to make sure the sub-floor is completely level and is free of any blemishes which protrude upwards, such as nail or screw heads.
Why do you sell identical Laminate and Wood Underlay in different Roll Sizes ?
We sell two Timbermate underlays which are identical apart from the roll size - Timbermate Excel DIY (which is 10m2) and Timbermate Excel (which is 15m2). This allows you to choose a mix of different roll sizes to get as close as possible to the amount of underlay that you need. There is another laminate underlay that comes in two sizes, though this time the two rolls have different names - Duratex (which is 15m2) and Multitex (which is 10m2).
What is the purpose of the vapour barrier on Timbermate Excel and Silentfloor Gold ?
A good quality laminate floor underlay incorporates a vapour protection barrier to protect against moisture. This is similar to a damp proof membrane (DPM), and the vapour barrier incorporated into Timbermate Excel and Silentfloor Gold is 10 times more effective than polythene sheeting. </p><p>This membrane provides a moisture barrier for sub-floors where there is a danger of damp, such as concrete floors.
Which way down should Timbermate Excel and Silentfloor Gold underlays be laid ?
The purpose of the silver or gold vapour membrane is to stop moisture from the sub-floor getting through and damaging the underlay and the laminate or wooden flooring above. On any sub-floor which could be damp, such as concrete, both underlays are always laid with the silver or gold vapour barrier on the bottom in direct contact with the floor. It is also important to seal any joins between pieces of underlay with appropriate vapour tape; this is applied to the top of the underlay. On a wooden or suspended floor which is already completely dry the underlays would normally be laid rubber side down, silver or gold side up. This is only because the rubber helps to stop any movement. The seams can be taped with either vapour or underlay tape, whichever you prefer. Doing it this way is optional, there would be no problem laying the underlays with the vapour barrier on the bottom.