Have you found your favourite floor? Then it is time to have it installed. And it is best to do this carefully, because the more solid the installation, the better the result and the longer you can enjoy it.
You guessed it: the subfloor is the number one point of attention. It is the basis for your floor and has a major impact on its appearance and comfort. So, laying a good underlay is essential for these reasons:
Naturally, it pays to choose high-quality materials for the upper, visible part of your floor as this plays to your advantage in the short and long term. Get advice from a flooring expert for the most suitable choice in high pressure floors, laminate, vinyl planks & tiles, strong wood floors or parquet for the room in question.
But no matter how good the quality of your floor is, if the subfloor is not of good quality or not installed correctly, you are not laying a durable subfloor. Don’t see choosing and fitting your underlay as a futility or a necessary evil. Take your time and think carefully about the choice of material, taking into account your budget. An expensive ‘top floor’ with a low-quality subfloor makes little sense. It is also important to choose the underlay recommended by the flooring manufacturer for your chosen floor.
Did you know that with laminate, vinyl planks and tiles, parquet and high pressure floors alike, the underlay makes a big difference to the acoustics in the room? A cleverly chosen underlay will dampen the sound in the room. Depending on your lifestyle and needs, you can even choose how many decibels your underlay attenuates. For example, BerryAlloc's Basetec provides -16 dB while BerryAlloc's Dreamtec+ provides -20 dB and both are suitable for vinyl planks & tiles. But there are many other subfloors available. And that comes in handy not only for your own comfort but also for your neighbours or residents who are under or next to the room in question. After all, you don't want every footstep or movement to echo,. O or that you startle the whole neighbourhood when you drop a cooking pot.
Laying a solid underlay is also useful for the stability of your floor. This is because you make the substrate for your floor more solid and level. To know the stability, look at the compression strength of the material. It is a good idea to choose a compression-resistant insulation so that the floor does not sag (slightly) when you step on it – a cause of creaks and squeaks. In any case, it is necessary to make that lower surface as flat as possible, because any unevenness can lead to a creaking floor.
A subfloor with insulating characteristics feels more comfortabley, because your laminate, vinyl, parquet or high-pressure floor will appear warmer to your feet. If you have underfloor heating, then of course choose the most suitable underlay for it, taking into account the maximum thermal resistance.
Laying a good underlay is also important for moisture regulation in the room. This prevents rising moisture from the subfloor migrating into your laminate or parquet planks. Obviously, this is more often the case with ground-floor rooms, especially if there is no void space.
A moisture barrier under your subfloor is also recommended for newly built houses. After all, building a house involves a lot of moisture for the concrete, cement, plaster and so on. It takes quite a while for that to be completely out of the house. In short, measure the humidity level in the room before you tie the knot regarding your subfloor.
Some subfloors have a built-in moisture barrier, such as an aluminium or plastic foil. For other materials, buy a separate moisture barrier.