Why Use Underlay With Laminate?

In our last post we discussed the ways investing in underlay can save you money when planning to recarpet your home. However one of the common questions people ask about is whether you should use it on ‘hard’ floors, such as laminate, vinyl or karndean. How do you judge which options proves the most convincing, and what other considerations should inform your choice?
There are a lot of factors affecting the decisions you make with your flooring. One is moisture. You might not realise it but houses are constantly under attack from damp, especially in winter. Thanks to developments in building methods & materials, this is nowhere near as much of a problem today as it was just 50 years ago, yet for those in older houses in particular, the problem of damp can be a real concern. Underlay is a great way of ensuring that porous flooring such as laminate doesn’t fall victim to rising damp.
If you’re installing laminate on top of a hard surface, like concrete, there may be more immediate concerns than moisture. Concrete is porous, yet it’s also prone to imperfections, unevenness and even lumpiness. The inconsistencies found with concrete flooring often mean underlay is a must. Combined with its porous qualities, underlay is often a must for concrete floors. But it’s an even more intrinsic quality that seals the deal with concrete surfaces: for many purposes, it’s simply too hard to walk on comfortably without underlay, thick carpet or rugs. Laminate is a rigid, hard surface that does little to cushion impact, meaning most of your weight is landing on hard concrete.
Laminate is a thin surface that needs the support quality underlay to become comfortable, conceal imperfections on the layer beneath, and, due to its porous qualities, prevent the spread of moisture. Check out our range to learn more about our range of underlay products.