Can You Put Underlayment Under Vinyl Plank Flooring

Vinyl planks require hard thin underlay because the product itself is softer.

Can you put underlayment under vinyl plank flooring.

There is some good news and bad news when it comes to underlayment and vinyl flooring. If you re trying to increase some height to your floor then adding an underlayment under the finish floor can be useful. Meaning if you re going to install vinyl plank flooring over tile vinyl flooring and even hardwood. No thick underlayment under vinyl flooring.

Wpc and spc vinyl are more dimensionally stable and usually come in a thickness of over 4mm. While underlayment for vinyl planks may be used under hardwood and laminate the reverse is not true. As with the plywood floor there s no need to worry about a moisture barrier. In most cases 4 by 8 foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install.

Putting a soft product under vinyl plank will result in an unstable floor that is much more inclined to being damaged and even punctured or torn over time. If you re unsure whether installing underlayment for your vinyl flooring project is truly necessary then talk to knowledgeable builddirect product expert or a professional installer to see if your existing subfloor is. Like plywood or osb flooring you can forgo the underlayment entirely if you prefer. Unfortunately adding insulating underlayment under vinyl flooring will cause the flooring to be unstable.

We can understand why you would be concerned with warmth and insulation in any place you can get it. Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications. The underlayment should provide cushioning and sound deadening benefits. Higher end wpc and spc vinyl floors may come with an attached underlayment.