Do I Need Underlay For Luxury Vinyl Flooring

A vinyl floor usually features a base layer which serves the purpose of an underlay thereby removing the need for an additional underlay.

Do i need underlay for luxury vinyl flooring.

No glue or locking system is required to install loose lay vinyl plank flooring. This baselayer makes the vinyl flooring incredibly durable and comfortable to walk on. Vinyl floors that are glue down or loose lay will not need a vinyl underlayment as these floors will be installed directly over the subfloor. However you ll want to use one in every other application including covering existing hardwood floors vinyl flooring that isn t cushioned and concrete floors.

Loose lay vinyl plank flooring. Vinyl floors are designed with a base layer making the addition of underlay pointless. Vinyl flooring by its very design is very stable. If you re laying the lvp over an existing cushion backed vinyl floor or a below grade tile floor then you won t need to use an underlayment.

Lvp is thinner than ceramic tile wood and other types of flooring and doesn t require an underlayment so it s possible to go over existing flooring without raising the floor much see watch your floor height below. Also there is no need to leave expansion gaps or put in an underlayment. Most vinyl flooring or luxury vinyl tiles do not require underlay. Most vinyl floors don t need an underlay.

This is why it is the easiest to install. A vinyl flooring underlayment will not be as thick as a laminate or hardwood underlayment. It is very important to have a debris free and level subfloor for a glue down vinyl flooring installation. You will install these planks by gluing them directly on top of the subfloor.

In fact as a softer flooring adding an underlayment could mean too much cushion resulting in dents and more wear and tear sooner. It should fit snugly against your wall. If you re wondering about luxury vinyl plank underlayment that s one of the appeals it usually doesn t need underlayment. Vinyl underlayment is an optional add on to click lock vinyls that are 4mm or thicker.

Glue down vinyl plank flooring will not need an underlayment. Some products have it built into the product itself so it s not necessary to lay it separately. Why underlay is not necessary for vinyl floors the design of vinyl flooring prevents the need for an underlay. If the surface you re laying on is level and smooth a well cushioned vinyl floor should be fine on its own.