Can You Put Underlayment Under Vinyl Plank Flooring

There is some good news and bad news when it comes to underlayment and vinyl flooring.

Can you put underlayment under vinyl plank flooring.

Unfortunately adding insulating underlayment under vinyl flooring will cause the flooring to be unstable. In most cases 4 by 8 foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. Because you can install sheet vinyl over existing vinyl it offers the option of changing design without breaking the bank. As with the plywood floor there s no need to worry about a moisture barrier.

For click lock wpc and spc vinyl flooring you can install it with a vinyl flooring underlayment or directly on top of the subfloor. While underlayment for vinyl planks may be used under hardwood and laminate the reverse is not true. 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. Like plywood or osb flooring you can forgo the underlayment entirely if you prefer.

The underlayment should provide cushioning and sound deadening benefits. Wpc and spc vinyl are more dimensionally stable and usually come in a thickness of over 4mm. 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. No thick underlayment under vinyl flooring.

Meaning if you re going to install vinyl plank flooring over tile vinyl flooring and even hardwood. If you re installing new vinyl flooring over an existing floor such as hardwood tile laminate or vinyl then cork or foam make good choices. Vinyl planks require hard thin underlay because the product itself is softer. Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications.