Laminate floor underlayment is often much more important than the floor itself. It directly affects the quality and life of the floor, as well as have an impact on its properties and repercussions to the people that use it regularly. All of that makes the choice for the right type of laminate floor underlayment a very important step when installing a your new floor.
Although a great number of underlay models and types are available, many of those are aimed to serve not only laminate but also hardwood and other floors. While it is not necessarily a bad choice, there are laminate specific underlayments that you may prefer in order to ensure the higher overall quality of the finished floor.
Polyfoam is the most versatile and popular type of layer as it can be used on any type of sub-floor surfaces as long as they are dried and cleaned in advance. The foam covers small irregularities and adds slight shock absorbing properties to the floor which makes it more comfortable to walk on. Combined with a damp proof membrane (DPM) layer underneath, it is a good and cheaper solution for the majority of home owners.
Wood fiber boards are the thickest form of underlayment and can smooth out even more irregular sub-floors. This is often the case with old solid or damaged wooden surfaces that are not possible to completely fix manually. A bonus property that comes with wood fiber boards is their excellent sound absorption and heat insulation. A necessity when using such underlayment is to let it acclimatize just like you do with your laminate floor itself by leaving them inside the premise that is to be floor covered.
Combined underlay have a couple of layers pressed together to form a thicker, more complete solution. Not only DPM, but either foam, cork, rubber or a combination of these are used to provide better fill in capabilities that even out surfaces and add noise reduction properties to the floor. Depending on your budget you may be able to find a good serving combo underlayment to fit your needs. With the option to order from the Internet you have access to a larger variety and thus are not limited to what is only available in your local shops.
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