What can I use for subfloor under vinyl?

Plywood underlayment is a thin plywood material that is most commonly used under resilient flooring materials, such as vinyl and linoleum sheets and tiles.

Do you put anything underneath vinyl flooring?

Any type of flooring can benefit from an underlayment — even luxury vinyl tile. This holds true no matter what type of subfloor it will be installed on, including concrete, wood flooring, or any other type of flooring. Underlayment can improve the vinyl tile's ability to absorb sound.

What goes between subfloor and vinyl?

As you already know, underlayment provides a thin layer between your subfloor (and what is subflooring, exactly?) and the finished floor. It can muffle sound, help control moisture, and even make hard floors a bit more forgiving under your feet.

What is the best material to put under vinyl flooring?

Underlay. Most vinyl floors don't need an underlay. If the surface you're laying on is level and smooth, a well-cushioned vinyl floor should be fine on its own. Our Luxury Vinyl Click flooring is laid using the same as technique as laminate options in that it's loose laid creating a "floating floor".

What do you put on vinyl before subfloor?

How To Prep Your Sub floor For Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Can I lay vinyl over plywood?

Can I install vinyl flooring over wood, plywood, particleboard or chipboard? You can install vinyl over wood floors if you put a plywood subfloor on top of it. Do not install glue down or peel and stick products over particleboard, chipboard or any form of embossed floor.

Do I need underlayment for vinyl flooring on plywood?

For wood subfloor, a moisture barrier is unnecessary, but underlayment can provide cushion. When installing vinyl plank flooring over existing floor materials, underlayment may not be required, but it can help with cushioning and sound reduction.

Do you need moisture barrier under vinyl flooring?

For vinyl flooring installations over wood subfloors, you will not need to worry about a moisture barrier, but you may want an underlayment for added cushion or sound reduction. It may also be a requirement in certain HOA or apartment complexes to have a sound barrier with your flooring.

What type of plywood is used for underlayment?

Lauan Plywood, when used as an underlayment, should be Type 1 (Exterior). The best grade is BB and the next best is CC, while OVL (overlay grade) is the minimum acceptable face grade. There is a wide variety of quality and species classed as lauan.

What is the best subfloor material?

Plywood. Plywood is considered the most popular material used for subflooring, it has been used since the 1950s and remains one of the top choices for contractors. Standard plywood works perfectly fine as a subflooring material, but the best option is ¾” tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring.

Can you install vinyl flooring on subfloor?

You can install vinyl over an old vinyl floor subfloor. In most cases, as long as the old vinyl surface is flat, you don't need to do anything more for this type of underlayment. Concrete and wood subfloors each have their own subfloor preparation procedures.

How thick should underlayment be for vinyl flooring?

Most vinyl underlayments are 1mm to 1.5mm thick. When dealing with a click lock vinyl of 4mm or thicker, an underlayment has several benefits: It can help smooth over minor subfloor imperfections. It will add extra cushion to the floor, creating a softer feel under foot.

Do I need underlayment for vinyl sheet flooring?

3. Vinyl Sheet Flooring. Generally, you won't need to underlay for vinyl sheet flooring, as you can simply glue down the sheets directly over most flooring surfaces, including concrete, linoleum, and old vinyl floors.

Does vinyl flooring need to be glued down?

Vinyl plank flooring is engineered to be installed in one of two methods: glue-down or floating. For a Do-It-Yourselfer, floating or click-lock vinyl flooring is often an easier method, as there is no adhesive or mess to deal with.

Is it better to use OSB or plywood for subfloor?

OSB has a lower resale value than plywood due to its lower strength. For this reason, few homeowners prefer OSB in their homes. Apart from costs, plywood is superior in all the other areas, such as the strength of the structure. For this reason, it's a superior material for use on the subfloor.

What size plywood is best for subfloor?

The spacing of the joists governs the recommended thickness of the plywood subfloor. Some experts suggest that 15/32-inch plywood should be standard if the underlying floor joists are spaced 16 inches apart or less, but you should use slightly thicker 3/4-inch plywood for joists spaced further apart.

What is the best plywood for subfloor?

Standard plywood can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring. The tongue-and-groove edges interlock to resist movement along the panel edges and create an overall stiffer floor.

Can mold grow under vinyl plank flooring?

Although vinyl plank flooring is well-known to be waterproof, it does not mean that liquids can seep through the cracks, grooves, or edges and become trapped under the planks, allowing mold to grow underneath your floors.

Is underlayment the same as moisture barrier?

Standard – This basic underlayment is typically a 1/8-inch thick foam. It is not a moisture barrier, just a slight cushion. Foam is the most affordable type of underlayment, and it's easy to install. Foam underlayment provides some sound insulation too.

Is felt paper a vapor barrier?

Both asphalt felt and Grade D paper will block liquid water but allow water vapor to pass through. This is helpful when the wall has to dry to the exterior, but can cause problems in certain situations – notably with brick veneer, stucco, fiber-cement, and other masonry materials that can store a lot of moisture.

How do you prepare wood subfloor for vinyl planks?

Do I need 2 layers of subfloor?

That's the usual approach. Almost no one puts down double-thick subfloor in residential applications (for cost and handling reasons), and both layers need to be fastened to joists. Only thin underlayment can be fastened just to the subfloor.