Tips for Choosing the Right Underlayment for Hardwood Floor    |
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Tips for Choosing the Right Underlayment for Hardwood Floor   

06/30/2022

If you are planning to install hardwood flooring at your home or office, you should be mindful of the fact that selecting the right underlayment for hardwood floor can make a significant difference to the quality of the finished product. Regardless of the type of wood you prefer, underlayment is essential. Though it may remain concealed underneath your beautiful floor, there are many key benefits of this material. In addition to moisture and noise protection, it also enhances the durability of the floor. In order to maximise the benefits of your underlayment, however, you must select the right kind of materials.  

 

 

Know Your Options:    

When it comes to selecting the underlayment, you have many different materials and thicknesses to choose from.   

  • The simplest of underlayment types is felt and it offers basic capabilities in terms of sound absorption and moisture protection.  
  • Foam is one of the most affordable and easy to install underlayment material. It is highly effective in limiting hollow noises because of its excellent sound insulation property.  
  • If you are looking for a very high level of sound insulation, rubber can be used as the underlayment material. Also, rubber underlayment is easy to install because of the high pliability and flexibility of the material.  
  • If both sound absorption and temperature insulation are important to you, cork is probably your best option. Also, this is one of the most eco-friendly underlayment options.  

Hardwood Species:  

Please remember that every underlayment material doesn’t pair with all species of hardwood. In order to achieve the right match, take into account the hardwood flooring type you want to install.  

  • Cherry: Being one of the softest wood types, it requires an underlayment capable of providing extra support. This is why cheery wood floors extensively use rubber and cork underlayment. 
  • Hickory: This is considered to be amongst the most durable and hardest species of hardwood, and requires little help to withstand wear and traffic.  Flexible foam underlayment pairs particularly well with this type of hardwood floor.  
  • Maple: This type of wood is hard enough, and can manage with a moderate amount of insulation and support.  Foam or rubber underlayment can be used for maple wood flooring.  
  • Walnut: This is one of the softest types of hardwood, and cork can used as the underlayment material to provide it the additional support and durability that it needs.  
  • Oak: Both red and white variants of oak are on the softer side, and rubber underlayment works well with them because of its insulation and absorption capabilities. 

Subfloor Condition:  

Before making any decision, consider the material and the condition of the subfloor.  Flexible underlayment options are capable of making up for the subfloor imperfections, and work best for damaged or uneven subfloors. On the other hand, semi-permeable underlayment is best suited for plywood subfloors because it allows both the floor and subfloor to breathe. Finally, an impermeable underlayment is the best option for concrete subfloors.    

If you have more questions about the underlayment for your subfloor, please contact our team of experts at Enoak.  

 

   

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