Finding the best underlayment is something that requires a lot of effort and knowledge, especially if you don’t have the necessary experience. You need to understand all the differences between various options before you can find the right one, right? For those who don’t know what these can do, we are talking about the layer that helps with preventing moisture.
Having good insulation for your hardwood flooring means that you will protect it from a vast majority of issues that can potentially come up for several reasons. By increasing the durability of your hardwood flooring, you will have a chance to provide it with long-lasting power. Therefore, we can all agree that installing this one is an absolute must.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that all the options you have are proper. If you make a wrong choice, then it is more than clear that there are certain hidden dangers. Today, we want to provide you with a couple of tips that can help you with choosing the best underlayment for hardwood floors.
Why Do You Need the Underlayment?
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The first thing we want to talk about is the importance of underlayment. Naturally, your hardwood floors need protection from a variety of dangers, and that’s why protection against these is the most important thing. Another reason for protection is that you will not need to go shopping for a new one.
As you can presume, buying another one means that you will pay additional money. Overall, it means that more trees would need to be cut for this. Therefore, it is more than clear that this will harm the environment more in the future. So, preserving the one you have will provide multiple benefits, both for you and the environment.
Not to mention that underlayment is helpful with containing the potential noise, especially if you live in a house that has multiple floors, or a building. Whatever you do will not disrupt the members of your household or other people who live in your building beneath you. So, you can see that there are countless benefits of this approach.
The Type of Subfloor
The next thing we would like to talk about is the right type of subfloor. You cannot find the right underlayment without understanding what kind of subfloor you have. So, you will need to find an answer to this question first, before you can make the right decision. Of course, you should consult with a professional if you lack knowledge in this subject.
For instance, this will help you to choose the underlayment that will not trap any moisture at all. Therefore, you can be sure that it will help with the prevention of mold growth. A good example is when you have a wooden subfloor. If that’s the case, you should use permeable or semi-permeable underlayment.
If you have a concrete subfloor, then you will need to think carefully about your choices. The reason is quite simple, this is the material that requires you to take additional precautions since there is a chance that the condensation will build up after some time. Once again, if you lack knowledge on the topic, then you should consult with a professional.
Subfloor Condition
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The next thing that requires your attention is checking the condition of your subfloor. We’ve already mentioned that the subfloor determines the underlayment you will choose. At the same time, you need to consider the condition of your subfloor. If it is damaged, then you will need to fix it as soon as possible.
Those who have suffered some damage need to be prepared before you can even think about the underlayment you want to install. If you have the experience to repair these damages, then consulting a professional is not needed. However, we would advise you to hire someone to help you in this aspect.
Sometimes, you will be able to find the material that helps with covering the faults of the one you’ve had before. As you can see, there is not just one solution for all situations. Customizability might be quite helpful in your case. So, you should pay attention to things such as these.
Climate Conditions and Environmental Concerns
Understanding the environment surrounding is of the essence when you are about to replace the underlayment. It is important to find the optimal choice, that will take all the climate conditions into consideration, and come up with the best possible solution in your case.
Besides considering the climate conditions, you will need to pay attention to environmental concerns. What we mean when we say this is that you should use materials that can be recycled. Thankfully, you can find a lot of solutions out there these days.
You will not need to invest a lot of time before you come across materials that are both good enough for the underlayment of your hardwood floors, who are recyclable at the same time. A good example of a material you can recycle is cork. The process of recycling this is not as complex and not costly.
Insulation
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Last but not least, we want to point out the concept of insulation, and how it correlates with underlayment. You would certainly want the surface to be smooth enough for you to clean it, and care for it properly, right? That doesn’t mean that they should be cold during the winter.
You will need to find the underlayment that will be able to preserve the warmth during the colder months. What’s interesting to know is that you will need to make the underlayment complement your radiant heat systems. Of course, this means that the costs of making this combination will be a little bit higher. So, you will need to calculate your budget properly.
Conclusion
Now that you’re familiar with the different types of materials used for underlayment, consider how each one can benefit your flooring project. Each is designed to provide additional sound absorption or cushioning, as well as protecting the integrity of your flooring system.
Before you begin your project, take some time to do proper research and product comparison so that you make an informed decision when it comes to choosing the best underlayment for your hardwood floors. In addition, check to see if a manufacturer’s warranty covers the installation of their product in conjunction with other materials’. One of the manufacturers we are talking about is Coco Republic United States. By taking these steps, you’ll be well on your way to selecting an underlayment that fits all of your needs and will provide exceptional results.
