What Is Underlayment and Why Do You Need It?

Underlayment is installed between the subfloor and floor covering. Depending on the application, it can be a soft or rigid material. Underlayment creates a smooth and level surface for flooring, provides insulation, reduces noise, reduces wear on the floor by providing additional cushioning, and extends the overall life of the floor.

Laminate, hardwood, and vinyl flooring require underlayment. Different underlayment materials can be used for each.

Choosing the Right Underlayment for Your Flooring Type

Foam is the best underlayment for laminate floors. It reduces noise and can expand and contract with the floor. Felt and cork are commonly used for hardwood floors to help with sound reduction and create a moisture barrier. Rubber is a great option for carpets, providing comfort underfoot. Tile requires a floor leveling patch to ensure a professional-looking installation.

Floor Patch Products for a Smooth Finish

It is important to repair uneven subfloors before installing flooring. Floor patch products are available in multiple formats. Ready-to-Use floor patch is pre-mixed to seal cracks, holes, and imperfections in concrete or wood before installing tile. Self-leveling compounds flow to seek level and can be applied over concrete, brick, pavers, and plywood before installing new flooring on top. Floor patch can be used for a few minor imperfections. If cracks and dips are deep and widespread, it is often best to use a self-leveling product over the entire area.

Benefits of Using a Floor Patch

The main purpose of floor patch products is to prevent the uneven installation of new flooring by addressing subfloor imperfections. In addition, floor patching also minimizes squeaks and improves the appearance of finished floors. Concrete, tile, and wood floor patch products are customized for the specific flooring type.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Underlayment & Floor Patch

Underlayment and floor patch are fairly easy to install if steps are taken to avoid common mistakes. As mentioned above, specific types of underlayment are recommended for specific flooring types. Choosing an underlayment that is not right for the job will result in poor performance. In addition, applying too much or too little floor patch will result in an uneven surface. 

Why Choose Do It Best for Underlayment and Floor Patch Products?

Do it Best carries a wide range of underlayment types for all floor installations. With competitive pricing and expert advice available in-store or online, help is always available. Choose from high-quality brands like Henry, DAP, and LevelQuik.

Browse all of the underlayment and floor patch products at Do it Best as well as our other flooring materials.