A cozy atmosphere is one of the main requirements for a living space. Upon coming home, everyone wants to relax, enjoy peace and quiet. However, if your restless child is running on the floor, then distinct sounds are emitted that interfere with restful rest. And when your downstairs neighbors, in addition to everything, are listening to loud music, you can only dream of silence. An effective solution to this problem is to purchase a floor underlayment. Of course, it is quite difficult to figure out all the nuances on your own, but our information will help you to successfully choose a suitable insulating layer.
Advantages of a laminate underlay
The flooring plays a rather important role in the renovation. And the choice of floor material should be taken seriously. Today, the most popular coatings are called laminate due to its durability, wear resistance and relative cheapness. However, buying the material itself is half the battle, since you still need to choose a substrate for the laminate.
Soundproofing
Laminate flooring has one unpleasant feature: the sound of footsteps is quite loud. Both for you and for your neighbors. There are two reasons for this: the coating itself is thin - in the laminate, 8 millimeters is considered the most popular thickness; as well as the floating method of laying, as a result of which a kind of membrane is obtained under the feet, transmitting sounds. To dampen such impact noise, a substrate is placed on the subfloors when laying the laminate.
Some manufacturers integrate special noise insulation systems into their product - a similar layer is glued on the back of the laminate floor slats. An integrated backing is commonly found on grade 33 and 32 laminates. Such a coating is very convenient to install, but the integration of the substrate into the laminate significantly increases the cost of the product. Therefore, a more prudent decision would be to buy warm laminate substrates in rolls or sheets. The soundproofing properties of such a material are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging.
Surface leveling
In addition to noise reduction, such an intermediate layer between the laminate and the base is able to slightly smooth out the unevenness of the screed under the floor covering. Sadly, a new sub-floor isn't always ready for laminate flooring. During the manufacture of the screed, some differences are obtained, and such deviations are not permissible for laying floor coverings.
When arranging laminated parquet on a concrete surface, a so-called "backlash" appears in some places after a few months. Laminate, as a rule, sags in those places where the distance between the rough screed and the floor is maximum. Even if a gap of several millimeters has formed, the unevenness during walking will still be noticeable.
Therefore, it is required to provide additional leveling of the base. For this, a substrate for a laminate made of expanded polystyrene is needed, which allows you to achieve a perfectly flat floor surface and hide minor differences. But do not get too carried away with the thickness - the use of a substrate that is more than 3 millimeters thick is unacceptable, because a too thick substrate under the laminate will bend at the joints of the flooring slats, and the connecting locks may simply be damaged.
Waterproofing
Moisture is harmful to floor coverings. If due attention is paid to the natural drying process when arranging the floor, then there will be no problems when laying the laminate. The new concrete screed must dry naturally for at least one month.
In any case, it will not be superfluous to conduct a simple test for the readiness of the base for the arrangement of the laminate floor. Throw a plastic bag on the floor in the evening, and in the morning check - if perspiration appears on it, then the screed is not yet ready for laying the laminate. Laminate underlays are able to maintain the microclimate between the flooring and the subfloor and protect the surface from technological moisture from cement or concrete.
Thermal conductivity
Thermal conductivity is especially important when using underfloor heating systems. Laminate flooring itself has thermal insulation properties. Laminate and warm floor substrates are also heat insulators. Thus, the underfloor heating system is located under two layers of thermal insulation, which reduces the heating efficiency.
Think, in this case, it is not necessary to bear the costs of buying and installing floor heating, as well as paying for the electricity consumed. The underlayment under the laminate has high thermal insulation properties and is capable of providing good thermal insulation of the floor.
Laminate underlay properties
So, the need for laying an insulating material under the laminate is beyond doubt. The only thing left to do is to choose a substrate. High-quality roll and sheet substrates are not too cheap, however, according to the craftsmen, saving on this material can end in unpleasant consequences, up to the swelling of the laminate. In this case, you need to find a compromise by finding out what qualities the substrate under the laminate floor should have.
A special insulating material that does not allow direct contact of the laminate floor with the subfloor must meet the following requirements:
- be neutral to interaction with alkaline materials;
- have bactericidal properties;
- perform the function of thermal insulation;
- be distinguished by high moisture resistance;
- not to promote the reproduction of rodents and harmful insects;
- provide the ability to remove condensate - micro-ventilation;
- to reduce the load on the interlocking joint of the laminated floor.
Choosing a substrate for a laminate
What kind of substrate to choose, because there are many varieties of this material on the market? First of all, you need to proceed from the state of the rough subfloor. If the screed is in good condition and meets the established tolerances, then you can safely take a two-millimeter substrate. In the case where the concrete has minor flaws, it is recommended to buy a three-millimeter substrate under the isoplate laminate.
The following types of substrates for laminated floors are presented on the building materials market: polyethylene foam, extruded polystyrene foam substrates, combined, bituminous substrates with cork and cork materials. It is a mistake to believe that it is worth buying a substrate from the same manufacturer as the laminate floor. This is of no fundamental importance.
Polyethylene foam substrates
Polyethylene substrates are very popular, because they are distinguished by high moisture resistance, good thermal insulation properties, do not become infected with various fungi and bacteria, and are not interesting to insects and rodents. It is convenient and easy to work with such material, it is economical and produces little waste. It is not uncommon for a film to have an additional layer of metallized film. Also available are foil laminate substrates using aluminum.
However, in addition to advantages, polyethylene foam substrates also have disadvantages. They do not retain their shape well and can sag over time. In addition, such an insulating material is afraid of ultraviolet radiation.
Cork substrates
Cork is a good insulating material and is an excellent base for a floating floor. It is known as an excellent heat insulator, it is not subject to mold and decay. The material is produced in rolls and sheets. It is used as a heat insulator in "warm floors" and a substrate for floating floors. Maintains its linear dimensions and technical properties throughout the entire service life.
The high cost of cork films makes it impractical to install it for inexpensive laminate floors that have a short useful life. The disadvantage of cork laminate backing is that condensation can form on the underside of the laminate when used.
Bituminous cork substrates
Bituminous cork films are made on the basis of kraft paper with the addition of bitumen, after which it is covered with cork chips on top. Cork sprinkling is made from pieces of 2-3 millimeters in size. In addition, such a substrate perfectly absorbs sounds and, thanks to bitumen, prevents moisture penetration.
Bitumen-cork substrates ensure air exchange at the proper level, equalize pressure and prevent condensation. The material will come in handy when you plan to lay an expensive and durable type of laminate. With low-grade cheap laminate flooring, this coating is impractical to use.
Expanded polystyrene substrates
Extruded polystyrene foam is often used as an insulating layer under a laminated floor. Such a film is the optimal solution in terms of load resistance. In addition, it evens out the unevenness of the concrete base well. Thanks to these qualities, the extruded polystyrene foam underlay can be used in areas that are heavily used.
Effective vibration and stress absorption ensures increased walking comfort. Expanded polystyrene insulates the laminate floor well and, thanks to the closed structure of its cells, is highly moisture resistant. The material initially has a high density, therefore it retains its own elasticity and thickness for a very long time.
Combined underlays
Synthetic combined substrates are quite in demand today, in the production of which expanded polystyrene and polyethylene are used. The most famous example of such a material is the well-known Tuplex substrate. The combined film is a kind of "sandwich", where beads of expanded polystyrene are located between two layers of polyethylene with different characteristics.
The material is sold in rolls and is about 2-3 millimeters thick. Due to its design, the film is able to ventilate the space. The top layer, made of high-pressure polyethylene, prevents moisture from penetrating to the base of the floor if water suddenly gets on the floor. A thin bottom layer allows moisture to pass from the rough base to the granules, and from there, due to technological gaps, it is removed to the outside.
The advantages of the combined substrate are its flexibility, strength and ability to maintain the original thickness, as well as to level the defects of the subfloor.
Special substrates
The special insulating material can reduce transit noises or footsteps with maximum efficiency. Thanks to the creation of natural ventilation, the material is able to remove moisture that has got under the floor covering. The use of special substrates reduces the installation time of the laminate floor by 2-3 times due to the built-in moisture-resistant membrane. Special substrates have good characteristics in many respects, but they are expensive.
The technology of laying the substrate under the laminate
When laying the substrate under the laminate, professional skills, work experience and special tools are not required, but certain rules must be carefully followed. The performance and durability of the laminate depends, first of all, on the literacy of the work. With the correct installation of the underlayment under the flooring, you and your neighbors will not remember each other!
Preparatory work
If the screed is concrete, stone or cement, then you need to put a layer of plastic film on it for the purpose of waterproofing, and then proceed to laying the substrate. The thickness of the polyethylene should be slightly larger than an ordinary plastic bag - about 0.2 millimeters. The upper layer of the laminated floor is covered with a protective film that protects the coating from moisture penetration, therefore, the lower surface should not be left unprotected.
Vacuum the substrate thoroughly before laying the underlay. It must be dry without fail. The substrate can be cut with ordinary scissors or a construction knife, the measured lines are drawn with a pencil or marker using a ruler. To achieve maximum surface evenness, do not apply multiple layers of backing. It will be enough to take a submarine, the thickness of which is 2-3 millimeters.
If you choose a thicker polystyrene laminate backing for uneven coverage, the laminate locking devices can break under pressure. Yes, and walking on the floor in this case will be inconvenient, since the panels bend.
Laying the underlay
It is recommended to place the underlay across the direction in which the laminate panels will be laid. This is done to prevent a piece of floor from moving out of its place during careless movement. When laying, it is imperative to put the substrate under the laminate on the walls - this will ensure the safety and durability of the coating. If the material is damaged, then, if damaged areas are found, it should be covered with an additional layer of underlay for the laminate.
If the film is corrugated, then the side with the corrugated surface must be laid down, so it will be better to level the base. If the material is with aluminum foil, the side with the foil should be facing up.
Thus, having chosen laminate from the whole variety of modern floor coverings, it is recommended to buy a special submarine for laminate to provide sound insulation and smooth out irregularities on a rough basis. The special insulating material has a number of positive properties and is available on the market in a wide range. It will not be difficult to find the substrate you need!
