Cushioned laminate floors are a great way to save time and effort when it comes to flooring installation. You don't need to worry about placing padding under the laminate floor, as it already comes with an attached pad. However, adding extra cushioning can be detrimental to the subfloor and cause it to wear out quickly. It can also lead to instability in the joints of the floating floor locking system.
So, should you use a subfloor with an attached padded floor? Yes, but make sure you select the right underlayment. FloorMuffler Encore is the best performing subfloor for installing your attached padded floor. It provides superior acoustics, moisture protection and support for your floor. When it comes to underlayment, it's best to spend as much as you can on it, as performance usually depends on the price. White underlayments are usually the least expensive and don't work as well. It's also important to install a vapor barrier if you're laying a laminate floor with a base layer pre-installed on concrete.
This will help prevent moisture damage. You should also avoid using more than one layer of underlayment under the laminate floor, as it can make the floor too soft and unstable and cause the joints to come off or break their locking system. When installing your laminate floor with a subfloor pre-placed on a cement subfloor, you'll need to use a vapor barrier. The main purpose of the subfloor is to support the installation of laminate or any other type of floating floors. However, they are not sufficient to improve the acoustics of the room or prevent sound from passing through between spaces located below and above the floor.
