Flooring Underlayments

There are two main reasons that underlayment is used underneath flooring:

to add insulation between the new floors and the subfloor, to reduce coldness coming from below
to reduce sound noise travelling to a floor below

Underlayment considerations include where the product is being installed, the method of installation, and the requirements of the site. Also, floating floors will have different underlayment requirements than floors that are being fastened to the subfloor and a concrete subfloor versus a wooden subfloor may require something different too.

In general, there are four major categories of underlayment:

Foams
Rubbers
Fiber Membranes
Cork underlayment

Each underlayment will have their own technical specifications (including sound ratings in; IIC or STC measurements) and their own suitable applications and installation methods for concrete subfloors / wooden subfloors.

If you live in a condo building, the Condo Board or property management office will often have mandatory underlayment requirements for the building. This can also be true for commercial spaces. The Condo Board, must provide you with a printed set of specifications that will advise requirements for sound reduction and may even go as far as specifying particular brands or products.

At Aspen Wood Floors, we carry many brands of underlayment in all the above categories.

Flooring Manufacturers often have their own recommended underlays for the floors that they produce. These underlays along with other popular underlays from Underlayment manufacturers like; Acoustitech, Delta, Dri-Core, Floor Muffler, Hush, Rhino and Wilrep, are available from us at Aspen Wood Floors.

To learn more about underlayment options, brands or to get samples that would be suitable for your next flooring project, please visit our showroom and let our knowledgeable sales personnel, walk you through your options.