Underlayment is used as a base or substrate to make the top flooring more durable and smooth. There are many types of wood flooring underlayment. iFloor, the first e-commerce discount flooring store website, shares us some information about the types of floor underlayment.
Wood flooring underlayments are categorized into different types. These types differ from each other when it comes to properties and usage. Specific types are used for specific flooring finish to ensure desired results. Here is the most common wood flooring underlayments used:
Oriented Strand Board Often referred to as OSB, it is one of the most natural and economical types of wood flooring underlayment. The materials used are engineered wood products which came from small-diameter and fast growing trees that are easily replaced. This floor underlayment is inexpensive compared to other types. It is easily and directly installed by the use of glue or nails.
Plywood Plywood is another engineered wood product. Cross laminated wood veneers are pressed together and left under a high level of heat to produce ply wood. Plywood can serve as an alternative to Oriented Strand Board. They are both easily installed by gluing or nailing them directly to the subfloor.
Advantech If you want the characteristics of Oriented Strand Board or plywood but want it much durable, you can go with Advantech. This type is similar to the previous ones except that it has a waterproof coating and a unique tongue and grove design. These characteristics prevent the wood from swelling. It is also directly installed by the use of glue or nails.
Concrete This type of wood flooring underlayment is recommended for direct adherence of wood flooring using a eood floor glue. Aside from being a wood flooring underlayment, concrete may also be used as a subfloor.
Felt Paper Also called as Tar Paper, Felt Paper wood floor underlayment is used for wood subfloors with overlapping fashion. It keeps moisture from entering the subfloors which may cause damage. It is also preferred to correct minimal flooring imperfections. This type is best when wood flooring will be nailed into the wood substrate. Felt paper underlayment is usually available in rolls of 15 or 30.
Standard Foam Underlayment This type of wood flooring underlayment is known for its noise-dampening quality. It is a 1/8 inch padding of a synthetic product made of polyethylene foam. Standard foam underlayment is recommended when using floating flooring products or flooring installed without the use of nails or just minimal glue.
Foam and Film Combination Underlayment This type of underlayment is just a standard foam but with moisture preventing capacity. It prevents moisture from getting in contact with the wood subfloor which may damage it by having a barrier. The barrier is made of an additional layer of film.
These are the most common types of wood flooring underlayment. They provide better top flooring look and durability. Get only the best underlayments by visiting iFloor.