Benefits of Putting Underlayment Under Your Hardwood

When choosing hardwood flooring, many homeowners only revolve around the wood . While that's certainly an extremely important part, that's not the only aspect to be considered. An underlayment is a thin layer which goes between the boards of hardwood and the subflooring, whether it's concrete or plywood. It's installed before the new flooring is laid down. Underlayment can be used with either engineered or solid hardwood. Adding an underlayment below your hardwood can serve several purposes.

Foundation

Whether your home's subflooring is plywood or concrete, it is not always an perfect foundation for your stunning new flooring. This is where the underlayment comes in. Putting down an underlayment produces a nice smooth, flat foundation so that when the hardwood is set up it may have a fantastic place to stay for years to come.

Cushion

The underlayment also acts as a bit of a cushion. It provides a nice little spring into the wood. This is a major bonus if you're throwing a massive holiday dinner party and you are on your feet for hours on end!

Noise Reduction

Among the biggest arguments people have against hardwood floors is that it may be noisy. When it will not entirely eliminate this matter, an underlayment can significantly lessen the amount of creaking from the flooring. It is great for all those creaky stairs!

Insulation

In the warmer months of autumn and winter, your underlayment will keep your hardwood from getting super cold. This is particularly helpful when the hardwood is just along with a concrete slab. That concrete will get good and cold, and with no barrier in between that cold will go right through to the wood.