Do I Need Plywood Under Vinyl Flooring?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Do I need plywood under vinyl flooring? Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications.

In most cases 4-by-8-foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install

.

Contents hide

Do you put anything down under vinyl flooring?

The rule of thumb is

any vinyl over 4mm can have a vinyl specific underlayment

. With thinner vinyl flooring construction, adding a foam underlayment can effect the locking system strength. Vinyl floors under 4mm should be installed right over the subfloor.

What is best underlayment for vinyl plank flooring?

  • Steico Wood Fiber. …
  • Bestlaminate 2-in-1 Silent Vapor Barrier. …
  • Floorlot. …
  • Amerique Premium 3-Millimeter. …
  • FloorMuffler LVT/LVP Ultra Seal. >>>See On Amazon<<< …
  • Bestlaminate 3-in-1. >>>See On Amazon<<< …
  • Protech USA 3-in-1. Image. …
  • MP Global Products QuietWalk 100. >>>See On Amazon<<<

What happens if you don’t put underlayment under vinyl plank flooring?

What is needed to install vinyl flooring?

How do you prepare a subfloor for vinyl plank flooring?

  1. Step 1: Test the Floor for Moisture. …
  2. Step 2: Repair Holes and Cracks. …
  3. Step 3: Sand Down Bumpy Areas. …
  4. Step 4: Clean the Subfloor. …
  5. Step 5: Install Underlayment (Optional)

Do you need padding under vinyl flooring?


Most vinyl plank and sheet flooring installations do not require padding

. The only times that you would use padding for either type are: For sound absorption, thermalizing, or moisture barrier. For concrete or unsmooth subfloor.

What is the best plywood to use under vinyl flooring?


APA-rated Sturd-I-Floor plywood

is ideal for underlayment when the surface is integral to how your flooring will perform. Blemishes and flaws could cause uneven wear and tear or damage to your flooring if it’s not sitting flush. This is especially important with vinyl and adhered carpets.

How thick should underlay be for vinyl flooring?

Most vinyl underlayments are

1mm to 1.5mm thick

. When dealing with a click lock vinyl of 4mm or thicker, an underlayment has several benefits: It can help smooth over minor subfloor imperfections. It will add extra cushion to the floor, creating a softer feel under foot.

How flat should a floor be for vinyl plank flooring?

Subfloor must be clean, structurally sound/tight, and visibly dry. Floor must be flat to

within a 3/16” in 10′ radius tolerance

.

Can you put vinyl flooring on concrete?


You don’t need to be a pro or require expensive tools to install vinyl plank flooring on concrete

. Once you prepare the concrete subflooring, just align, click the planks into place, and your vinyl floor will come together in a short time.

What kind of plywood do you use for subfloor?


Standard plywood

can be used for subfloors, but a better material is 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove plywood subflooring. The tongue-and-groove edges interlock to resist movement along the panel edges and create an overall stiffer floor.

Can you put vinyl flooring over wooden floorboards?


Many different types of vinyl flooring can easily be installed over hardwood

, from floating vinyl planks over hardwood floors and other types of vinyl flooring over hardwood. The key is simply to select a product that doesn’t need to be glued, stapled, or nailed to the hardwood subfloor.

Can mold grow under vinyl flooring on concrete?

Although vinyl plank flooring is well-known to be waterproof,

it does not mean that liquids can seep through the cracks, grooves, or edges and become trapped under the planks, allowing mold to grow underneath your floors

.

Can you put vinyl plank flooring over plywood subfloor?

Can I install vinyl flooring over wood, plywood, particleboard or chipboard?

You can install vinyl over wood floors if you put a plywood subfloor on top of it

. Do not install glue down or peel and stick products over particleboard, chipboard or any form of embossed floor.

Does vinyl flooring need moisture barrier?

Existing Flooring

Meaning, if you’re going to install vinyl plank flooring over tile, vinyl flooring, and even hardwood. As with the plywood floor,

there’s no need to worry about a moisture barrier

; the underlayment should provide cushioning and sound-deadening benefits.

Can you install vinyl plank flooring on uneven floor?


A vinyl plank can be installed on a slightly uneven ground

. You must, however, ensure that your floor is clean and level for vinyl floor installation. The use of a sanding or self-aligning compound may be required. In addition to vinyl, linoleum, carpets and hardwood floors are other flooring options.

What is the difference between underlayment and plywood?

The subfloor is the structural plywood that is used during construction. It is usually a composite product such as OSB that is manufactured for its strength and engineered structural qualities.

Plywood underlayment is the layer of plywood that is fastened over the structural subfloor

.

How thick should plywood be for flooring?

How thick should subfloor plywood be?

The minimum thickness of plywood for subflooring is about

5/8 inch

. Since it does not hold fasteners as well as plywood, OSB must be a little thicker, or at least 23/32 inch.

Can you use foam underlay under vinyl flooring?


No, this is not possible

. The main reasons for this are the difference in compressive strength and the thickness of the underlay. For a vinyl floor, you need an underlay with a high compressive strength, because the vinyl floor on top is soft and flexible.

Do you put anything under Lino?

Hello,

lino (vinyl) doesn’t need an underlay

. The underlayment for this is either screed to level the floor if concrete subfloor. Or in your case the underlayment would be to plyboard the whole floor with a 6mm ply.

Do I need to level floor before vinyl flooring?

But, just like with any other permanent product,

it’s imperative that the existing floor is clean and dry, in excellent condition, and most important, level

. A flat and level floor is key so that the adjoining vinyl plank flooring don’t have varying heights.

Do you install baseboards before vinyl plank flooring?

As a general rule,

baseboard is installed after the floor is installed

, which makes covering the vinyl planks easy.

Where do you start laying vinyl plank flooring?

Start laying the flooring

along one wall, working row by row

. GripSure vinyl plank flooring has adhesive strips to connect the planks together. Again, start by laying the first row along the wall. Glue-down vinyl plank flooring requires you to apply the adhesive to the subfloor before laying the planks.

What goes under vinyl flooring on concrete?

Perhaps the easiest way to improve the insulation of a floating vinyl floor on concrete is to install a

thermal underlayment, preferably made of cork, fiber-felt or a similar material

.

How do you prepare concrete for vinyl flooring?

  1. Repair cracks and holes. Inspect the floor and repair cracks, pits, holes, or other uneven patches. …
  2. Grind imperfections. The surface must also be as smooth and flat as possible. …
  3. Wash the floor. Wash the concrete floor thoroughly using water and household detergent or degreaser.

Do you need to seal a concrete floor before laying vinyl flooring?


A concrete floor should be sealed to protect against moisture

, but the sealer can interfere with the tile adhering to the floor. With just a little extra work, you can seal your concrete floor and still make it suitable for vinyl tile.

What is better for flooring OSB or plywood?

What is best to use for subflooring?

Can cement board be used as subfloor?


No, Hardie cement board is not meant to be structural, and it will not work in place of a subfloor

. The board is very strong in compression and very stable so that the tiles applied to it do not crack, but it has very little shear strength. There are treatments you can put on wood to make it less attractive to insects.

Can you lay vinyl straight onto floorboards?

Can you put vinyl straight onto floorboards?

If you’re wondering how to install vinyl tiles over a wood floor — or if it’s even practical to do so — the good news is that

vinyl flooring will generally adhere to most types of subflooring, including wood

.

What do you put on floorboards before vinyl flooring?

3 Answers from MyBuilder Flooring Fitters. If you’re putting down domestic vinyl, then underlay is not needed. You will need to put down some

plywood ideally 6mm, then the vinyl

. I wouldn’t recommend putting vinyl on top of floorboards direct because in time you will get problems.

Does vinyl flooring need to be glued down?


Vinyl plank flooring is engineered to be installed in one of two methods: glue-down or floating

. For a Do-It-Yourselfer, floating or click-lock vinyl flooring is often an easier method, as there is no adhesive or mess to deal with.

Do you need padding under vinyl flooring?


Most vinyl plank and sheet flooring installations do not require padding

. The only times that you would use padding for either type are: For sound absorption, thermalizing, or moisture barrier. For concrete or unsmooth subfloor.

Emily Lee
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Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.