I am going to be installing a floating engineered wood flooring on a chipboard tongue and groove sub-floor. It's on the first floor and the property is 5 years old so everything is flat. Everywhere that I have read online seems to suggest that underlay for engineered wood flooring is necessary for all floating installations including over chipboard sub-floors. For example, a 2mm Polyfoam Underlay is recommended for a chipboard sub-floor but is barely going to provide any sound deadening and has no moisture barrier. I appreciate the benefits of getting a thicker rubber underlay for soundproofing and damp proof membranes for other sub-floors such as concrete. But I am unsure why underlay always seems to be recommended for chipboard sub-floors. I am not bothered about slightly reducing the sound of footsteps and sound travelling down through the floor. Also, I don't really see the point of a moisture barrier or damp proof membrane on top of a chipboard sub-floor. Thanks
think you've got us all there mate! do you know for 20 years I've been putting underlay under wood floors and actually you've got a point 'Why would every wood flooring manufacturer like Quickstep, Parador, Kahrs (invented engineered wood), V4, Boen to name just a few multi-million companies who invest huge amounts of money testing their products all recommend using a suitable underlay?' .
You have to use underlay or it will sound awful when you walk on it. The boards will not sit flat, the smallest imperfections will effect the lay of it. There’s no reason not to do it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've got a wood floor over boards and you definitely need thicker than 2mm from a noise point of view, and I wouldn't bank on T&G planks being flat either! most builders seem to have a great knack of laying supposedly stable stuff very badly
Timbermate Excel will do the job and is worth spending the extra over the cheaper foams. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
