What should i put under my LVP (luxury vinyl plank) flooring?

6 years ago

We are in the midst of remodeling our entire first floor of our 2 story home (with a full basement).

We are doing 1-2 rooms at a time in an attempt to keep the house somewhat functional. I'm pulling all the flooring down to the plywood sub-floor. I plan to fix any squeaks and then install the LVP.

We chose Pergo Outlast which has a built in pad. I planned on stapling in 1/8 or 1/4" plywood down and then installing the planks. This is what i did when I finished the half bath on the 1st floor last year.

However, i'm wondering if i should ditch the plywood underlayment and go with a rolled or folded pad product (Home Depot offers a variety in stock)?

Any guidance or personal experience would be appreciated!

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Comments (5)

ci_lantro
6 years ago
The Pergo you linked is laminate, not LVP. (There is a difference so make sure you know what you want and that you are buying what you want.)

Per Pergo, you don't need any underlayment. Only a vapor barrier if installing over concrete. Not applicable since you're installing over plywood.

If the Pergo Product being installed has an attached foam underlayment then use only a vapor barrier when installing over a concrete subfloor. When installing a PergoProduct with an attached underlayment foam over a wood subfloor no other additional acoustic underlayment is required.
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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
Vinyl products do NOT like anything soft/squishy underneath them. In fact they can separate or break their own edges if you have underpadding underneath. If the Pergo vinyl has an attached underlayment, then it is DEFINITELY NOT allowed to add anything else. This is NORMAL for vinyl. In fact it is a major drawback for all vinyl products. Underpadding is not allowed with 99.9% of vinyl floating/glue down/perimeter glue products.

The installation instructions will tell you what is ALLOWED to be used. If it is listed then it is allowed. If you do NOT see it listed, then it is NOT allowed. It is an easy rule to follow.

Continue with the rigid underlayment (like you did in the bathroom). The noise reduction from the attached underlayment is the only padding/accustic insulation you are going to get.
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Matt
Original Author
6 years ago
My bad, my bad. I got my terms all mixed up and apparently cannot edit my original post. As ci-lantro said, it's laminate flooring and not LVP.
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SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
And again, the "attached underpad" is not recommended (read: not allowed) under a plank that already has something attached to it. Sigh. That's why I always recommend a laminate that is bare on the underside. It means you can add whatever product underneath you want (assuming the product is made for laminate and not carpet, etc).

I prefer a 6mm cork underlay when working with "bare" laminate. It offers the floor height raise AND the acoustic insulation that most people are hoping for. But if the Pergo has the attached underlayment, you aren't allowed to use anything other than rigid underlayment (like plywood).

Good luck.
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Matt thanked SJ McCarthy
ci_lantro
6 years ago
Matt, assuming that you have a sound, solid plywood floor, you don't need to add anything UNLESS you need to height to the subfloor so that the finished Pergo floor is on the same level (approximately) as any other existing flooring that will abut the Pergo.

The 1/8" & 1/4" underlayments are usually for glue down installations. As a sacrificial layer when that flooring is replaced and to smooth out irregularities that would telegraph through something like sheet vinyl. (and, also for height adjustments)
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What should i put under my LVP (luxury vinyl plank) flooring?

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What should i put under my LVP (luxury vinyl plank) flooring?

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ci_lantro

SJ McCarthy

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ci_lantro

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Matt
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