Choosing the Right Underlay for Vinyl Flooring
While modern sheet vinyl or stick-down tiles often come with a built-in layer of cushioning underneath, this isn’t always the case for luxury vinyl tiles. An LVT click-lock flooring system is typically installed as a ‘floating floor’, meaning it may benefit from a supportive layer of underlay to ensure a stable surface that’s comfortable to walk on.
If you need insulation under vinyl flooring, it’s important to choose the right type for your installation.
At Carpet Underlay Shop, we currently have three vinyl flooring underlay options:
- LVT Vinyl Click Flooring Underlay – Suitable for most applications in both commercial and residential buildings.
- Acoustic Vinyl Click Flooring Underlay – Suitable for customers who want to reduce noise as a priority, e.g. those who are living in flats, or implementing underlay in upstairs rooms.
- Thermo Pro X Underfloor Heating Underlay – Suitable for those who are seeking a high-quality underlay to be installed over underfloor heating systems.
LVT vinyl click flooring underlay
Our top choice for most vinyl floors is LVT vinyl click flooring underlay. Made from toughened foam with a silver foil backing, this high-density foam underlay for vinyl flooring successfully levels the subfloor, creating a smooth surface for installation. It also provides excellent moisture protection and offers fantastic acoustic and thermal insulation.
Acoustic vinyl click flooring underlay
An alternative underlay for vinyl flooring and LVT is acoustic vinyl click flooring underlay. Lightweight yet durable, this acoustic option helps to reduce impact noise by up to 19dB and enhances the underfoot comfort of your new floor at the same time – making it ideal for installations where noise reduction is one of the most important factors.
Thermo Pro X underfloor heating underlay
Designed with effective heat transfer in mind, Thermo Pro X underfloor heating underlay is a specialist LVT underlay that encourages air circulation to maximise the efficiency of underfloor heating. Also demonstrating acoustic properties and significantly improving comfort, these beneficial properties make it an excellent choice for laminate or wood flooring.
Ready to order vinyl underlay?
All of our vinyl flooring underlays are suitable for both domestic and commercial use. Available at highly competitive prices with simple ordering processes, plus expert support from our team if needed, they offer an easy and cost-effective way to ensure your vinyl floor has a professional finish.
Take a closer look at each product to find a vinyl flooring underlay that meets the needs of your flooring project for a long-lasting and comfortable solution, and place your order today.
If you have any questions about vinyl underlay or any of our other underlay products, please get in touch with the Carpet Underlay Shop team for tailored support. Simply call 0203 887 0994, or email sales@carpet-underlay-shop.co.uk and we’ll be in touch with more information soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on the type of vinyl flooring you intend to fit. If you’ve chosen sheet vinyl (linoleum or lino), the answer is no – you shouldn’t need an accompanying vinyl underlay.
However, for all click system vinyl flooring and LVT, underlay is a worthwhile – if not essential – investment. Sandwiched between the subfloor and your new flooring, the extra layer of protection can help to prevent any unnecessary post-installation issues, and will:
- Improve the stability of the vinyl
- Protect against moisture damage
- Add thermal insulation
- Reduce impact and airborne noise
- Enhance the look and feel of your flooring
Please note, however, that only click system LVT requires an underlay. If your project involves stick-down LVT, underlay isn’t a necessary requirement.
Further information answering the question, ‘Do I need vinyl flooring underlay?’ can be found in our blog.
The best vinyl flooring underlay depends on the type of vinyl flooring you intend to install. As explained above, we currently have three options in stock at Carpet Underlay Shop, which are each suitable for LVT flooring installations with different purposes.
For example, if you’re installing standard LVT click flooring, then Royale Vinyl Click Flooring Underlay will provide sufficient cushioning and thermal and acoustic installation.
On the other hand, if sound insulation is extremely important in your installation environment, then it’s best to choose a vinyl click flooring underlay that’s specifically designed with enhanced noise reduction properties – like our Acoustic Vinyl Click LVT Flooring Underlay.
Of course, if you’re laying vinyl flooring over an underfloor heating system, then it’s essential to use a vinyl underlay that’s compatible with this system, such as Thermo Pro X Underlay. Otherwise, the heat may not transfer effectively, and you won’t get the best value out of your flooring and heating.
For vinyl click flooring that’s less than 4mm thick, adding underlay can affect the strength of the click-lock mechanism and result in it wearing out prematurely.
However, if your vinyl flooring doesn’t already have a cushioned layer built in, and the sheet or tile is over 4mm thick, then an underlay that’s at least 1.5mm thick is recommended.
Our vinyl underlay options are available in thicknesses from 1.8mm to 2mm, providing a firm layer of cushioning without being too bouncy.
When it comes to thermal underlay for vinyl flooring, particularly for use with underfloor heating, the total thickness of the underlay and flooring combined generally shouldn’t exceed 2.75mm (Thermo Pro X is 1.8mm thick, with an approximate 0.3 TOG rating).
If you have any concerns about this, you can talk to our team, who will be happy to advise you.
It can be confusing to work out how many vinyl underlay rolls you need to buy, which is why we have a flooring measurement calculator to make this easier.
You can use this calculator to work out how much flooring and/or how much underlay you’ll need to cover the installation area, in either square metres or square feet. To do so, you’ll first need to measure the area so you can enter an accurate width and length.
Once you know the required coverage, you can divide this number by the amount in each roll of your chosen underlay. Our vinyl flooring underlay options each come in one size, either 10m x 1m (LVT and Thermo Pro X) or 15m x 1m (Acoustic), so calculating the number of rolls you need should be straightforward.
However, if you need any help with ordering your underlay for vinyl flooring, you can always get in touch to ask our team for advice.
