Do You Need Underlayment For Sheet Vinyl

Concrete and wood subfloors each have their own subfloor preparation.

Do you need underlayment for sheet vinyl. Use a hammer to pound in the offenders and fill the hammer dents later. A vinyl flooring underlayment will not be as thick as a laminate or hardwood underlayment. There are several types of underlayment for this type of flooring and we ve seen brands with a thin layer of foam pre attached as well. Sheet vinyl can be installed over concrete if the surface of the concrete is clean smooth and dry.

Vinyl floors that are glue down or loose lay will not need a vinyl underlayment as these floors will be installed directly over the subfloor. However you ll want to use one in every other application including covering existing hardwood floors vinyl flooring that isn t cushioned and concrete floors. Avoid using materials with distinct raised grain patterns which can affect the finish texture of the sheet vinyl. In most cases as long as the old vinyl surface is flat you don t need to do anything more for this type of underlayment.

Underlayment goes on top of the structural support of your floor and under your actual flooring. A concrete floor seems like the perfect base for a vinyl floor installation. When installing this kind of underlayment over mortar or concrete it can float but the edges still need to be taped. Any minor bumps can be removed with a masonry chisel and small sledgehammer.

That doesn t mean you don t need underlayment for sheet vinyl however. If you are using a paper or fiber sheet underlayment leave an inch or two extra that you can trim off after you ve installed the flooring. Extend the underlayment all the way to the walls. It is designed to create a smooth durable surface which is why it is so important for vinyl flooring.

Don t use nails or screws to install the underlayment. If your subfloor had dips or damage it could show through the vinyl over time. Vinyl underlayment is an optional add on to click lock vinyls that are 4mm or thicker. Repair any holes or cracks.

You can lower high spots with a grinder. Vinyl flooring is so thin that any imperfections underneath it like bumps grooves or cracks will show right through. A concrete floor with a too high moisture content can wreak havoc on a vinyl floor. Plywood used as underlayment for sheet vinyl flooring should also have a sanded smooth surface on the topside.

For installation of vinyl flooring you need a smooth even surface for the underside of the flooring to achieve the best contact for adhesion. If you re laying the lvp over an existing cushion backed vinyl floor or a below grade tile floor then you won t need to use an underlayment.