When you are installing a new laminate or engineered wood flooring with the floating method, an underlayment is essential for many reasons:

• To allow your floor to (float) expand and contract, without damaging the underside of the flooring boards caused from friction.
• To even out minor imperfections in the sub-floor
• To soften the feel when walking on the floor
• To reduce the noise created when walking on the floor
• To protect your floor against moisture vapour

But with so many options available in the market, how will you know which is the right one for your particular situation?

Selecting and installing the right underlay, is a decision that will heavily depend on the type of sub-floor you have in your home. For those who want to install a floor over a concrete sub-floor with the floating method, a barrier plus underlay is certainly the best option.

Barrier plus is a high quality polyethylene foam underlay, which benefits from a closed-sell structure and has a clear vapour barrier pre-attached on both sides. It is manufactured this way, in order to protect your new flooring against moisture migration from the sub-floor and prevent possible damage from dampness. In addition to that, it also has a double overlap joint and water proof cloth tape, for maximum seal efficiency.

The reason why barrier plus underlay is especially good for concrete sub-floors, is the fact that you are more likely to face moisture problems with them, than with other types of sub-floor. If you think about it, any floor that is to be installed using the nail-down method onto a wooden floor for example, would compromise any vapour barrier properties of an underlay and so a regular foam or rubber underlay would do the job.

Barrier plus underlay is not popular only because of its superior moisture protection, but also because of its excellent thermal insulation and sound absorption properties. Be sure that this underlay will prevent any heat from escaping through your floor during the cold months and will greatly reduce the impact and airborne sound transmissions.

Moreover, it is easy to cut and lay and will take out any unevenness in the sub-floor, improving the serviceable life of your new floor.

Other benefits of Barrier plus underlay are:

• Resistance to fungi, mould and bacteria
• Lightweight
• Easy to lift
• Dust free
• 100% recyclable

Interested? Click here, to order yours today!