The quality of the flooring is what affects the longevity of the floors. Right? Not always. The quality of the flooring sure plays a role, but what supports the floor is just as important. The sub-floor is the very base of support for any flooring. An uneven sub-floor can cause issues to arise prematurely even if the floors are top-notch.
Underlayment can serve as a relatively simple fix to an uneven-subfloor. Keep in mind that in some circumstances you won’t be able to use underlayment as underlayment should only be used for minor imperfections. If there is general sloping that affects the perimeter as a whole, sloping to the side or middle, it is best to seek the assistance of a contractor. If all for sides of the room’s perimeter are level, then underlayment should work for you. We will discuss the benefits underlayment can provide and the best underlayment for an uneven sub-floor.
Comfortability
Minor imperfections of the sub-floor can reflect through thin flooring like LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank). As a result, the bumps and depressions can make your floor uncomfortable to walk on, and may ruin the beauty of the floor. The right underlayment will help conceal the imperfections, leaving your flooring unaffected.
Underlayment can also prevent your flooring from developing a “cold to the touch” feel. It creates a thermal barrier between your floor and subfloor. This might sound like a subtle effect, but in the colder months a warmer floor is surely appreciated.
Noise Reduction
When the sub-floor is not flat, the flooring does not get to lay evenly. In many cases, this results in squeaking and creaking when walked upon. In a high traffic area of the home this can become quite aggravating. An underlayment with high sound ratings will protect you from creaky floors. They even dampen the noise that travels from room to room. Say someone is watching TV on the floor above you. The underlayment will dampen the noise from the TV, keeping your area nice and quiet.
Longevity
Nobody wants to have to constantly replace their flooring. It can be a headache and get expensive quickly! Uneven sub-floor or not, underlayment will add compression resistance and help support your flooring from everyday impacts. This helps maximize the lifetime of your expensive new floors.
Best Underlayment for Uneven Sub Floors
We’ve found that QuietWalk is the best underlayment for uneven subfloors. Since QuietWalk is made from dense recycled fibers, it does an excellent job keeping your flooring safe from minor imperfections. What really pushes QuietWalk to the top is versatility. It includes a moisture barrier which allows for use with wood and concrete sub-floors. QuietWalk even works with radiant heat. QuietWalk can be installed to cover up an uneven sub-floor, and can end up providing multiple benefits on top of its original purpose! QuietWalk provides all these benefits and manages to stay as a middle-priced underlayment.
