How to choose the perfect underlay for your LVT flooring

Underlay is an essential part of your LVT flooring installation. Here’s how to make sure you’re choosing the best LVT underlay for your project!

From being super soft and providing the ultimate underfoot comfort, to being incredibly hardwearing and able to resist all sorts of wear and tear, LVT – or luxury vinyl tile – flooring offers many benefits to almost all homes.

Depending on where in the home it’s installed, the amount of wear and tear it endures on a daily basis, and how well it’s maintained, LVT flooring can last for up to 30 (yes, 30!) years.

Another thing that significantly boosts the lifespan of your LVT floors is underlay, and knowing how to choose the right one is crucial if you want to make the most of your investment.

Here, our flooring specialists here at British Flooring explore the importance of LVT flooring underlay, as well as the top considerations to keep in mind when shopping for underlay for your LVT flooring.

Why do I need an underlay for LVT flooring?

Contrary to popular belief, LVT underlay serves as more than just a barrier between your above-ground flooring and subflooring underneath.

Yes, it provides a smooth surface to lay your luxury vinyl on top of, smoothing out any bumps and other imperfections, but it also protects against moisture, provides additional warmth and significantly improves underfoot comfort.

It may seem like just an additional expense, but we can assure you it’s much more than that, and it’s actually a worthy investment if you’re considering click system vinyl flooring.

How do I choose the right underlay for my LVT flooring?

There are several things you need to consider when choosing the perfect underlay for your new luxury vinyl flooring, including:

• Thickness

When selecting an underlay for your LVT flooring, you should look for underlays that are at least 4mm thick, not only to improve the effectiveness of your flooring but to maximise all the available benefits, too.

Any thinner than this, and you may encounter issues with the strength of the ‘click’ mechanism during installation, which could potentially ruin your new flooring.

• Moisture resistance

LVT on its own boasts excellent waterproofing capabilities, but to enhance this benefit and make the absolute most of your new flooring, selecting an underlay that can offer additional moisture resistance is a great idea. Especially if you’ll be installing luxury vinyl in an area of your home – like the kitchen, bathroom, or utility room, for example – that’s prone to moisture buildup.

Not only will this help keep your flooring in the best condition, but it will also protect the subfloor to ensure a solid foundation for decades to come.

• Sound insulation

If you’re installing LVT flooring in a high-traffic area of the home, or you have young children and pets running around day and night, choosing an underlay that can absorb impact sounds is a must. Not just to keep you sane, but your neighbours, as well.

The higher the density underlay, the better the sound absorption capabilities and some LVT underlays can reduce noise by up to 40dB or more!

• Subfloor type

Yes, the way your final flooring installation looks is important, but choosing a suitable underlay for your subfloor is just as vital.

For example, if your subfloor is made from concrete, you’ll need to opt for an underlay that has a vapour barrier. This is because concrete subfloors are prone to dampness, which can impact your LVT down the line, causing warping, buckling and mould growth.

This vapour barrier prevents moisture from moving through the subfloor, ensuring your luxury vinyl lasts as long as possible.

• Room usage

Considering how the room where your luxury vinyl will be installed is used will help you determine factors like thickness, density and thermal insulation properties.

A denser underlay can help reduce wear and improve the underfoot feeling for high-traffic areas – like offices, studies or dining rooms.

Rooms that don’t see as much foot traffic may benefit more from a thicker underlay to create a more comfortable finish.

Thicker underlays are also great for those who want to reduce noise, and their high-density construction will help keep noise to a minimum.

Shop top-quality LVT underlay at British Flooring!

Installing LVT in your kitchen or bathroom and need an underlay that offers excellent waterproofing capabilities?

Maybe you’re looking for something that will take the pressure off your flooring from heavy furniture in your living or bedroom, and keep your LVT looking as good as new for decades to come?

Here at British Flooring, we supply a range of quality options – including the Royale 2mm Acoustic Vinyl Click Underlay, which is the ideal partner for your new LVT flooring.

Made from impact-resistant toughened foam, this underlay will provide unmatched protection for your new flooring, with its high-density construction reducing noise by up to 20dB and silver-foil backing significantly improving thermal insualtion. What’s not to love?

To find out more, or for help selecting the best LVT flooring underlay for your project, get in touch with our experts today by calling 0203 325 9082 or emailing us at sales@british-flooring.co.uk and we’ll be in touch to answer your questions!