Do You Need Underlayment Panel Under Sheet Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is so thin that any imperfections underneath it like bumps grooves or cracks will show right through.

Do you need underlayment panel under sheet vinyl flooring.

When installing the new underlayment stagger the seams of the plywood panels and leave a 1 32 inch gap between panels to allow for expansion. Vinyl flooring is usually not installed directly over the subfloor in residential applications. If your subfloor had dips or damage it could show through the vinyl over time. Always use the fasteners and fastening pattern recommended by the vinyl floor and plywood manufacturer.

It is designed to create a smooth durable surface which is why it is so important for vinyl flooring. If you re wondering about luxury vinyl plank underlayment that s one of the appeals it usually doesn t need underlayment. In most cases 4 by 8 foot sheets of particle board or plywood must be installed in preparation for the vinyl floor install. That doesn t mean you don t need underlayment for sheet vinyl however.

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. Leave a 1 8 inch gap along the walls. 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. In fact as a softer flooring adding an underlayment could mean too much cushion resulting in dents and more wear and tear sooner.

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.