Nowadays, we often hear that flooring is one of the most important aspects of your house. All designers consider it vital to their business. The color, textures, and patterns of the flooring are all crucial to convey the right emotions. For example, what emotion do you need to feel when you get home very tired? Obviously, you want to feel relaxed and comfortable. In contrast, you, as a manager, might intent to energize your employees at work. Believe it or not, flooring plays a role here.
Vinyl and hardwood flooring to of the most exciting products in the market. Aside from their unique characteristics, first, you have to prepare the subfloor for the flooring. If you don’t do it, no matter how professional and sophisticated you install the flooring, you will end up having broken flooring. In this essay, we discuss what we should consider before installing vinyl and hardwood flooring.
What is vinyl flooring?
Vinyl flooring is a synthetic type of flooring. It is famous for its affordability and durability. It is very similar to linoleum and laminate flooring which often causes confusion for people. Interestingly, vinyl flooring is resistant to moisture. So, it is a good option for basements and humid areas. So, should we need a moisture barrier for vinyl flooring?
Moisture barrier for vinyl flooring
Although vinyl flooring is anti-moisture. However, it sometimes happens when you install and then feel wet areas between the subfloor and the floor. In this case, they are three products you can use as an underlayment for the vinyl flooring. Here they are:
Vapor barrier underlayment for vinyl plank
This is one of the cheapest products with 1.5 mm thickness. It is made of low-density polyethylene. Also, it is equipped with IIC 70 dB & STC 65 which can adsorb sound. Be careful! There are some disadvantages to the product. first, you can install it easily. Also, the layer cannot prevent heat escape from the floor.
FLOORLOT Vinyl & Laminate Flooring
It keeps the mold away from your floor. It works very well on either wood or concrete. You can also use it for laminate, vinyl plank, and bamboo floorings. You should know that it’s a bit more expensive than the above-mentioned product. the thickness is 3 mm which adsorbs sound and makes the room more comfortable. In contrast to the above-mentioned product, it comes with adhesive tape.
QuietWalk Underlayment for Vinyl Plank
it lets you walk on the floor very quietly. It adsorbs the sound and protects the floor against moisture. Again, this product can be used on a concrete and wooden floor. Recycled materials used in these products make them eradicate all the noises. Antimicrobial characteristics are also included in the product. mold cannot grow when you use this on your subfloor. Finally, heat is easily distributed in the rooms too.
Moisture barrier for hardwood flooring
Some people say that you cannot use a moisture barrier for the wooden floor. Instead, they suggest you use 15 pounds felt paper. Others believe you can use the abovementioned products for hardwood floors too. However, be careful! You must not use the moisture barrier when the subfloor is wooden. This is because the moisture is going to be trapped and the subfloor starts rotting.
Summary
Moisture is an ever-present problem and could damage your floor very badly. Here, we talked about three products you can use to protect your floor from moisture. You need to have them for both vinyl and hardwood flooring. This is how you increase the durability of your floor.
