If you plan to nail or staple your hardwood floor in place, virtually any underlayment can be used. Carpet padding does not provide enough support for hardwood floors and is often too thick for nail installation. Finally, if you want to glue down your hardwood floor, do not use an underlayment.Simply so, do you need padding under hardwood floors?
Hardwood floors do not require underlayment padding, but they may squeak and creak if you place the surface boards directly against the underlayment. Wood-against-wood friction is one of the most common reasons behind floor creaks.
Furthermore, what is the recommended underlayment for hardwood flooring? When installing hardwood or engineered wood flooring, the best underlay options are cork and foam. However, foam does have more give than cork so, while it is the more popular option, we recommend cork.
Accordingly, can you use carpet underlay for wood flooring?
You absolutely cannot use carpet underlayment underneath laminate flooring. As much as you want to cut down costs on a new floor, this is not the way to do it. Installing laminate flooring over carpet underlayment will do more harm than good in the long run.
Can I use carpet as underlay?
Old carpet can be used in lieu of new underlay when budget insists. Used carpet doesn't yield as much as underlay when stepped on, but its far better than no underlay at all.
Do you put anything under hardwood flooring?
Paper or felt are two materials that are traditionally installed between hardwood flooring and subfloor. However, paper and felt do not absorb sound in any meaningful way, nor do they make the surface any softer to walk on, in the same sense that foam underlayment does with laminate flooring.How do you remove old carpet padding from hardwood floors?
Dissolve the padding with chemical cleaning solvents, such as an odorless mineral spirit that works like a paint thinner. Scrape with a metal tool, but with care not to scratch the wood. Use soapy water to loosen the padding enough so it can be sanded or scraped off in the floor-finishing process.Do I need underlay for solid wood flooring?
Because you are likely to be fixing your solid wood boards to the subfloor, underlay is not usually used, but there are slatted underlays you can buy for the purpose, with pre-cut slots that allow the floor to be glued directly to the subfloor (try Acoustalay Slatted Glue Through Underlay, available from Screwfix).Do you need underlayment for engineered hardwood?
Underlayments pads are especially important for engineered floors or laminate floors which are installed via the floating method over wood or concrete subfloors. An underlayment is necessary for multiple reasons, floating floors will expand and contract, moving ever so slightly as a whole unit.Is it better to glue or float hardwood floors?
Benefits: Floating wood floors are easier to install than glue down floors and can be put into place faster. If you're trying to install a floor over a surface that traditional glue-down flooring can't attach to, you are better off going with a floating floor if you don't want to change your subfloor.Do you need moisture barrier under hardwood flooring?
Sometimes, a moisture barrier is not recommended. If you're installing your hardwood floors over a wood subfloor, you should avoid using a moisture barrier. Over time, moisture can get trapped between the moisture barrier protecting your hardwood flooring and the wood subfloor.Can I use roofing felt under hardwood flooring?
Felt paper is installed under hardwood flooring to provide an extra layer of moisture protection and also to dampen sound. You will need to install it under your wood floors if a padding is not already attached to the hardwood planks. Many models of hardwood planks have dampening foam already attached.Does cork underlayment need a moisture barrier?
As a Class I material, our cork flooring underlayment is ideal for use in a wide range of applications and environments. It's vital for many flooring types, including hardwood, to have a form of moisture protection in case water seeps up from below the subfloor.What flooring can be installed over carpet?
You can also install laminate over existing floors made of wood, concrete, ceramic tile, vinyl sheet or even carpet. (Carpet must be fully adhered and no more than 1/4" thick over suspended wood subfloors.)Can you double up underlay?
No, it is not recommended to install a thick or double layer of underlayment with laminate flooring. If you install any additional underlayment, the base for your flooring will end up being too soft and could jeopardize the integrity of the locking system.Do you need underlayment for wood floors?
The short answer: usually. If you already have a plywood subfloor, and the subfloor is smooth and level, then you may not need an underlayment beneath the hardwood floor. Plywood has some moisture resistance already compared to solid wood, and it mostly gives a smooth surface.Do you need underlay for wood flooring?
Standard wood underlay should only be used with engineered flooring. It is always best to ensure your sub floor is dry by using a floor moisture meter before laying the underlay as the moisture will lay underneath the underlay and could move sideways into your walls.Which is cheaper to install carpet or laminate flooring?
The cost of carpet is generally much cheaper than the cost of laminate flooring, but laminate flooring has the advantage of being longer-lasting, easier to clean, and less likely to suffer weather damage.Can you install carpet over hardwood floors?
Installing carpeting over a hardwood floor is not a difficult task, but it does require some physical labor. By installing a narrow tackless strip that grips the outer perimeter of the carpet around the perimeter of the room, you only place small holes in the hardwood.Can I install vinyl plank flooring over carpet?
Vinyl plank flooring cannot be installed over any high pile carpet. The “squish” of a plush carpet will prevent vinyl planks from locking properly.Which direction do you lay hardwood flooring?
Therefore, the most popular and significant way to run your wood flooring is to Run it from the front door, straight to the back of the house, perpendicular to the front. You want those boards to look like they are laid they way they are in a bowling alley, all the way into the home through to the back.How thick does the subfloor need to be for hardwood flooring?
The thicknesses are as follows: 7/16-, 15/32- and 1/2-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 16 inches on center; 19/32- and 5/8-inch-thick panels require joists spaced 20 inches on center. For retrofitting older construction, 23/32- and 3/4-inch-thick panels can be used over 24-inch on center joists. 
