Underlayment Question
Q: First, let me say thanks for hosting such an informative website about flooring, especially information about laminate flooring.
I plan on installing laminate flooring soon and am in the process of deciding on finish and brand of laminate. I have a question about the underlayment for my bedrooms. The bedrooms in my house are above my garage and the temperature in the bedrooms can be up to 4-degrees colder than the rest of my house during the winter. I currently have carpet with padding underneath.
I think that the laminate floors will be cold during the winter and that the rooms will be even colder than with the carpet.
Is there a special type of underlayment that I should use?
Could/should I use two layers of underlayment or is there a special underlayment with a high r-value?
Thanks in advance for your consideration of this question.
Blake
Killingly, CT
A: Each underlayment has its own specific R-value, but very few actually do a good job of insulating heat. Your best bet here will be cork as it is a natural insulator and the thicker the better. I would suggest using a 6mm cork underlayment as this will help to retain a bit more heat and keep the floor a bit warmer. You could also look into thicker cork, like the 12mm underlayments, but at this point you begin raising the floor a bit. The floor should stay right around the same temperature of the room itself using cork as an underlayment, but your hunch is correct – the floor will likely feel a bit colder.
If the temperature of the floor is a major concern, you could look into electric radiant heat pads to put under the floor between the floor and the underlayment. There are several great manufacturers of these items and they do an amazing job of keeping your floor warm without costing too much on the electric bill side.