What To Put Under Vinyl Plank Flooring In Basement

If you install plywood or other material under the vinyl say to add a little cushion to the floor you re completely undermining the moisture resistance of the vinyl and you might void the warranty on the flooring.

What to put under vinyl plank flooring in basement.

If you have a damp basement it is recommended to lay a vapor barrier between the concrete slab and the planks. You can install vinyl planks on top of most existing floors including cement basement slabs and the planks are completely waterproof. However some people prefer to add another thin layer of subflooring between the concrete and vinyl. Glue down vinyl plank flooring adheres to the subfloor using either one of two types of adhesives.

Hard set or pressure sensitive. Hard set adhesive is spread along the subfloor and then the vinyl planks are laid down on top. The planks themselves won t get damaged by moisture but mildew can grow on the bottom of them. But for the most part with a vinyl plank you re not going to need any sort of underlayment.

So technically if you are installing vinyl plank flooring onto concrete you already have a subfloor. The hardest part about it floating is to keep it square as you work. This additional layer can improve insulation and should make your vinyl plank flooring warmer and less resonant. If the tape releases easily the floor is too.

The type of underlayment you should use depends on the subfloor and whether it s concrete plywood or an existing flooring material. You just lay it over top. You leave enough of a gap around the edge that it can expand contract flex whatever but that it s hidden by baseboard. It really depends on which product you re working with.

Leave the vinyl in place for 72 hours. You also do not need an underlayment if your vinyl plank flooring has underlayment installed however you may need a vapor barrier. Tape a 3 foot square piece of scrap vinyl to the concrete with duct tape sealing the edges tight. Just keep in mind that this water resistance applies to the flooring itself.