Is this a necessity? Will laminate flooring become damaged over time if an underlayment isn't used? The previous owner of this home installed a wood floor in the living room without an underlayment so if I want to use a flat transition between this floor and the floor I'm going to put in the next room I'll have to leave it out to keep the floors level. If I chose a cheap foam underlayment how thick will it be? Thanks.
by laminate i assume you mean an interlocking pre- finished wood or wood composite flooring. underlayment ( vapor barrier) is nearly always used when applying the flooring over a concrete slab surface. not so much as when it is applied on an elevated floor ( raised foundation) The purpose of the underlayment (which is usually plastic or foam) is to keep moisture (from Below) from permeating the flooring causing warpage and damage over time. any good floor installer will use an underlayment regardless. if your problem is with underlayment thickness at the very least you should lay down heavy gauge plastic as your vapor barrier. the foam underlayment is also effective , but was primarily designed for a quieter walking surface. hope this helps
The function of the polyethylene foam underlayment is to prevent the bonding of the laminate floor to the sub floor.It also absorbs sound and reduces impact noises The underlayment is not that thick.
The plastic coated foam underlayment is less than 1/16th of an inch thick. It should not cause a noticeable difference in the level of the floor between rooms. I wouldn't recommend leaving it out. It will increase the life of your floor.
for laminate floors underlayment should always be used, in some cases if not used it will actually void the warranty. the purpose of the underlayment is to protect the floor from any moisture coming from below. the padding for laminate is anywhere from .050 to .085. most laminates are floating floors which means they are in no way fastened to the subfloor. if the floor you talking about is a wood floor then no padding is needed, maybe a resin paper like painters use, but not necessary. i am a little confused by your ? bc in the questions title you say laminate and in the ? you say wood floor. these are two different things. now i just read on in the question and you talk of putting a new floor in the next room, if thats going to be laminate then chances are that the two wont be level no matter what you do. there are many different transitions you can buy that would work though, or you could build up your subfloor in that room to make it even with the real hardwood. i hope this helps you out.
