Thickness of underlayment for floating engineered floor.

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EllenEL

Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
27
Location
Chicago
I will be installing engineered floating floor on second floor house on OSB subfloor. Really would like to make it as warm cozy and quiet as I can. What thickness of underlayment goes under too much of a good thing category? I have something similar to Quietwalk 3mm for underlayment. Would it be advisable to add some cork layer under? Subfloor is 3/4 OSB, currently is laminate and it is ok, not too noisy but cold.
 
You had best be floating it if this is your plan and even then I do not really like the plan. If you really want sound deadening, for what it is worth, you want a crumb rubber and adhesive designed for this purpose. Most of the other systems are just gimmicks. Look for delta numbers on decibel loss and at least then you are in the ballpark.
As for cozy, well there is nothing more satisfying that a double stuck hardwood installation for luxury. They do not squeak, they deaden foot falls and it is a wonderful system. Other than the gigantic pain in the ass it is to install.
 
I vote for floating it. Who knew? Cork or crumb rubber are excellent choices but there are plenty of other alternatives as well. Not sure I would recommend building a sandwich of underlayments. Pick a quality one, just one, and go with that.
 
Got it!
Mark, I am with you, love real wood real deal.
Unfortunately beer budget and champagne taste leave me with few choices. I got Kahrs floor for MB with their recommended underlayment. Will be floating as it is most DIY friendly.
I still will need about 1000 sq ft for rest of second floor.
C.J what would be other quality ones? I rather not have much of chemical stuff or glue, one of my dog seems to be highly allergic to everything....
Am concerned since second story floor should be warmer to touch imho, granted lower lever is built like English walkout basement on a slab.
At my previous house 2 story with wood floors and full basement I never had need to wear slippers or socks.
 
You just don't want to use two layers. No flooring, wood or laminate will recommend that.
If a product already has some type of applied or built in backing you don't want to add another layer by rolling out an additional layer on the floor.
 
I installed very little of those products but before they started including pad directly on the product, that floor muffler stuff worked pretty good.. back in the glue together days, I installed a Pergo or possibly a Wilsonart floor and used a Gates rubber pad. A roll of that pad was like carrying a dead body. It was green, had Gates typed all over it and as I recall it had a diamond shaped kind of webbing on the surface. I'm betting it was really expensive stuff. That said I never noticed any sound difference between that and that wimpy looking floor muffler.
 
You're quite welcome. The padding is not there to cushion the surface and make it feel 'softer'. It basically acts as a sound deadener because without it the plastic might clatter when you walk on it. If you can deaden the sound of your feet walking on the material then not only looks like wood but feels more like it. A tiny bit of r value I suppose.
 

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