In general, luxury vinyl underlayment for any floor can provide many benefits. Such as:

Sound Absorption – No one wants to hear noise from below or above of where you walk. If you are a condo or apartment owner, then finding the best sound absorption underlayment is your main concern.

QuietWalk Luxury Vinyl has the highest rated Delta IIC rating of absorbing sound for luxury vinyl flooring. So if you are choosing a flooring and what to get rid of noise, then this product offers more than other underlayments.

Extra Cushion – Walking on a hard surface with another hard surface can be rough and not so easy on the knees. Too much cushion can cause decoupling issues of your click lock mechanism of the floor. Choosing the correct underlayment can eliminate the issue and provide the comfort you need.

Thermal Properties – Walking on a cold surface can be uncomfortable with bare feet. Using an underlayment provides the extra barrier and blocks out the cold.

Hide Minor Subfloor Imperfections – Installing on a flat surface is important for your floor. Uneven floor can cause an uneven floor. The effect of installing on an uneven floor can be consider of hearing “popping rice krispies” when walking on the floor. Having an underlayment can hide minor imperfections and provide an overall smooth surface.

Moisture Protection – Moisture protection is still needed even if you have waterproof flooring and a concrete subfloor. As moisture passes through concrete, consider alkalinity (harmful chemical) to reach your floor. The chemical from concrete can react to your floor and cause a negative effect on your investment. Take a look at this picture as this is what happens:

So having a moisture/chemical protection from your floor is ideal and protect your investment.

Flooring Manufacturers Recommendations

We encourage you to read your chosen flooring installation instructions. Most will require a 6-mil vapor barrier to eliminate any chance of moisture/alkalinity from reaching your floor and to reduce any flooring claims.

Manufacturers don’t cover the warranty if you choose to install underlayment underneath. They do this to decrease the potential of warranty claims they may receive. As luxury vinyl flooring is thin to begin with, adding a thicker underlayment underneath (too much cushion) can cause an issue with the coupling system of the floor.

With this in mind, Go for Floors recommends QuietWalk Luxury Vinyl Underlayment as it was designed for luxury vinyl flooring. It’s dense and correct height of underlayment provides a solid underfoot and no chance of floor decoupling. Any flooring that is 2mm or thicker will work with QuietWalk luxury vinyl.

The answer: Technically no however luxury vinyl underlayment offers more benefits to the consumer depending on your current situation. Bare minimum, we suggest MoistureBlock (6-mil vapor barrier) that most manufacturers recommend and cover under their warranty.

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