Underlays

What would happen if you laid laminate flooring without the membrane underlay?

On a concrete floor? Or if you used regular carpet underlay instead of the special membrane thin stuff?

Public Comments

1. You need the membrane, 1to cushtoin the floor,2 to let the wood move and breath
2. Liable to explode or spontaneously combust , doubt it but the irregularities in the concrete floor might cause the joints to open
3. If you dont have it then a couple of layers of old newspapers do the job just as well at a fraction of the price.
4. You can use the carpet underlay but make sure it's new. If you don't use anything your boards can crack and warp
5. On concrete, you need that vapor barrier to keep moisture away from the laminate. Also you will have a knocking sound when you walk on it. That will totally suck. Carpet underlay is not made for the laminate, its way too thick. No good.
6. The floor may be uneven to start with and cause the laminate to warp or start to lift-up. It also stops moisture that maybe under the concrete floor penetrating the new laminate thus making it warp and lift as i mention before! It's recommended that you use the underlay,..that way you know you have done everything as you should and won't have to worry about the consequences if you don't!
7. Without a doubt you will have a 10 % chance of getting hemorrhoids. This will increase if you become pregnant while you have laminate floor. Dont worry though the hemorrhoids will not affect the functionability of the laminate floor.with or without underlay.
8. it would be noisy, probably move,warp and crack, if you are laying it on a solid floor i would make sure the concrete was laid over a damp proof membrane, if not i would use a waterproof laminate flooring membrane, good luck, oh i would`nt risk using carpet underlay.