I finally realized my underlayment was causing all those squeaks after 5 years of installs

It hit me last month when I pulled up a floor I did in 2019 and saw the foam had completely disintegrated under the high-traffic spots, so has anyone else switched to a rubber-based underlayment after fighting noise complaints?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_lee229d ago

The glue down method with felt paper that's been sitting in a humid garage for months is a recipe for failure. I switched to a dense rubber underlayment after my 2021 installs started sounding like a haunted house by year two. The cheap foam stuff lets the subfloor breathe moisture right up into the planks. Rubber blocks that transfer and kills the noise dead quiet. Only downside is it adds about a quarter inch to the floor height so you might have to trim doors or transition strips.

brooke_murray8d ago

Whoa hold on, you had felt paper sitting in a humid garage for months before using it? That is crazy to me. I would have been worried about mold or mildew growing on it before I even got it on the floor. But I guess if it worked out for you, that's what matters. Is it a pain to cut doors down that extra quarter inch or is it worth it for the quiet?