Do You Need Underlayment for Vinyl Plank Flooring?

Usually not, if your plank has an attached pad. Sometimes yes, if it does not or the manufacturer requires one. The manufacturer's installation instructions for your exact floor decide, not a rule of thumb.

Many rigid core (SPC) planks have a foam or cork pad attached to the back for comfort and sound. With these, a second underlayment usually is not allowed: the extra softness lets the click joints flex, which can break or separate them over time.

Each product page lists the construction, and the manufacturer's instructions say whether anything can go underneath.

Most Central Texas homes are built on slabs. Concrete can give off moisture, so some manufacturers require a vapor barrier film over the slab, and some planks have one built in.

The bigger issue on slabs is flatness. Low spots and humps need leveling before a floating floor goes down, or the planks can flex and gap.

Over a second floor or in a condo, an acoustic underlayment may be required by the building or the manufacturer. Use only one the floor's manufacturer approves.

Everything we install is done to manufacturer specs, including the underlayment, vapor barrier and expansion gap. We check the slab when we measure, and leveling is quoted up front.

Questions about a specific floor? Call (254) 332-2272 in Waco or (512) 355-5120 in Liberty Hill.