Do You Put A Pad Under Hardwood Floors

Your first task is preparing the surface that the hardwood will lie on which means deciding whether you need to use felt paper under the hardwood.

Do you put a pad under hardwood floors. If you don t have an area rug pad you are likely to damage your hardwood floors underneath by scratches discoloration and or wearing the finish down. We put proper padding under floating floors not under nailed or stapled down floors which is how solid hardwood gets installed. Hardwood floors do not require underlayment padding but they may squeak and creak if you place the surface boards directly against the underlayment. The only real alternate to the black felt is a red rosin paper which has some moisture barrier benefits.

And the area rug provides cushioning for the carpet so that it too will last longer. Why you need padding underneath an area rug. Not just any pad will do though. If sound mitigation is a concern.

An area rug on its own slips easily when stepped upon especially on smooth floors such as hardwood or laminates. While manufacturers have made hardwood floors easy to install you do need to take a few steps to prepare the room to make installation easier. Unlike padding under a carpet this type of underlayment padding is too thin for you to feel when you walk across a laminate floor. Note that the underlayment you purchase should be specifically marked for use with hardwood floors not for carpets.

You are getting the benefit of the cushioned protection of the felt with the gripping attributes of the rubber. In conclusion pvc pads are not recommended for use over hardwood floors. When it s done over and over again the marks will get worse and worse. Padding and layers under hardwood flooring.

Scott you re dead right. Placing a pad under a rug not only prevents the rug from slipping on your hardwood floor it also makes the rug more comfortable for walking. Any time you sit down on a sofa or chair that s right atop hardwood floors the piece will shift ever so slightly and the legs will mark the floor. A pad underneath an area rug is well worth the investment for both safety purposes and to help that rug stay exactly where you want it.

Engineered wood flooring however offers far more options for the addition of the padding style underlayment. Felt rubber hybrid pad this is the premium rug pad offering the best of both worlds. Carpet padding does not provide enough support for hardwood floors and is often too thick for nail installation. Soft padded foam of the type that is regularly installed under laminate flooring is one layer installed between the subflooring and solid hardwood flooring.

An area rug is a great way to add a little warmth under foot atop a cool hardwood floor.