The thickness of the cork backing for the laminate is 12 mm. Which underlay to choose for laminate? Which substrate is best?

Laminate is an affordable floor covering, which is a wood fiber board covered with a decorative wear-resistant film. It has a multilayer structure and, depending on the load it can withstand, is divided into classes (31-34). Laminate flooring must be laid on a substrate.

The backing for the laminate can be 2-10 mm thick. Despite the fact that the large thickness of the layer allows you to lay laminate on floors with strong differences, floor manufacturers do not recommend this. Therefore, before work you need to level all surfaces as accurately as possible.

Popular materials:

• Wood cork;
• Fiberboard;
• Expanded polystyrene;
• Foamed polyethylene.

Purpose of the substrate under the laminate:

• Sound insulation (absorption of extraneous noise, ensuring silence);
• Elimination of differences in floor level (smoothing out unevenness);
• Thermal insulation (maintaining a constant temperature level in the room);
• Shock absorption (shock absorption when walking);
• Squeak protection.

Choosing the right substrate is the key long service flooring and guarantee comfortable conditions in room. It is worth doing it based on three criteria: material, thickness, packaging (sheets, rolls).

Types of substrate materials

An important selection criterion is the material of manufacture. It depends on the material what properties the floor will have.

Cork

Natural cork backing is made from crushed cork tree bark. The wood granules are held together by a sticky substance found in the bark itself. The material turns out high density(200-260 kg per cubic meter), has a tensile strength of 2 kg per cubic cm, absorbs sound well and retains heat. Cork also has sufficient compression resistance, so it is subject to deformation during operation.

If it is necessary not only to prepare the surface for laying the floor, but also to provide heat and sound insulation, then cork will be the best solution. It's environmentally friendly pure material which is safe for health. It is also 100% hypoallergenic.

A significant disadvantage of this choice is high price material, so putting cork under a cheap laminate is a bad idea. But under an expensive floor covering, cork as a substrate is just right.

There may also be on sale combined options cork-based flooring underlays:

• rubber-cork;
• bitumen-cork.

Cork is usually sold in rolls. The thickness of one sheet is from 2 to 4 mm. Sheets with greater thickness are no longer used as a substrate, but are an independent floor covering. Cork is not suitable for heated floors.

Wood fiber board

This substrate is a board made of wood fibers with the addition of binders. Wood chips, crushed wood (shredded wood), and lignified parts of plant stems (firewood) can be used as raw materials for production.

The material is capricious from the point of view of installation: the slabs must be laid perpendicularly, plus it is necessary to make indentations from the walls so that when the air temperature changes, the substrate does not compress the floor covering.

Expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene is 100% artificial material, which is obtained by combining polystyrene foam granules with various additives under the influence high temperature and pressure. Its peculiarity is that it has many air cells.

Many flooring manufacturers offer to lay polystyrene foam underlay under the laminate. This material has become popular due to its low price and high operational characteristics. The thickness is 2-5 mm. Sold in slabs, rolls, sheets.

During installation, it is necessary to avoid resin and mastic compositions. They may react with polystyrene foam.

Foamed polyethylene

The available backing option is foamed polyethylene. However, despite the cost, it has many advantages. The material can be laid on the floor with a height difference of up to 4 mm. Ideal for laying under inexpensive laminate flooring. It is worth choosing such a substrate with high density material.

If you need to lay the floor in a room with high humidity, then it is better to buy a substrate with a foil layer. The thickness of the substrate should be chosen within 2-5 mm. If you take more, it will spring when walking.

This underlay option is not suitable if the laminate has a soundproofing layer. The exception is that the floor covering is mounted directly on concrete.

How to lay the underlay

Before laying the underlay, dust and dirt must be thoroughly removed from the subfloor. If necessary, it is covered with a layer of moisture protection.

You should start laying laminate flooring from the window into the room. You can do this in stages: lay down part of the material, lay the floor on it, then lay down the underlay again, and another section of laminate on it. Step-by-step installation will help maintain the purity of materials, especially if similar work this is the first time you have to do it and it is not clear how long the process will take (maybe several days).

Available in several versions. As a rule, rolls and sheets are available for sale. The width of the material in a roll is 1.2 m, and the length is more than 10 m. The rolls should be laid perpendicular to the laminate boards, otherwise the seams of the backing may separate. So that when rolling the material around the room it remains in place, it can be fastened masking tape. The sheet backing is laid in a checkerboard pattern and secured in the same way with adhesive tape.

When choosing a substrate for a laminate, you need to consider options in the same price category as the floor covering itself. An expensive floor will last less if you put a cheap underlay underneath it. And vice versa: an expensive underlay will be a waste of money if it is needed under a cheap floor. Therefore, you need to not only pay attention to the characteristics of the material, but also its price. In this case, cost may be a determining factor.

Today laminate is the most popular and in-demand flooring material. It has an aesthetic modern look and excellent performance. In order to preserve its original luster for as long as possible and extend the service life of this wonderful floor covering, it is imperative to follow all recommendations for installation and further operation of the laminate floor.

Laminate flooring requires a well-prepared base: perfectly leveled, dry and clean. First, the substrate under the laminate is laid on this base, and then the laminated coating itself.

Therefore, it is necessary to choose both a laminated flooring material and a lining for it.

We’ll try to figure out the types of underlays, which one is right for you, what thickness of underlay to choose for the laminate of your particular case.

Why put underlay under laminate?

She has several serious purposes:

1. Depreciation, helping to reduce the load on the interlocking joints of laminated panels, i.e., extends the service life of the coating;
2. Eliminates minor flaws and defects in the base;
3. Thermal and sound insulation, thanks to which the floor has a pleasant warmth and does not rattle when walking on it.

There are quite a few types of substrates, we will name only the most common:

• polyethylene foam;
• polystyrene foam;
• cork;
• coniferous

Of these, the first two types are made from synthetic materials, the last two types are made from natural ones.

Polyethylene foam or polyethylene foam- most inexpensive material. Available in two types: foil (for insulation) and regular.

Absorbs sounds well and is not damaged by rodents.

Expanded polystyrene has the form of sheets small size. It has the properties of good sound insulation, thermal insulation, smoothes out minor unevenness of the subfloor, and has a long service life. Installs easily and is not damaged during installation.

Cork backing consists of compressed natural chips of cork oak bark.

It has many wonderful qualities: good shock absorption, thermal insulation, excellent noise absorption, very long service life, ease of installation on any surface.

Cork underlay can be used under different floor coverings: laminate, linoleum, parquet board and under the carpet.

It has a high density, so it can withstand loads well.

The thickness of the cork backing: in rolls - 2-4 mm, in sheets - 3-10 mm. Optimal thickness under laminate - 3 mm, maximum allowable - 6 mm.

Coniferous - natural “breathable” material made from coniferous wood.

Retains heat for a long time good sound insulation, has a long service life. Thanks to its high density, it eliminates small base errors. Laying a coniferous substrate is not difficult.

In addition to the mentioned features, each substrate has one more characteristic, which is very important when choosing a substrate material - this is the thickness of the substrate for the laminate.

How thick should the underlayment be for laminate flooring?

It depends on a number of circumstances:

• level of base leveling;
• class and thickness of laminated panels;
• expected conditions - humidity, loads;
• presence of waterproofing.

The most correct option: when choosing a substrate material, find out the recommendations in this regard from the manufacturer laminated coating. These recommendations will determine which materials and with what parameters you should prefer.

The thickness of the substrate for the laminate varies from 2 to 10 mm, but which is better - you need to decide, taking into account all the relevant factors.

It must be borne in mind that low-density, soft lining materials are recommended to be used with a small thickness; for dense and elastic ones, the thickness may be greater:

• for polyethylene foam and polystyrene substrates, the optimal thickness is 2 mm;
• thickness cork backing: in rolls - 2-4 mm, in sheets - 3-10 mm. The optimal thickness for laminate is 3 mm, the maximum allowable is 6 mm, due to its density and elasticity;
• The thickness of the coniferous sheet substrate ranges from 4 to 7 mm. Under the laminate you should choose a coniferous substrate with a thickness of 4 mm, no more.

The thickness of the lining and panels must be comparable. So, for laminated material with a thickness of 7-8 mm, a lining thickness of 2-3 mm is suitable; for thin, less than 7 mm - respectively, a substrate with a thickness of two millimeters; and the thickness of the substrate under the laminate from 9 to 12 mm should be in the range from 3 to 5 mm. We remind you that the most correct thing is to use the recommendations of the manufacturer of the laminated material about the preferred parameters and quality of the backing material.

Choosing the thickness of the substrate for the laminate

Most often, buyers make the same mistake - they try to buy a thicker lining in order to level out a poorly prepared base. Yes, the substrate eliminates small errors in the base, but not huge differences in height. When there are a lot of unevenness and the differences are significant, then you won’t be able to get by with just a substrate; you have to start with leveling and preparing the base.

It happens that dense coniferous substrates 5 mm thick are used for flooring under the laminate. This is correct if this thickness is recommended by the manufacturer of the flooring material. And even then acceptable maximum thickness- no more than 5 mm.

About soft substrates: It is recommended not to exceed a thickness of two to three millimeters. And you definitely can’t lay the lining in two layers. Because over time, the material gradually decreases in thickness and a void is created between the substrate and the lamellas. The thicker the lining, the greater the amount of empty space. There is a risk of deformation of the panels and failure of the locking connections. If you choose polyethylene foam or polystyrene backing, do not get carried away with a thickness exceeding 3 mm.

If the levels of rough foundations in the rooms in the apartment are different, it is possible to level the levels by laying substrates different thicknesses, but always within acceptable limits.

Let's summarize our reasoning.

1. When choosing the thickness of the substrate for the laminate, you must remember that it optimal value equals 3 mm. IN specific cases a smaller value is allowed: 1.8-2 mm or a larger value: from 4 to 5 mm.
2. A thin substrate is laid under a thin laminate, provided that the base is perfectly leveled. A thicker underlay is placed under thicker slats if this is permitted by the manufacturer of the laminated panels.
3. Do not try to correct significant unevenness using a thick backing, this will not work, but it can ruin the coating.

Now you know everything about the thickness of the laminate underlay and which one is best suited to the material you have chosen. Now all that remains is to apply your knowledge, choose a laminate and suitable substrate and start decorating the flooring in your home. Good luck!

Which will extend the life of the floor covering, cushioning and more evenly distributing the load on it, provide additional noise and heat insulation, and smooth out minor defects in the base. The choice of substrate is usually carried out according to two parameters: material and thickness.

The durability of the substrate largely depends on the material; it is also the main pricing factor. Thickness is a very important characteristic, which determines how successfully the substrate will cope with the tasks assigned to it. In this case, the thickness should not be maximum, but optimal.

When choosing a substrate of optimal thickness, you need to consider the following criteria:

• class of laminate, its purpose and expected load on it
• laminate thickness
• degree of unevenness of the base for laying
• features of floor waterproofing
• subfloor level in adjacent rooms
• the material of the substrate itself

Substrate thickness of different materials

As a rule, a softer substrate has a thickness limit; for a substrate made of denser materials it may be larger.

• backing made of foamed polyethylene(isolon) or polystyrene(iso-noise) usually has a thickness of 2-3 mm, the most common thickness is 3 mm
• The most common thickness is 2-4 mm. Some manufacturers, for example, SEDACOR, produce both roll and sheet cork substrates up to 10 mm thick, but this is too much for laminate. There is a roll substrate of smaller thickness - 1.8-1.85 mm
• combined substrate Tuplex made from a layer of polypropylene beads located between the layers polyethylene film — roll material 3 mm thick
• roll backing made of extruded polystyrene, for example, IMS, has a thickness of 2 mm, and sheet - 3-5 mm
• substrate made from waste from the wood processing industry (wood fibers), the so-called coniferous, has a thickness of 4-7 mm. Although the manufacturer positions it as a substrate for various floor coverings, including laminate, its thickness exceeds the optimal value for laminate. Therefore, if the choice is made in her favor, it is better to limit minimum thickness— 4 mm

Features of the laminate and substrate thickness

The thickness of the substrate should correspond to the thickness of the laminate; for a thin one, 7 mm thick, a two-millimeter substrate will be sufficient; for a laminate of the most common thickness, 8 mm, optimal solution there will be a substrate with a thickness of 2-3 mm, for thick ones you can take a substrate with a standard thickness of 3 mm, and sometimes 4-5 mm.

An indication of the possibility or necessity of using a substrate with a thickness of more than 3 mm must be contained in the manufacturer's instructions. Typically, this underlay is used with commercial grade 33 laminate, which is subject to particularly high loads and has significant density and strength.

Is it possible to use a thick substrate to level out unevenness in the base?

It is better to use a thin underlay 2 mm thick if the subfloor is perfectly flat. If there are acceptable irregularities, a 3 mm thick substrate is suitable; this is the most universal solution. If the height differences exceed the permissible values, the base must be leveled. Often, instead, they try to smooth out defects using a thicker substrate.

If the substrate is dense enough, wrinkles slightly, and practically does not cake (cork, pine substrates, and some types of sheet substrates made of extruded polystyrene foam have such characteristics), you can use a material 4-5 mm thick. But only if this is due to the characteristics of the laminate and is recommended by its manufacturer, this is not the best way to compensate for uneven subfloors.

It is no coincidence that the thickness of the soft substrate is limited to 3 millimeters, and In no case should you increase it by laying the substrate in several layers. The fact is that it wrinkles and cakes during use, and over time its thickness can be halved. Due to this, a void, a backlash, is formed under the laminate, and the greater the thickness of the substrate, the greater this backlash will be. And the voids under the laminate have a very negative impact on locking connections, lead to their premature failure.

The play formed after creasing the substrate with a standard thickness of 2-3 mm will be in the range of 1-1.5 mm, this is quite tolerable. But if 2 layers of a 3-millimeter substrate are laid on a base with height differences greater than the maximum permissible 3 mm per linear meter, after caking, a backlash of up to 3 mm will form. When combined with base defects, significant differences in height are obtained that exceed the permissible limits. Because of them, the load on the laminate will be uneven, the panels will begin to sag, and the locks may not withstand this.

So the thickness of neither polyethylene foam nor more dense and caking-resistant polystyrene foam substrates under the laminate should not exceed 3 mm.

Additional factors determining the thickness of the substrate

• The thickness of the substrate should be proportional to the thickness of the film for waterproofing
• Thanks to impregnation, the bitumen-cork substrate does not absorb moisture; laying it with the impregnation down allows you to avoid waterproofing, due to which you can increase the thickness of the substrate itself, it is usually 3-4 mm
• Sometimes laminate flooring is installed in adjacent rooms, but the level of the subfloor in them is different. You can compensate for this difference in height by using a substrate of different thicknesses, but it should be within the recommended range. Therefore, it is problematic to level a difference of more than 1 mm in this way.

Bottom line

The permissible thickness of the substrate for the laminate is in the range of 2-5 mm (for cork substrate - from 1.8 mm.) The optimal thickness is 3 mm. A thinner underlay can be used with a thin laminate and laid on the base with minimal imperfections. A thicker underlay is usually used with thick, heavy-duty laminate, only as recommended by the manufacturer.

A substrate with a thickness of more than 3 mm is made of dense, slightly wrinkled and virtually non-caking materials during operation, usually sheet substrates. The substrate can only smooth out minor unevenness of the base; instead of leveling a subfloor with significant differences in height, it is unacceptable to try to solve this problem by increasing the thickness of the substrate.

When choosing a laminate from one of important characteristics wear resistance class remains. Today, class 33 material is considered the most common. It can be laid in any room, even in kitchens. When installing the coating, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions, and especially the thickness with the substrate. After all, if you lay the product too thick, the joints will turn out wide, which has a bad effect on general form floor covering.

Description

Class 33 laminate is a modern flooring material made from fiberboard.

It consists of 4 layers, each of which has its own functions:

The thickness of class 33 laminate boards is determined by the thickness of the second layer. It is this parameter that determines the load that the floor covering can withstand. The higher the strength, the higher the strength of the laminate, and therefore the noise and sound insulation. You can purchase class 33 laminate today in the following thickness : 6 mm, 7, 8, 10, 12.

When choosing the thickness of a class 33 laminate with a backing, you need to determine exactly in which room the installation will be carried out. Today for home use in great demand uses class 33 laminate with a thickness of 6 or 7 mm. For rooms with high traffic, you need to pay attention to a product with a thickness of 8, 10 and 12 mm.

But this will help you understand what the backing for a laminate made of foam polystyrene looks like and how it is used.

The video shows the rules for choosing a laminate:

Dimensions

It will also be interesting to learn more about what the arbiton laminate underlay for heated floors is:

You can see what the cork backing for 2 mm laminate looks like and how it is used in the photo in the contents of this

Thickness 8 mm

Class 33 laminate with a thickness of 8 mm is actively used when arranging floors in restaurants, bars, and offices. Before installation, it is necessary to level the floor so that the height difference does not exceed 2. Under the layer of boards you need to lay a vapor barrier and a substrate. This way it will be possible to protect the coating from moisture.

In the photo, the thickness of the laminate is class 33

Laminate with a thickness of 8 mm is vulnerable to moisture. As a result, the material begins to swell, and the coating itself loses its evenness. The thickness of the substrate for the laminate is 1-2 mm, it is made from expanded polystyrene and cork. Its role is to eliminate floor unevenness, as well as to provide sound and heat insulation to the room.

10 mm

This material should be used when arranging the floor in educational institutions, supermarkets and exhibition centers, where there is a high degree of traffic. At the same time, make sure that the difference in the floor is no higher than 1 mm.

We still have to take care of the vapor barrier and the substrate. Laminate with a thickness of 10 mm is equipped with more reliable locks for connecting individual boards. The service life of the material is 5-7 years, but only with proper care and correct installation.

12 mm

This material should be installed in rooms where there is maximum load. The installation process is carried out especially carefully. The depth of the depressions on the floor surface should not be higher than 1 mm. Be sure to take care of the vapor barrier and the substrate. The service life of the material is 5-7 years, and if it is laid at home, it will last more than 20 years. You can read about it in the article.

In the photo, the laminate thickness is 10 mm

Here's how to choose good laminate for an apartment and what you should pay attention to, you can find out if you go

You can see what a 7 mm coniferous backing for laminate flooring looks like and where it is most often used.

High-quality laminate is endowed with excellent performance properties, thanks to which the coating is one of the most practical and cheap. So that it pleases the owners with aesthetically pleasing properties for as long as possible appearance and durability, it is necessary to lay underlay material. But before making the final choice, you should find out what the thickness of the substrate for the laminate in general is and what is relevant in each specific case.

Do you need underlay for laminate flooring?

The substrate is a kind of foundation for the future laminate floor. As you know, the foundation performs several tasks simultaneously. The situation is similar with the substratum. It performs several functions at once:

• Waterproofing. That is, it protects the laminate floor from moisture, which tends to accumulate on the base from time to time.
• Depreciation, helping to reduce the load on connecting elements panels;
• Leveling. By smoothing out minor unevenness and defects in the subfloor.
• Noise and heat insulation, in which the lining becomes a kind of enclosing barrier.

There are different types of substrates for laminate (combined, fiberglass, polyethylene foam, coniferous, specialized types), distinguished by the main material used for their production - it is this that affects technical properties and price.

No less important criterion, according to which the underlay layer must be selected - the thickness that determines whether the underlay material will meet the homeowner's expectations. The main thing that experts recommend paying attention to is that it should not be too thick.

First of all, you need to find out the factors influencing this indicator:

1. coating class,
2. area of ​​use and expected loads,
3. lamella geometry,
4. condition of the base (presence of unevenness, cracks, etc.),
5. quality of waterproofing,
6. components of the lining itself.

The best option for the average buyer when choosing is to clarify what the laminate manufacturer recommends and give preference to the specified materials, since they are manufactured taking into account distinctive properties one type of panel or another.

The thickness of the substrate for laminate varies, but it is difficult to say which one is better, since much depends on certain factors.

It is worth remembering that soft underlays are limited in terms of thickness, while when using dense ones this value can be increased.

For example, for polystyrene or polyethylene foam, the optimal recommended thickness is no more than 3 mm.

The cork layer can vary from 2 to 4, but it is better to avoid coniferous substrates, or give preference to 4 mm products. Although they are positioned as universal, their thickness is higher than that recommended for laminate (4-7 mm).

In addition, the thickness of the underlayment and lamellas must be proportionate. For a standard 8 mm laminate, 2-3 mm substrates are suitable, for a reduced laminate (up to 7 mm) - two mm, and for an enlarged one (9-12) - 3-5 mm.

In order not to make a mistake, it is best to pay attention to the instructions of the laminate manufacturer. As a rule, the company indicates its preferred options.

Selection rules

How to choose a substrate for laminate when you need to level the rough base? A common mistake buyers make is purchasing a thick lining to level the surface.

Of course, it can level out some flaws, but they should be insignificant. For ideally flat floors, 2 mm is sufficient, if available. permissible defects – 3.

When the unevenness is large and significant differences are noticeable, it will not be possible to cope with the help of a footboard alone - you will have to level it.

Very often, dense coniferous underlying bases of 3 mm are used for flooring. Such a solution is rational if allowed by the manufacturer. In any case, the maximum value allowed is no more than 5 mm.

When it comes to soft substrates, it’s not for nothing that experts recommend three-millimeter ones. Under no circumstances is it recommended to lay it in two layers. This is explained by the fact that during operation the material becomes wrinkled, which means the thickness decreases.

As a result, between the panels and the substrate layer, a free space. That is, the thicker the substrate, the more space remains. For example, a two- or three-millimeter flooring is reduced to 1-1.5 mm.

If the space is too large, then there is a risk of bending the slats and deforming the locking elements. Thus, preference should not be given to polyethylene foam, polystyrene and other less soft options with a thickness of over 3 mm.

It is also worth considering the fact that the thickness of the lining and the waterproofing layer must be proportional. It is also surprising that the combined cork and bitumen flooring is unable to absorb moisture.

By laying the material with the impregnation downwards, there is no need to provide waterproofing layer, which makes it possible to use a thicker substrate up to 4 mm.

It also happens that the level of the rough foundation in the rooms is different. The way out of this situation will be to lay underlay material with different thicknesses, but, again, within the permissible value.

So, when choosing the thickness of the substrate for the laminate, you should focus on the fact that the optimal value is 3 mm. Depending on the specific case Thinner (1.8-2 mm) or thicker (4-5) are allowed.

It is advisable to install a thin underlay under a thin laminate when the base is almost perfectly level. Greater thickness is used for thick lamellas and only if the laminate manufacturer provides this possibility.

You should not try to correct large unevenness with a thicker backing, as this will not only not level the base, but may also damage the coating itself.