Reviews of flooring substrates
The substrate is a special layer that is laid under the floor covering, designed to smooth out irregularities, reduce noise and extend the life of the floor covering. Today, many varieties of this material are produced, made on a different basis. To get rid of doubts when choosing a substrate for a laminate or parquet board, you can familiarize yourself with the reviews left by those who took advantage of one or another of its appearance.
What are the substrates
Cork backing made from crumb bark of cork, tightly pressed. It muffles sound well and evens out the base, serves for a long time, but requires waterproofing. There are varieties with the addition of rubber or bitumen.
Extruded polystyrene backing - issued in sheets of 3 and 5 mm thick. It holds heat well, does not rot and does not get wet. Muffles sounds, does not need additional waterproofing. There are also PPP substrates with foil coating.
Substrate Duplex - a special kind of substrates, consists of two layers of polyethylene with polystyrene granules between them. Due to the bottom film with holes it is able to ventilate, has high compressive strength, and is good for “floating” type of floors.
Foam polyethylene backing is the cheapest. It reduces noise well and is not afraid of moisture, but crumpled under heavy loads.
Substrate selection principles
Inspect well the room in which this material will lie.
The following plays a role:
- The state of the foundation and what it is made of;
- Humidity in the room;
- The purpose of the room;
- Will the installation of "warm floors" be carried out.