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Carpets, Lino & Flooring

Do I need to put ply down before laying underlay and flooring

Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 2.39 PM

I have purchased laminate flooring but when someone came to fit today he said I need to put ply down first even though I have purchased a decent underlay too. I personally feel this is an unnecessary extra cost as the floorboards are pretty even and thought the underlay would be sufficient. Any suggestions if he's right.? Many thanks.

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2 Answers

Anonymous user

Hi, Most flooring needs to be laid on a base with no more than 2mm discrepancy. To test for this, lay a strait edge or Long spirit level across the floor in all directions so you can gauge the gaps underneath. This is especially important in a wet area where the joints between the boards must not allow water penetration. As a rule, it's better to be safe than sorry, if water gets in between a board in the middle of the room, and causes swelling, you will have to relay the whole floor. Hope this helps.

Answered7 May 2016

cmw floors and wetrooms

Rating: 4.9 out of 5

Frinton On Sea

Hi Keith, there are quite a lot of variables involved to be honest.It depends on how thick your laminate is, what format your underlay is, (fibre board, rubber or foam) & if your floorboards are well fixed, as well as relatively flat.If you are on a budget, maybe try hardboard instead of ply, if not, then maybe 4mm ply, as opposed to 6mm. Hope this helps, Chris.

Answered12 April 2019