Article Number : 1868 |
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| Date | 4/2/2007 8:19:19 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1868 |
| Abstract | By Matthew Spieler From the beginning, laminate products have had a reputation of having a “hollow” sound when walked upon. To their credit, mills have spent countless dollars on research and development to create ways to make their floors sound more “natural... |
| Article | By Matthew Spieler From the beginning, laminate products have had a reputation of having a “hollow” sound when walked upon. To their credit, mills have spent countless dollars on research and development to create ways to make their floors sound more “natural.” For example, many companies have started pre-attaching an underlayment on each plank to not only help solve the problem, but also create an added value for their floor. “Attached underlayment is a value-added feature that simplifies the purchase and installation of laminate flooring,” said David Small, Pergo’s marketing director. He noted the company currently sells attached underlayment on many of its premium and value-added products, such as Accolade in the specialty retail channel. “In 2008, we will add attached underlayment to Pergo Vintage Home.” Most mill executives will say there are two main advantages to having a product with a pre-attached underlay. “The benefits are that it saves time and money at installation,” said Meghan Patterson, director of marketing for Alloc. “First, you don’t need to purchase an additional underlayment, which reduces your cost. Second, you don’t need to install another underlayment, which saves time.” A key reason for the cost savings, she added, is there is no waste with an attached underlayment since what you need is on the back of the plank. “Often unattached underlayment comes in rolls of 100 square feet, and if your installation is 250 square feet you would need to buy three rolls or 300 square feet, which is unnecessary.” Whether an underlayment is pre-attached or unattached, there are different qualities, and the better the product the more benefits it provides to the consumer. “An important element on the way to success in the laminate flooring business is making sure every potential client that comes in your door, calls or schedules a shop-at-home is offered an opportunity to buy and enjoy a high-end feeling that is produced from the best underlayments,” said Ray Rodriquez, president of Starline Associates, which markets Silent Blue, an unattached underlay for laminates. David Wilkerson, vice president of marketing, hard surfaces, Shaw Industries, agreed there is a difference in the quality of underlayments available, including those on the pre-attached side. “A premium underlayment would routinely be called a 3-in-1,” he said. “This means it prepares the sub-floor for laminate flooring by evening out minor variations and indentations; it provides a moisture barrier between the laminate and the subfloor, and it provides exceptional noise reduction properties making the ‘walk sound’ more like that of a hardwood floor. Attached underlayments normally start with a 3-in-1 and bond it to the laminate planks, which is what we do at Shaw.” Pergo’s Small added that underlayments vary by type of material used, material consistency, overall density, thickness, compression resistance, water-vapor transmission rates and sound reduction. “Features such as built-in moisture barriers, overlaps at seams, pre-applied adhesives, tape, alkali resistant, UV resistant and Freon-free (foams only) are other value-added features that affect costs.” With so many benefits and features to incorporate, most companies offer different levels of underlayments, allowing dealers to not only sell up, but also give consumers the ability to get the product that best fits their lifestyle. One of the big debates since the advent of pre-attached cushions is how they compare to traditional underlayments. Some companies, such as Pergo, actually sell the same quality cushion at the premium level. “At the premium level there is no meaningful difference in performance whether attached or on rolls,” Small said. “Thus, the decision to use an attached underlayment versus underlayment sold on a roll is really the installer’s preference.” As Shaw’s Wilkerson noted, “The two could be interchangeable. The key is finding one that is compatible with the manufacturing process, which involves cutting individual strips of underlayment and applying them with adhesive to the back of the laminate planks.” Officials are quick to point out that whichever type is used, it does not preclude the use of a moisture barrier in certain circumstances. “You only need to roll out the separate polyethylene sheet if you are installing laminate over a concrete subfloor—wood doesn’t require it,” Wilkerson explained. “Since planks are installed one at a time, this means there are ‘seams’ where the [pre-attached] underlayment isn’t continuous. Therefore, the plastic sheet is used to keep moisture from wicking from the concrete into the planks.” Small noted that not all installations require a moisture barrier. “We do not recommend a vapor barrier—under any circumstances—when installing Pergo over a wooden subfloor. If moisture is a problem, a vapor barrier must be created under the crawl space to prevent moisture reaching the subfloor.” It should be noted that some companies also offer cushion/ moisture barrier combinations in both pre-attached and rolls. In the case of the pre-attached combinations, while they provide the extra convenience and cost savings, they are not recommended for all situations. “An attached moisture barrier would trap moisture between the flooring and subfloor resulting in warped planks and rotting wood,” Small said. “When installing over concrete an attached underlayment/moisture barrier also would not work. Hydrostatic moisture would be able to penetrate between the plank seams and damage the floor.” The limitations found in today’s products may soon be history as the industry continually seeks new technology and improved process to overcome these obstacles. Manufacturers say new methods and innovations are being developed to not only improve quality but lower costs as well. “Higher production speeds will help reduce cost and make the product more affordable at retail,” Wilkerson said. “There may also be some lower cost underlayments that will ultimately be suitable replacements for the high-cost foams used today.” |