Moisture in your home can have negative consequences, causing damage to your underlay, flooring and potentially affecting your furnishings. Dampness is more likely to affect your home if you have a cold, solid ground sub-floor, such as concrete or stone.
Moisture and damp can damage all types of floors, particularly wooden and laminate flooring.
To protect your underlay and flooring from moisture, these types of floors should always have a DPM (damp proof membrane) installed before any flooring. Choose an underlay that has a built-in vapour barrier to protect your flooring from any moisture issues.
Remember that the gold/silver barrier must be face down when you are fitting an underlay with a moisture barrier. The top of the seams should be securely sealed using an appropriate vapour proof tape. We recommend Gripperrods® Vapour Tape as this utilises a damp proof membrane also.
Very specific flooring underlay is required to optimise the efficiency of underfloor heating over solid, cold sub-floors. The underlay must be thin enough to allow the heat to effectively travel through as well as being moisture resistant. Underlays with a low tog rating and a DPM are perfect for underfloor heating on a concrete or stone sub-floor.
By taking the proper precautions and investing in the right moisture resistant underlay and products, you can ensure that your home stays dry and free from any moisture damage.
When it comes to the best underlay products for moisture protection, we recommend Duralay® Silentfloor Gold and Timbermate Excel.
