You will only need an underlay if you decide to float your bamboo floor. It is important to remember that the colour and thickness of the underlay doesn’t make any difference to thermal protection or sound reduction.
There are three main types of underlay that you can use with bamboo flooring:
• Sound reducing underlay
• Thermal barrier underlay
• Underlay for underfloor heating
To help you to decide which is best for your needs, here is more information about these three different types of underlay:
Sound reducing
If you require sound proofing, you should look at the decibel (dB) rating for an indication of the performance levels. The higher the dB the rating, the more sound resistance it gives. A good quality soundproofing underlay should have a rating of around -25 decibels.
We would recommend using Cush N Wood Underlay.
Thermal barrier
If you require thermal resistance, then a thermal barrier underlay is the correct choice for you. The thickness does not necessarily mean that it provides a higher level of protection. You should look at the tog rating for an indication of how much thermal resistance a particular underlay gives. The higher the tog, the better the thermal resistance. A good tog rating for a standard underlay would be around 1.0 tog.
We would recommend using Silver Bam Underlay.
Underfloor heating compatible
If you are installing your bamboo floor with underfloor heating, you will want to look for a specific underfloor heating underlay. They have been designed with very low tog ratings so that the heat can be transferred from the heating system through to your flooring.
We would recommend using our Classic Underfloor Heating Underlay.
