Lumber Liq 4mm LVP - Underlayment choice

Lumber Liq 4mm LVP - Underlayment choice

Rental Property Investor · Gainesville, FL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 432 votes

Hi all,

Help please!

At the home stretch of this rental rehab. Demo has begun and Lowe's will be delivering items next week.

Flooring has been the biggest difficulty to get locked down. Going with a LVP waterproof I looked at tons of options (mm, foam backing, no foam backing, rigid core) with every flooring "expert" that I spoke with having no consistency on what I should use as underlay or if I should use underlay. I was quite surprised, aren't they supposed to know??

Now, finally, decided on Lumber Liquidators 4mm product https://www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/c/Edgewater-O...

The question now is underlay that I got no real answers on when speaking with those working in the flooring section. Seems like they just want to sell me high end when it's not needed after telling them it's a rental and I want something that is not high end but that will still do the job. 

There are two different subfloors being covered: concrete (300 sq ft) and the remainder (>1200 sq ft) is wood never finished that used to be covered with carpet. It's a townhouse with 3 levels and it's a rental, it's a rental, it's a rental. :-)

LL suggested putting this down: https://www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/c/LVT-Underla...

At $45 per 100 sq ft roll this is a very expensive underlay. Part of the write up "Ultra-Fresh: anti-microbial protection which resists mold and mildew" that should be sufficient to cover both subfloor types, but I don't want to spend that much money.

I need some help from those who have used similar or same flooring and what you decided to do for underlay.

What have you done for underlay that would be for a waterproof LVP covering concrete or wood subfloor?

Thank you!

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Interior Decorator · Canton, MI · Member since 2015 · 129 posts · 100 votes
7y

You only need the underlay on the upper floors to keep the noise to a minimum. ( some local ordinances may even require it.) Not necessary on the main floor if there is no living space underneath that would be affected by noise. So like an unfinished basement pass on the main floor. There are better ones that would be in that price range. Omnichoice from the Healthier Choice people is an option. Most Carpet Ones have a special price on it.

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  • Interior Decorator · Canton, MI · Member since 2015 · 129 posts · 100 votes
    7y

    You only need the underlay on the upper floors to keep the noise to a minimum. ( some local ordinances may even require it.) Not necessary on the main floor if there is no living space underneath that would be affected by noise. So like an unfinished basement pass on the main floor. There are better ones that would be in that price range. Omnichoice from the Healthier Choice people is an option. Most Carpet Ones have a special price on it.

  • Rental Property Investor · Central Florida · Member since 2019 · 7 posts · 5 votes
    7y

    While I can't comment on whether or not your need underlay for the flooring "type (wood/concrete)" I can tell you I JUST bought this same exact 4mm flooring from LL in Central Florida. I also bought their HIGHEST rated underlay like you have linked in your post above. I did buy a over 1300 sq ft of the product and my installer minus the prep work said it's actually going in well. I have the underlay going in along with the vapor barrier everywhere except the stairs as both floors of the condo I am remodeling is mostly concrete and I want to "protect" the warranty. I was aggressive in getting a deal as it was my first "pro" purchase at LL and they gave me great pricing I probably won't get the opportunity to replicate again but I may try. 

    Getting real answers was hard, we have a Floor and Decor in Orlando and the flooring for a rental just seems pricey. I also bought 5 1/4" baseboard from LL and got good pricing on that as well.  Yes it may be a much better product (t/b/d) but my rehab costs went sky high because I ended up gutting the place minus the walls pretty much and that's no one's "fault" but my own. At this point I am glad I did LVP and I'm hopeful I get 10+ years out of the product but there's no guarantees people will care for it.

  • Rental Property Investor · Orlando, FL · Member since 2019 · 56 posts · 26 votes
    7y

    I would call and ask someone who installs the flooring you are asking about. Most of the retailers and big box stores are minimum wage employees, possibly being paid commission, who are by no means experts and just want you to just buy a product or buy a product so their commission is higher. You could ask the big box stores and retailers who they subcontract the work to and ask them.

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