Specialty Flooring Underlayments

Quality  underlayment  well  matched to  the  installation  can provide  several benefits that enhance a hardwood  flooring installation. To that end,  MP Global Products developed two fiber  paddings, Insulayment and QuietWalk,  with special characteristics that make them suitable  for use under wood floors.  Insulayment acoustical  underlayment is  a high  performing, sound  suppressing product  for installation under glue  down or nail  down hardwood or  engineered wood floors, while Quiet- Walk is designed for use under floating wood and laminate flooring. Both underlayments deliver multiple advantages. They smooth out little  subfloor imperfections  so the  finished floor  lays as  close to  flat as  possible. In addition,  QuietWalk  boasts a  “moisture  management system”  unlike  any other underlayment that will handle moderate amounts of moisture from either above  or below. In addition, both products quiet impact sound and floor-to-ceiling noise. Insulayment glues onto a structurally solid concrete or wood subfloor, and  wood planks adhere directly to it. QuietWalk  rolls out and tapes at the  seams. Both products take advantage of MP Global’s unique manufacturing process (used in all its fiber padding  products) which results  in randomly air-laid  filaments that cushion the floor and absorb impact sound, enabling the underlayment to act as a highly effective isolation barrier that  dampens impact noise traveling from  an upper  living  area  to  a  lower  living  area.  They  also  maintain excellent compression resistance for the life of  the floor and disperse impact energy  of each footfall,  lessening strain  on knee  and hip  joints and improving overall walking comfort. These two products are firm enough to resist crushing under the weight of  the floor,  unlike lesser  products that  can flatten  out over time, especially in high-traffic areas. Moisture handling is excellent. In addition to the vapor barrier film on the top-facing surface of QuietWalk, the randomly  air-laid filaments can wick subfloor or incidental perimeter moisture and  disperse it through the pad. Moderate amounts of moisture will eventually evaporate  over time, provided the source of water, such as a leak, is stopped. Insulayment  and QuietWalk are quality upgrades from basic products commonly referred to as “2 in 1” polyethylene  or polystyrene  products and  have the  added selling  point of costing less than  froth foam, rubber  or cork underlayment  that shares similar sound numbers. Both  products also have  an environmental story.  Insulayment is third-party certified to contain 100% post industrial/pre-consumer fibers, while QuietWalk is third-party certified  to contain 95% post  industrial/pre-consumer fibers. Both are LEED compliant and  can contribute to credits in the  Materials and Resources category. As well,  each has passed California’s Section  1350 for CHPS and  Standard Office,  the most  rigorous emissions  test widely recognized around the country. Insulayment and QuietWalk are also approved for use over radiant floors.