Have you decided to lay a parquet board in the rooms of your apartment or house and even chose the material for this? And did you think about what the basis for parquet should be? Suppose that your floor is ideal, as you think. However, small bumps will still remain on it. So they can significantly reduce the service life of the parquet board, since the voids will remain between the base of the floor and the lamelons of the parquet and the coating will “play” them. In addition, the floor will begin to creak that neither you nor your neighbors from below (if any) will like it. To prevent this from happening, use a substrate under the parquet board. Let’s find out whether the substrate under the parquet board is really needed, and which one is better.
Types of a substrate for a parquet board
Today, the flooring market offers us many varieties of substrates. Consider the most popular of them.
- Very often, polyethylene backing foam is used to lay under a parquet board. It is resistant to various chemical compounds, is not afraid of mold and fungi. Such a coating has good moisture resistance. However, the substrate made of foamed polyethylene has a very large minus: it is toxic and fire hazard. In addition, this material under the influence of oxygen can be decomposed. And this means that in ten years, instead of a substrate under the parquet, a powder will remain.
- The foil substrate has good heat and soundproofing properties. Usually, a foil layer is made on polyethylene foam. Experts recommend this coating on rigidly fixed wooden lags. In addition, a foil substrate for a parquet board can be used when the coating is mounted on a warm floor.
- Natural material is a cork for a parquet board. For its production, a crushed bark of cork oak is used, which is then also pressed. She does not mold and does not rot, holds heat well and is an excellent soundproof. However, it should be remembered that the cork substrate cannot be laid on a recently made screed. Previously, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing, for example, a thick plastic film.
- The bitumen-industrial substrate or, as it is also called, the parkolang is a layer of craft paper, which is processed with bitumen and sprinkled with a crumb from the traffic jam. Such a substrate is distinguished by good moisture protection, excellent sound insulation and durability. This material is laid on the base of the floor with the cork side. However, such material will not be environmentally friendly, since bitumen mastic distinguishes formaldehyde harmful to the human body.
- The substrate of composite materials consists of three layers. The lower one is a porous film that can pass moisture into the middle layer full of balls. The top layer is a plastic film. The choice of such a substrate is the best option if the floor screed is undergoing or condensation forms on the floor.
- The coniferous substrate for the parquet board has high quality and environmental friendliness. The porous structure of coniferous wood gives the substrate excellent sound insulation, as well as air ventilation. However, such material has a fairly high price.
As you can see, there are several options for a substrate for a parquet board, which can be used in residential premises. Choose the most suitable, and a parquet floor with a substrate will serve you for a long time without requiring a replacement.
