The best underlayment for basement is cork underlayment

In cold areas, most of our clients like to work cork underlayment plus Forna floating cork flooring, can raise the temperature in the basement by as much as 7 Celsius (13 fahrenheit) without turning up the heat. All of our clients who have worked with the Forna 6mm underlayment have been EXTREMELY pleased with the cushion, the thermal insulation and the acoustic insulation (the basement gets VERY quiet once cork is installed). Cork flooring naturally insulates keeping your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Cork underlayment helps insulate a room and cut down on heating bills in the winter.

The purpose of underlayment is to correct any minor imperfections in a subfloor, to protect the flooring from moisture and mildew and to deaden the sound of footsteps. Cork underlayment meets these criteria. Cork is made up of millions of small cells that trap air. It is this structure that makes cork ‘elastic’, allowing it to compress and expand. This give and take of cork underlayment is perfect for correcting any flaws in the subfloor. Also cork is water resistant and mildew resistant thus providing excellent protection for the flooring above it. And the honeycomb structure of cork makes it great insulating material. Cork underlayment will not only absorb the sound of footsteps but it will also absorb and keep heat.

Furthermore cork contains a substance called suberin that makes it anti-allergenic underlayment. Cork is both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. This provides extra protection for the flooring and also gives a great foundation for people intent on making their living environment allergen free because they suffer from allergies or asthma.

The only thing to remember about cork underlayment is that it is water resistant not water proof. If the subfloor is concrete or in a basement it is very important to first lay down a 6mm moisture barrier to protect the underlayment from water damage.

ICork Floor LLC

We used dri-core with vinyl plank on top it keeps the floor from feeling really cold and easy to care for with big dogs in and out of a free range dog run in all kinds of weather.