Choosing the right underlay is just as important as choosing the right flooring. The best underlay can make your floor feel warmer, quieter and more comfortable underfoot, while also helping to protect it over time.
If you are installing laminate flooring, engineered wood or herringbone flooring, getting the underlay right can improve performance and help your floor last longer. As our own underlay guide highlights, the right underlay helps create warmer rooms, lower bills, less noise and a longer life for your floor. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Quick answer:
For most laminate flooring, Timberlay Silver is the best all-round choice. For real wood flooring, go for Timberlay Gold. For herringbone flooring, choose Timberlay Platinum, and for underfloor heating installations, Timberlay Heatflow is the specialist option.
Underlay for laminate vs real wood flooring
Underlay is essential for both laminate and real wood flooring — but the type you need depends on what you’re installing.
Laminate flooring
- Best choice: Timberlay Silver
- Focus: comfort, sound reduction, moisture protection
- Most common installation type
Real wood flooring
- Best choice: Timberlay Gold
- Focus: support, stability, premium performance
- Higher-end flooring needs stronger underlay
Why underlay matters
The right underlay does much more than sit underneath your flooring. It helps support the floor, soften sound, improve insulation and reduce wear. Your existing fitting guides also recommend using underlay or a damp-proof membrane where appropriate, especially over concrete subfloors, and stress the importance of choosing the right type for the floor and room.
- Warmer rooms: adds insulation and helps keep heat in
- Lower bills: better insulation can help reduce heat loss
- Less noise: helps absorb sound underfoot
- Longer floor life: supports the flooring and reduces wear
- Moisture protection: some underlays include a built-in barrier
Do you need underlay for laminate flooring?
Yes — in most cases, underlay is essential for laminate flooring. It helps smooth out minor imperfections in the subfloor, adds comfort underfoot and protects the click system from unnecessary strain.
Your laminate fitting guide specifically recommends using a damp-proof membrane or underlay with DPM over concrete subfloors to reduce the risk of moisture reaching the laminate boards. It also notes that using the wrong underlay thickness can contribute to lifting or creaking at the joins.
Looking for carpet underlay?
If you're installing carpet, you'll need a different type of underlay designed specifically for comfort, insulation and durability under carpet flooring.
We cover this in detail in our carpet underlay guide, where we compare thickness, comfort levels and the best options for different rooms.
What is the best underlay for laminate flooring?
For most laminate floors, the best all-round choice is a foil underlay with moisture protection and solid acoustic performance. That is why Timberlay Silver is such a strong option for most homes.
Which underlay should you choose?
Best underlay for laminate flooring
Choose Timberlay Silver. It is the best all-round option for most laminate floors and offers the right balance of support, moisture protection and sound reduction.
Best underlay for real wood flooring
Choose Timberlay Gold. Real wood flooring needs a denser, more supportive underlay, and Timberlay Gold is the better fit for engineered and wood flooring installations.
Best underlay for herringbone flooring
Choose Timberlay Platinum. Herringbone layouts benefit from a specialist underlay that supports the pattern properly and suits both laminate and wood installations.
Best underlay for underfloor heating
Choose Timberlay Heatflow. If your installation includes underfloor heating, use a dedicated underlay designed to work with heating systems.
What about engineered wood flooring?
If you are installing engineered or real wood flooring, underlay is just as important. Your real wood fitting guides recommend a damp-proof membrane over concrete and a suitable underlay secured to the subfloor, and they also stress leaving correct expansion gaps and choosing the right overall floor build-up.
That is why Timberlay Gold is such a strong option for real wood flooring, while Timberlay Heatflow is the better choice for wood flooring over underfloor heating.
Common underlay mistakes to avoid
- Using underlay that is too thick for the flooring
- Ignoring moisture protection over concrete
- Using the wrong underlay with underfloor heating
- Choosing a laminate underlay for real wood flooring
- Skipping underlay completely
Your laminate fitting guide also warns that the wrong impact sound insulation or underlay can contribute to lifting at the join and creaking underfoot.
Shop underlay
Explore our underlay range to find the right option for laminate flooring, real wood flooring, herringbone installations and underfloor heating systems.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need underlay for laminate flooring?
Yes. Underlay helps support laminate flooring, improve comfort, reduce noise and protect the floor over time.
What is the best underlay for laminate flooring?
For most laminate flooring, Timberlay Silver is the best all-round option thanks to its balance of support, moisture protection and acoustic performance.
What is the best underlay for real wood flooring?
Timberlay Gold is the better option for real wood flooring because it offers denser support and is designed with wood floors in mind.
What is the best underlay for herringbone flooring?
Timberlay Platinum is the best specialist option for herringbone flooring, whether you are installing laminate or wood herringbone.
Do you need different underlay for underfloor heating?
Yes. If you have underfloor heating, use a dedicated underlay such as Timberlay Heatflow that is designed to work efficiently with heated floors.
Final thoughts
The best underlay depends on the type of floor you are fitting. For laminate, Timberlay Silver is the standout choice. For real wood, Timberlay Gold is the premium pick. For herringbone, Timberlay Platinum makes sense, and for underfloor heating, Timberlay Heatflow is the specialist solution.
If you want your new floor to feel better, perform better and last longer, underlay is not the place to cut corners.
