Use and Care Guide

when laying the underlayment, you may manually break out a small section of the board. It is
recommended to save excess material until the underlayment is laid. It can come in handy
when leveling a rough floor.
13. How much subfloor roughness does the underlayment smooth?
Wood fiber underlayment has a unique capability of leveling floors. Typically, the underlayment
thickness corresponds to the size of the defect that it can smooth (These may be protruding
subfloor defects, small metal objects or concrete particles remaining after construction). (See
video). The underlayment trimmings can be used to smooth small potholes, dents, cavities, or
chips on the subfloor surface in accordance with the technology described below.
If the defect size is comparable to the underlayment thickness, proceed as follows: carefully cut
a through-hole in the board corresponding to the defect size. Install the underlayment board so
that the defect falls into the cut hole. Soak the cut section of the board in water (the
underlayment material is well resistant to getting wet, so you will have to rub it with your
fingers to a slurry of creamy consistency) and mask the defect with the resulting mixture. After
drying, this “patch” will be invisible on the underlayment surface.
If the defect size is less than the underlayment thickness, it will completely hide it. If the floor
unevenness exceeds the underlayment thickness, either remove them mechanically or choose
an underlayment of greater thickness.
The uniqueness of wood fiber underlayment is that it is moderately elastic, thus able to hide
the subfloor imperfections. At the same time, it is hard enough to maintain the flooring joints
integrity.
14. What is the service life of the wood-fiber underlayment?
“At least 20 years” as per manufacturers guidelines. When properly installed and used, the
underlayment service life is not less than the service life of the finish floors. In reconstruction of
old Finnish wooden houses, aged more than 50 years, the wood fiberboards found in them
have completely preserved their appearance and functionality. A soft wood fiberboard based
underlayment will both preserve itself well and extend the floor lifespan, be it a laminate or
LVT, since it does not deform over time, unlike foamed polymer underlayment.
15. There is a wide range of wood fiber underlayment. How to choose the most suitable
one?
When choosing an underlayment, first identify the issues you are trying to resolve. The website
provides solutions for most scenarios you might encounter. General principles of selection are
usually as follows: if the underlayment is for floor leveling, simply choose the one with a
thickness compatible to the height of the subfloor defects. If the floor condition is good, even
the thinnest wood fiber underlayment will perform well to protect the lock-joints system of
your floors. If you want to raise the subfloor level, choose “thick” underlayment of up to 10
mm. There is a wide range of underlayments for a variety of applications: for intense traffic
areas, for premises requiring quick and convenient laying of utilities and/or a system of
underfloor heating, etc. A specialist will always help you choose the most suitable
underlayment type for your specific need.