Q: What is the best brand laminate with attached underlayment. This will be installed in a foyer and hallway. I notice there are different thicknesses. How do you decide which one?
A: As a preface here, I will say that when possible, I prefer to avoid pre-attached underlayment on flooring. Although it ends up being cheaper in the end, the underlayment typically used is just that: cheap.
My preferences aside, there is no singular “best” brand for a laminate floor with an attached underlayment, but there are several which perform very well for different reasons.
Westhollow’s silencer series has made a good stride in its looks lately and it holds up rather well, but with these changes they have changed out their underlayment choice to something that is no where near as acoustically satisfying as the previous underlayment.
Alloc Original is another good laminate with attached pad. Alloc’s test scores were rather good last time we had them tested in an independent lab, but again like other attached underlayment floors, the underlayment does just enough to cut the cake, but its not the cream of the crop compared to other choices with a supplemental underlayment.
BHK Moderna Soundguard is another collection that has a decent underlayment and some very unique patterns, but its abrasion testing is not quite up to par when compared to Westhollow or Alloc.
There are a few other floors, but what you will want to look into is whether you want the floor to feel more like a non-floating floor (less movement when walked over) and better acoustical ratings or if you want a more abrasion resistant floor. Once you decide this you will be able to vastly narrow your field and work on which product then fits your design needs. If you primary reason for an attached underlayment floor is to save a few bucks, than it can be a good way to go, but if you are looking to get a better sounding and feeling floor, get one that requires a separate underlayment.
