Laminate planks with no pad on the back need a separate underlay, and the choice comes down to what sits under those planks: a concrete basement slab, a plywood subfloor upstairs, or a condo floor with a building rule attached. We stock 13 underlays in the underlayment collection, so this guide prices every roll, works out the cost per square foot and gives the roll count for a 300 sq ft or 600 sq ft room. Planks with an attached pad are a different case, and our guide to underlayment for SPC vinyl flooring explains why.
Quick answer: which underlay for which subfloor
The best underlay for laminate flooring depends on what is underneath the floor, not on the price of the roll.
- Concrete slab or basement: the floor needs a moisture barrier under the planks, so pick a pad that carries its own film, or plan a separate sheet beneath a plain pad.
- Plywood or OSB subfloor upstairs: a plain foam pad or the cork-rubber pieces, with no plastic film underneath.
- Condo: the building decides what it will accept, so read its rules before you order.
- Budget: roll prices work out at $0.09 to $0.96 per sq ft. Bought in whole rolls for a 300 sq ft room, the underlay comes to $36.00 for the 2mm silver pad and $388.00 for the DMX roll.
- Quantity: add 5% to the floor area, then buy whole rolls. A 300 sq ft room takes 2 of the 200 sq ft rolls.
Every underlay we stock: roll size, roll price, cost per sq ft
Coverage comes from each product name: most list a square-footage roll, the DMX roll gives its dimensions, the vapour shield paper neither. Cost per sq ft is the roll price divided by that coverage, rounded to the cent.
| Underlay | Coverage | Roll price | Cost per sq ft | 300 sq ft room | 600 sq ft room |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodfellow 2mm silver pad | 200 sq ft roll | $18.00 | $0.09 | 2 rolls ($36.00) | 4 rolls ($72.00) |
| 3-in-1 Green underlayment | 200 sq ft roll | $25.00 | $0.13 | 2 rolls ($50.00) | 4 rolls ($100.00) |
| Black 3mm underlayment pad | 200 sq ft roll | $28.00 | $0.14 | 2 rolls ($56.00) | 4 rolls ($112.00) |
| White 3mm underlayment pad | 200 sq ft roll | $30.00 | $0.15 | 2 rolls ($60.00) | 4 rolls ($120.00) |
| Omni Choice underlayment 1.4mm | 100 sq ft roll | $45.00 | $0.45 | 4 rolls ($180.00) | 7 rolls ($315.00) |
| Stealth Black underlayment | 100 sq ft roll | $49.99 | $0.50 | 4 rolls ($199.96) | 7 rolls ($349.93) |
| UHD Black underlayment | 100 sq ft roll | $50.00 | $0.50 | 4 rolls ($200.00) | 7 rolls ($350.00) |
| Super Silent Silver-Black underlayment | 200 sq ft roll | $75.99 | $0.38 | 2 rolls ($151.98) | 4 rolls ($303.96) |
| Quiet Tan Plus underlayment 4.7mm | 100 sq ft roll | $79.99 | $0.80 | 4 rolls ($319.96) | 7 rolls ($559.93) |
| DMX 1-Step underlayment | 100.53 sq ft roll (44 in x 27 ft 5 in) | $97.00 | $0.96 | 4 rolls ($388.00) | 7 rolls ($679.00) |
| Vinyltech Black underlayment | 200 sq ft roll | $99.99 | $0.50 | 2 rolls ($199.98) | 4 rolls ($399.96) |
| 2mm cork-rubber underlayment | 6 sq ft piece (3 ft x 2 ft) | $4.99 | $0.83 | 53 pieces ($264.47) | 105 pieces ($523.95) |
| Silicone Vapour Shield paper | not stated in the title | $40.00 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Prices checked October 22, 2026. Roll prices and coverages come from our current catalogue.
Our quote sheet starts the underlay line from a default of $50.00 per 200 sq ft roll. The four lightest pads sit under it at $18.00 to $30.00 a roll, the $49.99 and $50.00 rolls sit at it, and the heavier acoustic pads run above. A few rolls are thin on the shelf, including the Omni Choice, Super Silent and 3-in-1 Green, so confirm quantity first.
How many rolls of underlay do you need?
Roll counting follows the quote sheet rules for laminate and engineered click-lock floors:
- Measure the floor area in sq ft.
- Add 5% for waste: area x 1.05.
- Divide by the roll coverage and round up.
- Multiply the roll count by the roll price.
A 300 sq ft bedroom and hallway comes to 315 sq ft after waste (300 x 1.05). Against a 200 sq ft roll that is 315 / 200 = 1.575, so 2 rolls, and 2 x $28.00 = $56.00 for the black 3mm pad. The same room on a 100 sq ft roll needs 4 rolls, because 315 / 100 = 3.15.
A 600 sq ft open-plan space comes to 630 sq ft: 4 rolls of 200 sq ft (630 / 200 = 3.15) or 7 rolls of 100 sq ft (630 / 100 = 6.3). At $28.00 a roll the black pad costs $112.00, while 7 rolls of the 100 sq ft UHD pad come to $350.00.
Cork-rubber is sold in pieces, not rolls: 315 / 6 = 52.5, so 53 pieces for the 300 sq ft room, and 105 pieces for 630 sq ft.
Foam, 3-in-1, cork-rubber and acoustic pads compared
Goodfellow describes underlayments as support layers that improve comfort, sound insulation and moisture protection, with each type matched to particular flooring and subfloors. We stock 13 underlays: 11 pads (three plain foam, the 3-in-1 Green, the cork-rubber pieces, five dense acoustic rolls, plus the thin Omni Choice) and two non-pad products.
Plain foam pads
The black 3mm pad at $28.00 per 200 sq ft roll, the white 3mm pad at $30.00 and the Goodfellow 2mm silver roll at $18.00 are the everyday choices over a wood subfloor. Goodfellow calls a 2mm EPE foam pad an excellent choice for laminate flooring installed on plywood subfloors; the silver roll is our 2mm option.
3-in-1 pad with a moisture film
A 3-in-1 pad is foam bonded to a plastic film, so the cushion and the barrier arrive in one roll. The 3-in-1 Green roll is $25.00 for 200 sq ft, or $0.13 per sq ft, for a basement where you would rather handle one product than two.
The thin Omni Choice pad
The Omni Choice roll is 1.4mm thick at $45.00 per 100 sq ft, or $0.45 per sq ft, thinner than the 2mm and 3mm foam pads, so it suits a doorway where the finished height matters. Its name gives thickness and coverage only, so confirm its construction before relying on it over a slab.
Cork-rubber
The 2mm cork-rubber underlayment comes in 3 ft x 2 ft pieces at $4.99 each, which is $0.83 per sq ft. At 2mm it sits lower than the 3mm foam pads, and pieces are easy to fit around corners. A 600 sq ft open-plan floor needs 105 pieces covering 630 sq ft, which is the room plus the 5% waste allowance, so confirm the quantity you need.
Dense acoustic pads
Impact noise between storeys is what the heavier rolls are bought for. The UHD Black roll is $50.00 for 100 sq ft, and its product title lists IIC 73 / STC 72. Quiet Tan Plus is 4.7mm thick at $79.99 per 100 sq ft, Stealth Black is $49.99, and Super Silent Silver-Black and Vinyltech Black are $75.99 and $99.99 on 200 sq ft rolls. A rating in a product name is not an approved assembly, so check your building's own rules before you order and send us the document.
The DMX roll and the vapour-shield paper
The DMX 1-Step roll is $97.00 for 100.53 sq ft (44 in x 27 ft 5 in), or $0.96 per sq ft, and the Silicone Vapour Shield paper is $40.00 a roll, with no coverage in its name, so we price it per room.
Concrete slab or wood subfloor: the vapour question
Krono Original, part of the Swiss Krono Group, describes vapour barriers as films that limit moisture moving up from the subfloor into the laminate, and states that they need only be installed on mineral subfloors such as stone, concrete and asphalt. Over a basement slab that means a barrier under the planks: a pad with the film built in, or a plain pad over a separate sheet.
The same guidance is direct about the opposite case, since for subfloors made of wood a vapour barrier may not be installed. The upstairs plywood floor gets plain foam or cork-rubber, and the film stays in the basement.
Goodfellow states that the 72-hour water-resistant rating on its laminate refers to the product itself and that it should not be used as a moisture barrier, so a spill-resistant plank does not replace the film over a slab. Goodfellow's installation guide also names the underlayments compatible with that laminate, so the pad choice is narrower than the shelf suggests. If the slab has a moisture history, our vapour barrier guide for basement slabs covers the testing that comes first, and the guide on installing laminate over concrete covers the wider basement question.
How thick is laminate flooring with underlay?
Add the pad to the plank, because that sum is the height your finished floor builds up to. The Wilderness Oak plank is 14mm thick, so over the 4.7mm Quiet Tan Plus it stands at 18.7mm. Grey Oak is 10mm, and over the black 3mm pad the build-up is 13mm. Both 12mm planks in the table below come to 14mm over the 2mm silver pad.
| Padless laminate | Plank thickness | Box price | Cost per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Krono Chocolate Laminate Flooring AC4 | 12mm | $33.15 per 14.17 sq ft box | $2.34 |
| Swiss Krono 10mm Grey Oak | 10mm | $42.83 per 17.22 sq ft box | $2.49 |
| Goodfellow Prag No.028 | 12mm | $60.54 per 20.18 sq ft box | $3.00 |
| Swiss Krono 14mm Wilderness Oak AC6 | 14mm | $41.04 per 13.28 sq ft box | $3.09 |
Plank thickness and pad thickness are separate decisions: our laminate thickness comparison works through the plank side, and the AC5 laminate buying guide covers which boards suit which rooms. A thick pad does not level a wavy subfloor; levelling and subfloor repair are quoted after we see the floor. Check door clearances against the finished height before you order.
What the underlay adds to an installed laminate quote
Here is a 600 sq ft open-plan floor in Swiss Krono 10mm Grey Oak with the black 3mm pad under it, priced the way we price it: 5% waste on the area, whole boxes of plank, whole rolls of pad, and labour on the waste-adjusted area.
| Line | House or basement | Condo |
|---|---|---|
| Plank: 37 boxes x $42.83 | $1,584.71 | $1,584.71 |
| Underlay: 4 rolls x $28.00 | $112.00 | $112.00 |
| Labour on 630 sq ft | $945.00 | $1,260.00 |
| Subtotal | $2,641.71 | $2,956.71 |
| HST at 13% | $343.42 | $384.37 |
| Total | $2,985.13 | $3,341.08 |
Installation labour is $1.50 per sq ft for a house or basement and $2.00 per sq ft for a condo, charged on the 630 sq ft waste-adjusted area. The pad is $112.00 of the $2,641.71 house subtotal, so plank and labour are still the bulk of the bill. This example does not include delivery, removal of the old floor, trim or transitions; these have their own rates and are added to a full quote. Stairs, levelling and subfloor work are priced after we see the site. Run your own rooms through the flooring budget estimator before you call.
Frequently asked questions about laminate underlay
How thick is a laminate floor once the underlay is down?
Add the plank and the pad. Our pads run from 1.4mm to 4.7mm, so a 10mm plank over a 3mm pad finishes at 13mm, and a 14mm plank over the thickest pad finishes at 18.7mm.
How many rolls of underlay do I need for a 600 sq ft room?
Allow 5% for waste first, which brings 600 sq ft to 630 sq ft. Buy 4 rolls if yours cover 200 sq ft each, or 7 if they cover 100 sq ft, because half rolls are not sold.
Can the same underlay go on a basement slab and an upstairs wood floor?
Not usually. Krono Original limits vapour barriers to mineral subfloors such as concrete and rules them out over wood. The film-backed pad belongs in the basement, while plain foam or cork goes over the plywood.
Does a thicker underlay make laminate quieter?
Thickness is only one spec. The UHD pad's title lists IIC 73 / STC 72, and Goodfellow credits underlayments with better sound insulation, yet the finished assembly is what a building measures. Tell us which room sits below the one you are flooring.
Do I need underlay under a thick laminate plank?
Yes, unless the plank came with a pad on the back. Our quote sheet carries an underlay line for every laminate and engineered click-lock job, and Goodfellow's installation guide names the compatible underlayments rather than leaving the choice open. Attached-pad floors are covered in our guide to whether attached-pad floors need a separate underlay.
Get a laminate flooring quote in Toronto and the GTA
Send your room measurements and a photo of the subfloor, and we will price the plank, the pad and the installation together. You can request a quote or contact the showroom directly.
Top Floorings Depot
3781 Victoria Park Avenue, Unit 1, Toronto, ON M1W 3K5
www.topfloorings.com
Call: 416-499-0117
Text: 416-770-8819