When installing a laminate wood floor like purgo, should you feel a squish feeling with the pad or?

Question

OR should you feel a solid feel as if there is no pad underneath.

Answer 1

Solid unless you installed it over carpet---don't laugh some of the "Flipped" homes I visited while house shopping had just that.
Bizarre.

Answer 2

Well, not a "squish" feeling. But, the floor should give ever so slightly when you walk across it. The pad is there for three reasons:

1 - Sound dampening - so you don't get that hollow resonant sound when you walk on it.

2 - Moisture barrier - if you spill a lliquid and it seeps between the cracks, it won't rot out a wood subfloor.

3 - Fatigue relief - the floor should give a little when you walk on it, so you don't get overly fatigued walking or standing on it, like you would with a solid tile floor.

If the floor flexes noticably, it was probably installed too tightly, so it bows up a bit. That or it was really cheap flooring and it wasn't perfectly flat to begin with.

Answer 3

No squishy feeling - it will feel solid. My parents just put Pergo flooring in their kitchen. It looks beautiful and they DIY to save $. I believe Pergo is the best brand to buy when considering wood flooring - you shouldn't be able to feel the padding unless you purchased the wrong kind of padding? If that was the case, I'd imagine the Pergo wouldn't even fit over the padding.

Answer 4

Solid - I have the pad under my floors and there is no squishiness at all. I had my floors put in professionally too, if you want to compare if a DIY project.