When it comes to flooring, sundry products are the proverbial icing on the cake. (And who likes cake without icing? No one, that’s who.) And neither should retailers sell their flooring wares without the sundry products meant to complement them. Underlayments, for example—from sound abatement to waterproofing to custom cushion programs—has proven to support the overall success of any flooring installation while adding to the retail community’s bottom line.
Following are the latest intros from the industry’s top underlayment suppliers.
DMX
DMX began manufacturing dimpled membranes in 2004 and has since adapted that knowledge to produce benefit-laden underlayments for the home. Take, for example, its 1-Step 2.0, a space-age contoured foam and unique dimple design that provides the ultimate in sound absorption while allowing air to circulate beneath floors, evaporating trapped moisture and eliminating harmful mold growth. In fact, the product is touted as a mold, sound, thermal and vapor barrier all in one. What’s more, it’s waterproof.
1-Step 2.0 can be used under vinyl flooring (5mm or higher). It is also certified by the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) and is VOC free.
Floor Muffler
Floor Muffler launched an innovation in flooring underlayments called Magnus, a family of magnetic flooring supplies that remove the need for adhesives. The Magnus product line consists of three products: Magnus underlayment; Magnus Tabs; and Magnus Rug for affixing area rugs to hard surfaces.
The complete system includes Magnetix luxury vinyl flooring from Floor Muffler partner Intelli-Force, and Magnus. However, the Magnus line can be used with any flooring type. “If you don’t use the Magnetix flooring, you could still use our Magnus,” said Clare Ciliberto, who handles marketing for the company. “Magnus underlayment and Magnus Tabs affix to most floors, like hardwood, LVT—they don’t have to be magnetic. And if there’s one damaged plank, you can just peel that up and then put down a new one. You don’t have to replace the floors. Also, you can just keep down the magnetic underlayment and change the floor covering if you want to switch from gray to brown, for example. It’s a very simple process.”
Future Foam/My Name is Best
My Name Is Best cushion from the Future Foam brand is a unique and exclusive formulation made from high-density virgin memory foam with extreme grind for comfort, conformity and long-lasting performance. Proprietary nylon film is used for impermeability to avoid spills soaking into cushion. Furthermore, it includes PetSolutions technology with moisture barrier to protect against pet accidents while preventing spills from reaching the subfloor.
Healthier Choice
Healthier Choice has been making underlayment for nearly 30 years and focuses on its tried-and-true Vapor Bloc Acoustical product, a patented, high-density polyurethane acoustic foam with built-in moisture vapor protection. The product significantly reduces unwanted noise by up to 22 decibels, and is suitable for beneath vinyl plank, laminate, engineered wood, solid hardwood, ceramic tile and stone tile flooring. It is also suitable for use over substrates like plywood, concrete and cement board and can even alleviate some imperfections in the subfloor. It can be used in floating and glue-down installation methods.
“We’re getting a lot of interest for our underlayment products at [TISE 2025],” said Andy Stafford, vice president of marketing and product development. “We’re seeing a resurgence, which is fantastic.”
Foam Products
Foam Products has been providing its wares for decades with premium floor covering underlayments and carpet cushion like Eco Ultimate Silencer and Eco Endurance showcasing its prowess. This year Foam Products announced the opening of a $15M facility in Trion, Ga., that produces cross-linked polyethylene foams for the pad-attached domestic market. “So right now, that product is usually brought in from China and then attached to the floor,” said Brian Culley, director of sales and marketing. “Manufacturers can now source this product right out of North Georgia in the heartland of Flooring USA. And instead of all the logistic issues, the timeframes—those type of things—they can get it tomorrow if they need to.”
The product is custom-designed with options from 0.5mm thick to 2.5mm, and from 4- to 8-pound densities. “We can do colors, we can do printed, we can do embossed. So we really want to work with those manufacturers to say, ‘What do you want?’ Instead of saying, ‘This is what we have.’ And that’s what we specialize in, and that’s why I say we’re a custom foam manufacturer.”
Leggett & Platt
Leggett & Platt Flooring Products has unveiled two new underlayments: Scotchgard Guardian, crafted from premium synthetic fiber for luxury vinyl and hardwood flooring; and Make-A-Wish Strength, a dense rubber solution for all hard surface products including ceramic tile that acts as a crack-isolation membrane. Both improve acoustics, reduce noise and feature Block-Out moisture guard and Fresh Dimension antimicrobial for inhibiting the growth of mold, mildew and odor-causing bacteria.
In partnership with Make-A-Wish, Leggett & Platt’s branded line also includes three carpet cushions: Passion, Inspire and Desire. Leggett & Platt will donate $0.01 to Make-A-Wish for every square foot ($0.09/square yard) of Make-A-Wish branded carpet and cushion underlayment products purchased.
Maxxon
Maxxon Acousti-Top paired with its Level EZ offers flooring retailers a winning underlayment system. Acousti-Top, Maxxon’s high-performance sound control underlayment, reduces impact noise and contributes to code compliance without adding floor height. The result? A quieter, smoother flooring system with a fast, efficient install. Level EZ repairs floors seamlessly with a highly flowable, self-leveling, hydraulic cement-based formula.
MP Global
MP Global, a one-stop shop underlayment supplier, is known for its eco-conscious underlayment products that defy industry norms with a variety of features for a variety of flooring types. Take QuietBoard, for example.
“QuietBoard is a little different than any other product out there,” said Deanna Summers, marketing manager. “It doesn’t come on a roll; it comes on sheets or panels. It was invented during COVID-19 when prices of plywood went through the roof, and customers were having challenges with [vinyl installs after a soft surface removal]. You have gaps around the perimeter of the room, door jambs, trim, that are severely undercut. So, we developed this fiberboard to help be an economical solution to plywood. And after we got to testing it, we found it’s an underlayment on steroids.”
QuietBoard is touted as a premium acoustical and insulating fiberboard with an integrated moisture barrier—with built-in EcoWick Technology—suitable for all floating floors and most glue-down applications.
MP Global is also focused on reenergizing its direct relationship with the retail community and is now offering sample boxes. “Accessories are margin-rich products, and we feel we can add to the bottom line with our underlayments,” Summers explained. “So, we’re offering a sample box to dealers—we’ll ship you kind of a one-source program.”
Palziv
It’s no wonder Palziv’s HQ Living carpet cushion has won innovation awards two years running—the product is made from non-toxic, closed-cell polyethylene foam, meaning it’s impervious to water all the way through—providing 360 degrees of protection. What’s more, no proposition 65 chemicals are used in the HQ Cushion manufacturing process—as it does with many others—making HQ cushion pet friendly. It also achieves a 93 IIC sound rating and is lightweight for ease of installation.
“There’s actually nothing like it,” said Dennis Layne, director of sales. “It’s a revolutionary product. It is a closed cell polyethylene foam as opposed to your traditional polyurethane-bonded foams, which kind of act almost like a sponge so susceptible to moisture, mold and mildew. Our product is 100% waterproof due to the closed cell construction. So it’s the same type of construction you would see on leg floats or pool noodles, so water never penetrates into it from any side.”
For 2025, Palziv unveiled the commercial version of its carpet cushion with similar features except designed for double glue-down applications and heavy foot traffic. “So this is new foray for us and a new product line,” Layne said. “And it takes a little time but we’re changing carpet cushion norms.”
Performance Accessories
Platinum underlayment from Performance Accessories offers moisture barrier protection combined with exceptional sound reduction properties with an IIC rating of 71 in a 3mm product and 72 IIC rating in a 1.5mm product. Constructed using polystyrene foam, the 3mm product is designed for installation under laminate flooring while the 1.5mm product is designed for use under vinyl. The 1.5mm product can be installed under a floating laminate floor; however, it is denser than the 3mm product to support luxury vinyl tile’s locking system during the installation process.
Using the Platinum underlayment, in either size, in conjunction with the laminate floor’s pre-attached pad improves performance exponentially. The R-value increases by 66%, the sound reduction goes up nearly 20%, and the floor is softer underfoot. Platinum’s fanfold construction allows it to lay flat for quick and easy positioning. Cut lines are integrated into the metallicized PET surface, making cutting simpler and faster.
Sika
SikaTile-700 Sound Shield PNS is a 90-mil, flexible, self-bonding, fabric reinforced, load-bearing membrane that reduces sound transmission and isolates cracks in the substrate. Suitable for full or partial applications in interior or exterior installations, SikaTile-700 Sound Shield PNS protects tile from in-plane movement up to 3⁄8 inches. Its strong self-adhesive backing and unique surface provide secure bonding and make it easy to position, cut-to-size and install. Installation is rapid: simply prime, peel, stick and then immediately install tile, stone or wood. Ceramic tile or stone can be installed using appropriate SikaTile cement-based mortars while wood flooring can be glued down with approved SikaBond adhesives.
TotalWorx
New from TotalWorx Accessories is Bravo Advanced, a premium underlayment designed for versatility and performance, offering two installation options: loose-lay with floating LVT/LVP or glued with glued-down LVT/LVP. Bravo Advanced features built-in sound suppression and a moisture barrier for enhanced comfort and durability and is compatible with luxury vinyl, hardwood and laminate flooring. Its 1.5 mm thickness provides optimal stability, and it’s approved for use over concrete or wood substrates on any grade level. Radiant heat installation is also supported, with a subfloor temperature limit of 85°F.
