i need some help from you experts,we live up in manitoba and we have purchased 700 sq. ft. of bruce 3/4" oak hardwood.this will replace our carpet in the main floor living/dining rooms.my question is regarding the best underlayment for warmth/sound,i have researched quietwalk and it seems very good and reasonable $38.00/roll 100 sq.`ft and 6mm cork is costlier but i have no problems spending the extra cash for the rolled cork if it will give us a "warmer floor" plus we have a small dog so the clicking of toe nails is an issue.please help

I'm kinda partial to http://www.healthierchoice.com/products ... ution.aspx

cork guy: i thought i found the best pricing for cork underlayment and in a roll to boot!,is it easier and cheaper by plank??i cannot seem to find any talk on cork being "warmer" than quietwalk or others.

Cork will tend to reduce reflective sound in the space you are in, but does very little to reduce sound transfer to below, once you nail through it. Having said that, I have cork under all my floors in my home simply because it is more comfortable somehow, and there will never be a chance for any squeaks coming from my hardwood.
As for warmer? It is not a heat gererator, so will not increase the heat in the space. Because it is generally only about 1/8th inch thick, its value as an insulator is negligable as well.
But the mind is a wonderful thing, if you believe it to be warmer by using the cork, then it will be.

Cork Guy, please advise the R Value of 1/8th inch cork. I would be interested.

Really undecided on installing 1/4" cork underlay due to cost$$$.Does it really act as a good sound deaden-er/ i know from your help and research the insulating factor is minimal at best.was researching "quietwalk" as a cheaper alternative but still adding something under the hardwood,but i also read as you nail down the plank and compress the quiet walk matt it makes it harder to insert the next plank@#@ PLEASE HELP!! we have a small dog and this is on the main floor with a rec room in the basement where my son loves to blast his music hence the idea of some form of underlayment.If we do go ahead with the 1/4" cork what length of staple would i need using the Bostich air stapler with 5/8" plywood subfloor on 16" centers

IMO you've got some bad information. I've installed tons of Quiet Walk and have never had anything close to that compressing issue. If you were to take a piece of Quiet Walk there's no way you can compress it enough to make the t&g difficult to engage. It's a dense underlayment, & a great product.

You really dont need to fasten the cork down. Once you nail through it, it isn't going anywhere. Any light duty stapler (using a few 1/2 inch staples) would do to hold it in place during the installation of the hardwood.

I would like to float Pergomax laminate wood flooring (which already has a thin, foam underlayment attached) over my above grade concrete subfloor.

MY HOA requires me to use some type of pad. I wish to use an additional cork underlayment, but the Pergo instructions advise against it.

Apparently, stacking different layers of underlayment gives too much deflection, and may cause the interlocking mechanism to fail.

It was my understanding that cork doesn't compress as much as most underlayments, and would be suitable for this application.

Can anyone offer any advice?

Thanks

I fI came out to inspect the floor and there was an issue with the floor unlocking then Pergo would definetly NOT honor any warranty, even for other issues. You'd be on record for improper installation.
That said I have used quietwalk under Quickstep with attached cushion over a slab with no issues and it's a relative so I would have heard about it if there had been.
I'm not a fan of the 5G locking mechanism on Maxx, I'd rather have the UNICLIC any day.