Installing hardwood flooring is no easy feat, and selecting the right underlayment is just one reason why. Here are some tips for choosing the right material.

This flooring is "floated" in that it is not glued or nailed directly to the subfloor, but laid on an underlayment -- in our example, cork, although 1/8-inch foam is also used.

In our project, we show you how to install natural 12-in. unfinished cork tile over a sound plywood underlayment. This is just one of a wide variety of cork flooring products that are available.

Q: I’m putting ceramic tile flooring in my kitchen and live on a 10-year-old, ground-level concrete slab. Do I need to put any type of underlayment or vapor barrier underneath it?