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.
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