That advice from a retired installer about underlayment actually saved my back today

I had this old timer named Jerry give me a tip at a supply house in Nashville about six months ago. He told me to stop using the cheap foam underlayment and switch to a rubberized one for click-lock vinyl plank, even though it costs about $0.50 more per square foot. I always thought he was just trying to upsell me or something, you know how those supply house guys can be. But I tried it on a 1,200 square foot job in a basement last week, and man, the difference was night and day. The floor felt way more solid underfoot, and I didn't have to keep going back to fix those little click separations that drive me crazy. Has anyone else had an old-timer give them advice that actually panned out? I'm curious what other tips are out there.

3 comments

3 Comments

gracej9910d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly this is one of those things that applies to way more than just flooring. I've noticed that the stuff that lasts forever is usually the stuff that's been around forever. Like my grandmother still uses a cast iron skillet that's older than my parents and it cooks better than any nonstick pan I've ever bought. Meanwhile I've gone through three pairs of "modern" headphones in the time my dad's Sony MDRs from 1995 are still going strong. There's something about older products that were built to be fixed instead of replaced, and older methods that were refined through years of actual use instead of marketing meetings.

victorhernandez10d ago

Say it louder lol. Stuff used to just be built different.

nancyramirez10d ago

lol my dad still uses a tape measure from the 80s and every time I ask why he just says "the new ones break too easy." I thought he was being a stubborn old man but honestly the thing still works perfectly after like 40 years. It's wild how sometimes the old school stuff just works better. Makes me wonder how much good advice we ignore just bc it comes from someone who seems outdated.