Floor Prep & Underlayment: Producers seek to enhance the performance of installed flooring with innovative products – Jan 2026
By Darius Helm and Meg Scarbrough
Last year, the floor prep and underlayment market faced numerous headwinds. There were those impacting this market specifically, such as the softening of packaged underlayment sales industry-wide, and those impacting the whole of the market, such as the tariffs on imports. Keep in mind that the import tariffs not only impact finished products but also the many chemicals and components that go into finished products, as well, which means that these headwinds stymie many companies in many ways.
Floor prep and underlayment suppliers with U.S. production have found themselves at an advantage, given the challenges of the import market in the years since Covid and the implementation of tariffs on many imports last year. Some companies, such as Leggett & Platt Flooring Products and Sika, have introduced new U.S. manufacturing recently.
Overall, floor prep and underlayment providers report that commercial was the stronger market in 2025. Many are hopeful that the three interest rate reductions of 2025 will manifest in increased activity in both the commercial and residential markets in 2026.
Taylor Adhesives is entering 2026 as part of Avery Dennison after its acquisition in October, marking a new chapter for the nearly 50-year-old installation materials manufacturer.
Taylor offers a full portfolio of flooring adhesives, primers and coatings for residential and commercial applications, anchored by its Signature Line of premium, single-component products designed for high performance and installer-friendly application.
The company has built its reputation on long-term innovation, including early sustainability initiatives dating back to the 1980s and the development of the transitional pressure-sensitive adhesive category.
Like much of the industry, Taylor reports that 2025 was difficult across most flooring segments, though resilient flooring continued to gain share from soft surface, says Ralph Grogan, Taylor’s vice president and general manager.
Moisture remains one of the most persistent challenges in flooring installation, particularly in concrete subfloors. “Issues often stem from using products that aren’t suited for the site’s relative humidity or from more complex conditions, such as moisture trapped in subfloors, especially concrete slabs,” says Grogan. Taylor’s portfolio includes moisture-mitigation solutions such as Sahara, a coating designed to create a moisture vapor barrier, and Dynamic, a moisture-tolerant adhesive rated for installations up to 99% relative humidity.
Despite the slowdown, the company continues moving forward with product development and internal investment, Grogan says. Taylor plans to highlight its latest initiatives at Surfaces and has expanded its sales force in preparation for 2026, positioning the company to leverage Avery Dennison’s global resources and materials science expertise as it looks to build on its legacy of innovation.
Taylor has factories in Georgia, California and Texas.
Uzin Utz North America provides a comprehensive portfolio of flooring installation systems. The company’s three brands include Uzin-subfloor preparation, adhesives and installation systems; Wolff-professional tools and machinery for floor removal and installation; and Pallmann-hardwood floor finishing products.
The company, which built a second U.S. plant in Waco, Texas in 2022, has recently introduced a comprehensive line of adhesives designed for resilient, carpet and wood flooring installations. In addition, Uzin Utz will launch a significant number of products in 2026. It utilizes a system-based approach, delivering integrated solutions, rather than standalone products, that offer compatibility, durability and sustainability, including low-VOC adhesives, mineral-based finishes and recyclable packaging.
Uzin Utz’s primary markets include commercial construction, residential housing and institutional projects, including healthcare and education. Commercial is Uzin’s larger segment, but the company reports that residential is vital for long-term growth.
In 2026, the company will expand its eco-friendly product lines and enhance installer training. It will strengthen its adhesives portfolio for resilient, carpet and hardwood flooring.
Last year, Sika AG, a Swiss specialty chemicals group with a massive global presence, a portfolio of prominent business and brands-including Schönox-and annual revenues north of $13 billion, strengthened its position with its acquisition of HPS North America, the distributor of Schönox-branded products in the U.S. market. And it has also built a 250,000-square-foot mortar production facility in New Jersey, bringing production closer to its U.S. customer base.
“We are excited that in 2026 we will begin production at our new anchor facility in the United States,” says Shane Jenkins, technical director of education and training, interior finishing for Sika Corporation. “Schönox is known for providing solutions for the most extreme subfloor issues. With domesticated production, we will be able to create even more products based on the needs of the professional installer.”
Schönox produces moisture mitigation, synthetic gypsum, cement-based and hybrid self-leveling compounds, along with skimming and smoothing compounds and repair and patching mortars.
Following a steady year, Jenkins anticipates robust growth in 2026, led in part by gains in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors. Data centers in particular are seeing tremendous growth.
Jenkins notes that finding skilled labor remains the biggest challenge, “Schönox is growing our team of educators and expanding training opportunities into several areas across the United States in 2026.”
This year, Sika USA is adding two new products to its resilient flooring adhesive portfolio: SikaBond-6100, a hybrid hard-set adhesive with unlimited moisture control, sound control and technology designed to minimize plank movement, as well as SikaBond-5700, a pressure-sensitive adhesive specially formulated for installing large-format luxury vinyl tiles and planks.
Sika offers a full line of top-to-bottom flooring installation solutions, both commercial and residential, for applications of wood, resilient and tile, including patch and repair materials, primers, self-leveling underlayment, moisture mitigation, sound control, wood and resilient flooring adhesives, and tile-setting materials. It focuses on premium-grade products.
In 2026, Sika will be relaunching STEP (Sika Technical Education Program), enabling the company to educate its customers on the many facets of achieving successful flooring installations using its product solutions. Due to the recent acquisition of Schönox in 2025, Sika now has a strong technical service management team to lead the way in providing consultation and best practices for all flooring installations through STEP.
Sika is launching a major campaign focused on providing flooring installation solutions with an enhanced warranty from a single-source provider, to be unveiled at Surfaces 2026.
Leggett & Platt Flooring Products (LPFP), based in Fort Worth, Texas, offers support for a variety of flooring products and end-use applications, both residential and commercial. The company is ISO-9001 certified for quality practices.
The company’s goal is to offer products that simplify the installation of carpet and underlayment due to the challenges of the installer shortage. Says Randy Dye, product and marketing manager, “All of our carpet cushion products are designed for easy installation from being correct side up when unrolled, to ease of cutting and seaming. For underlayments, we offer the most versatility in the fewest SKUs as the result of using the very best material available in the construction of our acoustical underlayments.” Whisper Step underlayment, for example, can go under LVT, including LVT with attached back, rigid core, WPC and SPC, laminate, engineered wood, and solid hardwood flooring, while its ACI-125/Strength can be used with the same products as well as ceramic or porcelain tile as a crack isolation membrane.
“This is the ideal situation where reducing opportunities for error at installation are desired because the installation team only has to learn how to install the one product versus one for LVT, one for laminate, one for wood, etc.,” says Dye.
The company’s residential business is bigger, but its commercial business has seen recent growth.
LPFP has an RSA support program to support the sales of better-quality products.
The company’s Make-A-Wish products offer premium support while benefitting the Make-A-Wish cause.
Foam Products-which serves the OEM, residential, multifamily housing and commercial markets-is launching a new portfolio of products and beginning to manufacture IXPE-irradiated, cross-linked polyethylene foam-for the first time. IXPE delivers improved strength, consistency and performance over many traditional polystyrene options and domestic production enables customers to avoid tariffs and supply-chain uncertainty. The company will be introducing packaged versions at Surfaces 2026.
Foam Products, based in Calhoun, Georgia, also has a new acoustic vapor barrier, Infinity, for use with pad-attached LVT products that exceeds the 6 mil vapor barrier requirements most LVT manufacturers require when installing over a concrete slab. Infinity rolls out and lays flat, making installation faster. In addition, it provides sound abatement and has antimicrobial properties built in to eliminate mold growth. It is a high-density polyurethane underlayment that will not compromise the integrity of the LVT locking systems. It can also be used under laminate and hardwood flooring using any of the three installation methods-gluedown, floating or nailed.
In October 2024, Foam Products’ production facility in Erwin, Tennessee was damaged by the flood waters caused by Hurricane Helene’s landfall. This required the company to rebuild from a total loss, without insurance support.
The company reports that, while residential has been soft, it is seeing increases in multifamily and commercial, specifically the hospitality sector. It expects the residential market will continue to be a struggle in the first half of 2026, with multifamily holding steady and commercial opportunities increasing.
Palziv North America, headquartered in Louisburg, North Carolina, is preparing to expand its HQ Living portfolio in 2026 with the launch of a new hard surface underlayment, slated to debut at Surfaces. The product builds on the company’s long-standing focus on moisture defense, acoustics and long-term floor protection, extending its premium underlayment offering beyond residential and commercial carpet cushion.
Approved for use under vinyl, laminate and hardwood flooring-including floors with attached pad-the underlayment features a patented 6 mil vapor barrier integrated directly on the foam, eliminating the need for a separate moisture barrier when installing over concrete subfloors. A peel-and-stick tape system with a four-inch overlap creates a continuous, uncompromised barrier; on wood subfloors, the tape is left unengaged for breathability, while the vapor barrier still helps reduce heat transfer and cold-weather drafts for improved energy efficiency.
The underlayment is manufactured from closed-cell, cross-linked polyethylene foam infused with antimicrobial protection. An embossed surface provides light air-channeling, drawing on the same performance principles used in Palziv’s HQ Living carpet cushion line. This new product can be used for commercial and residential applications, and is well suited for multifamily, healthcare and hospitality environments with performance results exceeding most HOA and commercial specifications, according to the firm.
Palziv manufactures the HQ Living line of premium carpet cushions and rug pads at its domestic facility. The residential cushion line promotes airflow to keep subfloors dry and carpets fresh, while commercial cushions are built for durability in high-traffic environments.
Swedesboro, New Jersey-based Diversified Industries has been producing its patented FloorMuffler underlayment line, made of cross-linked polyethylene film, for 20 years. Over the years, it has expanded its manufacturing capacity several times, most recently in 2023 with investments in automation and additional custom equipment. The line offers moisture protection, acoustic benefits, comfort underfoot and long-term, durability.
The firm offers FloorMuffler and QuietCure underlayments, as well as Natura and Natura Elite recycled fiber underlayments, for laminate and hardwood. And for LVT, including rigid core, it offers FloorMuffler LVT and Encore. In addition, it produces a recycled rubber underlayment, FloorMuffler Flex, for projects requiring added density.
FloorMuffler serves both DIY and professional installers, as well as homeowner associations and condo boards.
One of its newest innovations is Magnus, a magnetically receptive underlayment designed to work with Magnetix, a magnetic-backed LVT from Illinois-based Intelli-Force. Magnus is a full floating underlayment, so the lack of adhesives and cure times means immediate instant installation-once the underlayment is in place, the magnetic LVT is simply dropped into position, and the LVT can be swapped out or moved around at any time with no limitations.
MP Global, which is best known for carpet and hard surface underlayments like QuietWalk and QuietBoard, made mostly out of recycled materials, also offers radiant heat solutions like QuietWarmth. According to Deanna Summers, the firm’s marketing and account manager, “Our QuietWarmth can be used with not only traditional tile floors but also with many of the trendsetting floating floors, even vinyl planks and laminate.” This includes floating and gluedown applications, when guidelines are followed.
Summers considers the in-floor heating product to be the firm’s most innovative offering, stressing simple installation without complex tools and messy adhesive. It’s designed for use by remodelers, contractors and homeowners.
QuietWarmth uses conductive ink film and ultra-thin mats that minimize increases in floor height and the need for transitions. It’s designed to integrate with smart thermostats, enabling homeowners to manage and schedule its use, even from a smartphone.
“The mats install quickly over subfloors or underlayments without mortar, glue or long drying times,” says Summers. “Homeowners or installers can complete much of the work themselves, which speeds up renovation or new build timelines.” Also, the mats, including floating floor mats and peel and stick mats for tile, can be cut for easy customization and installation.