1. Underlayment/ Pad/ Moisture Barrier– Underlayment is added for cushion before installing the floor. Underlayment is used with laminate, luxury vinyl plank, and hardwood float installation. There are many vinyl and laminate that come with a pre-attached pad.
You may need a moisture barrier if your subfloor is bare concrete or wood. If the planks you purchased comes with a pre-attached pad and the install is over tile then you may not need another underlayment or moisture barrier. For a plank, without a pre-attached pad, it is highly recommended to get underlayment.
2. Reducer/T-molding/Endcap (Transitions)-Reducer provides a transition to another floor with a lower height. From a hallway that has tiles and a bedroom that has carpet, the reducer would be used in the doorway leading to the bedroom. T-molding is used as a transition piece that covers the gap between two floors of equal height or within ⅛” in height of each other such as a doorway. Endcap– Are used wherever your floor meets with anything vertical other than a wall, such as sliding door tracks or taller surfaces like thick tiles or high carpets.
3. Baseboard/Quarter Round- cover the expansion gap along the perimeter walls. If you would like to keep your current baseboard then the quarter round is a good option.
4. Stair Nose– Used to round off the forward edge of the top, horizontal surface of a stair step. covers the exposed edges of the plank.
