Leveling Subfloor Before Hardwood Installation

Creating a flat subfloor involves lowering the high spots and raising the low ones.

Leveling subfloor before hardwood installation.

Installation of a wood floor over the subfloor insinuates acceptance by the flooring installer. The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor. Typically the floor must be level and uniform within 3 16 inch every 10 feet. Leveling floors can be a diy project or left to professionals.

Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width. When installing laminate vinyl tile or hardwood flooring it s important to know how to level a floor. Uneven subfloors cause buckling that can warp edges or kick up an end. Hardwood floors do need a flat subfloor surface in order to prevent them from buckling after installation.

It is the responsibility of the flooring installer to assess and address substrate flatness before installation. Be sure to properly prep the leveled subfloor for whatever flooring material you ve chosen. Learn how to use a grinder. Before installing hardwood floors use a straight edge to find the humps and dips in the subfloor.

It will also save money down the road with lower maintenance and repair problems. When nailing down a wood floor the subfloor should be flat to within 1 4 in 10 or 3 16 in 6. Now that your subfloor is level you can proceed to put in hardwood tile laminate or carpet without having to worry about any frustrating gaps or structural imbalances. Use a long level and tape measure to check that the floor is level.

Hardwood floor installation can be slowed by an uneven subfloor. Then using a floor leveling compound or asphalt shingles shim the dips so the floor is level. A level subfloor will help your flooring last longer and keep the finish attractive. Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy.

Self leveling underlayment products can be used on concrete floors wood subfloors that are uneven but still in decent shape and even over ceramic tile floors eliminating the task of tearing.