When you are dealing with uneven floors, one option that you have is to use self-leveling compound. Installing a click-lock floor over a flooring underlayment. After preparing the concrete subfloor and installing a vapour barrier, it’s now time to lay down your laminate flooring over the surface. If your subfloor is above 12% moisture, dry out the subfloor before installing hardwood floors. But, what to do when the imperfection is noticeable, big and in a room that you can’t convert to a storage or utility closet? It is too hard to attach securely and does not allow you to install insulation or a vapor barrier underneath. The back portion of the house has a 60 year old 600 square foot slab with approximately 2' deep footers. Well, you have space, but the floor looks horrible. Both from a cost and usage perspective, before spending time and money. Find all the low and high spots as you notice and start making marks. Hands down my latest favorites when it comes to flooring. You don’t have to worry about humps and bumps in your floor. Why does my Finished Basement Smell Musty or Earthy? Subfloor over uneven concrete floor? You can either roll on a liquid latex membrane or use a peel-and-stick crack prevention mat over the entire concrete subfloor. If the moisture in the floor is within acceptable levels, the next suspect on your list is an uneven subfloor. Many floorings options like tiles, rubber flooring, paint, epoxy, can be directly put over the basement’s existing poured concrete … I don't think it is a good idea to install raw plywood directly over a slab if avoidable. Check my other in-depth guide on Berber carpet to see if that’s something you like. This is something you definitely want to repair to ensure a smooth and even final product. The primer is going to help with the adhesion of the new concrete leveling product over an existing concrete pad. So preparing your space is super important. Have access to a power grinder? What is Berber Carpet? ft.) Installing a tile floor in all or part of your basement lets you have some … One thing that you want to consider before doing any basement project is moisture. I know you want to use that space efficiently. Just install and you will change the look of the room instantly. Different products have a different cure time, but it’s always good to leave the floor undisturbed for three days. The surface can’t be slick, heavily troweled or burnished. In order to properly install hardwood on uneven flooring, the floor itself has to be smoothed out. Or you can use a laser leveler if want to be sophisticated. This might mean, booming, vacuuming and cleaning using wet mop too. Our next step is to see whether we can mask it, so it’s not noticeable. I'm a first time home owner, … Mask it with carpet or similar product. To prevent that movement from creating cracks in your grout and tile, install a crack prevention membrane after the concrete subfloor is clean, flat and free of cracks larger than 1/8-inch. Did you just rip the carpet off and want to put a luxury resilient floor but got stuck? But if you are left with no choice but to host them and use the space actively you have a few different options. A 2×4 will work well, but use caution when doing so. Will Pergo Work on Uneven Floors?. If it’s relatively big, and if you think you can use it as a laundry room, then see if the washer dryer and other shelves can cover it up well. In this case, you are going to put in a floor right on top of the concrete. Or use your judgment to use the combination of the individual strategies to see as it fits your situation. Because engineered hardwood has a top layer of actual wood, you are able to get the best of both worlds. The process will depend on the type of subfloor and the nature of the problem. Use a minimum 3/4” (23/32, 18.3 mm) subfloor panel cut to smaller 2’ x 8’ or 4’ x 4’ sections. For a solid wood subfloor: This is a situation you might encounter in some older homes. Let your customer know about this possibility as well. Get a straight edge. The concrete floor is about 2" lower at one end. Even if you manage to flatten most of the subfloor, you may still end up with some bumps in the finished floor if the problem is severe or originates in the foundation of the house. Step 3: Fix it! As long as the gap is small. Ceramic and porcelain tile are so frequently installed at or above grade level on a cement board underlayment or directly on plywood that it almost seems novel to install tile directly on concrete. Problem solved. Even if you have a small bump that is sticking out. Shims is how you will install a readymade product. Our line of self levelers include param 5500 and param 6000. Keep one edge fixed and start rotating the other edge, creating a virtual circle. Testing the moisture level in a concrete slab. Click here to see our selection of underlayments. Yet this application does make sense, since concrete … Kerf the back of the panels 1/2 the thickness of the material (3/8”) on a 12” x 12” … All you are doing is hiding it under the rug. You can install a vinyl plank over a slightly uneven floor. If the room is below-grade, a moisture-resistant underlayment is the best choice. That is for a height difference of less than ¼ of an inch. Concrete blocks or heavy items Leveling an uneven subfloor leads to an even wood floor. You need more planning that you may expect. Quality of your sub-floor plays very important role in laminate … How to Check Moisture Content in Concrete Floors The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) has several standard tests for measuring moisture levels in a concrete … Wait for the compound to dry. Concrete is a common subfloor material, and in general, it’s easy to prepare for a luxury vinyl flooring installation project. Now, if you have a perfect concrete this might not be a major issue. We are a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Then you can go around with the straight edge and start looking for low spots. Installing on uneven sub-floor. Find all straight lumber, then lay it on the floor and try to level it. … It is one of the best flexible floorings for uneven floors. Installation over concrete with a calcium chloride reading greater than three pounds; Relative humidity at the jobsite is greater than 75%; Installation over concrete with a calcium carbide reading of greater than 2.5 percent. Level and mark the area where you want the low spots filled. However, as people start walking you will start seeing the impression coming through. Vinyl planks are awesome. is_redirect && ! Your email address will not be published. Instead, you can do it yourself using 2x4s. In an application where the subfloor has uneven tendencies and/or crosses over various rooms with differing subfloor surfaces, engineered flooring gives you real wood, where you otherwise would have to put down new subflooring. Dust is going to be flying all over.