How To Level Your Floor Before Laminate

Check the level again.

How to level your floor before laminate.

When installing laminate vinyl tile or hardwood flooring it s important to know how to level a floor. Before taking steps to level a floor you must find out why it s not level. Place your level in several different spots as you did before to get a more accurate reading of the floor s overall slope. Rather than fasten laminate to the subfloor installers connect.

Because laminate is typically thinner and less sturdy than real wood it is critical that you properly level the subfloor before you install laminate. The level shouldn t be off by more than 3 16 inch 0 48 cm any minor deviations you happen to discover shouldn t impact the stability of the finished floor. Before installing a laminate floor you must make sure the subfloor is completely level. Typically the floor must be level and uniform within 3 16 inch every 10 feet.

Use a long level and tape measure to check that the floor is level. To make a subfloor suitable for installing laminate check out this basic guide first. A plywood subfloor will bridge any minor waves in the existing floor and leveling compound would help too. Laminate floors may be glued down or installed as floating systems which lock together using tongue and groove connectors.

A level subfloor will help your flooring last longer and keep the finish attractive. Leveling a floor can be either a do it yourself project or a job for the pros depending on what s causing the problem. How to level a floor to lay laminate. Mix up some of the self leveling compound in a bucket with the drill and paddle until you achieve a thick creamy yet pourable mixture.

Pour this out of the bucket into the low spots of the floor. Laminate flooring on an uneven subfloor can cause problems and needs to be addressed. Check your wood flooring manufacturer s recommendations and sand any high spots with a concrete grinder. You will have to make sure your joists can handle the addition of considerably more weight from the plywood subfloor and any floor coverings.

On the top side of the floor another fix it idea to lay down new hardwood over the existing floor. The floor can have an unlevel subfloor and still have a base for a nice laminate floor. Not only is trying to install laminate over an uneven subfloor difficult but also it can be dangerous.