How To Repair Subfloor Under Hardwood

Let's say yous arrive at a jobsite and yous meet something that no 1 wants to see: a floor that has peaks and valleys.

This usually means that either the floor itself or the subfloor underneath is experiencing issues.

To rule out the floor covering, test it with an appropriate moisture meter to determine if it'south the source of the problem. (Click here to read our guide to testing moisture in hardwood floors.)

If the moisture in the flooring is within acceptable levels, the next suspect on your list is an uneven subfloor. This is something you definitely want to repair to ensure a smooth and even final product.

So, how do you fix an uneven subfloor? It's not every bit simple equally only ripping it up and starting again. The process will depend on the type of subfloor and the nature of the problem.

Here'due south our guide to fixing an uneven subfloor:

Step ane: Assess the situation. Is the subfloor fabricated of plywood? Physical? Particleboard? Is the unevenness a event of an incorrectly installed subfloor, a moisture problem, or uneven joists? Does the problem run the length of the entire room, or just certain parts of it? Is the foundation of the house itself uneven? It's important to determine the nature of the situation before you lot decide how you're going to ready it. Note: If yous're working in an older house, call up to examination for asbestos before ripping anything up.

Testing the wet level in a concrete slab

Step 2: If you're performing this service for a customer, be certain to manage their expectations. If you lot are able to pinpoint the problem and decide that you must rip up the quondam subfloor and install a new one, or repair the joists that hold information technology upwards, let your customer know that the scope of the project includes more than but installing a new floor. Fifty-fifty if you manage to flatten nearly of the subfloor, you may notwithstanding end up with some bumps in the finished flooring if the problem is astringent or originates in the foundation of the house. Let your customer know about this possibility as well.

Step 3: Set up it! The process of fixing an uneven subfloor depends on the type of material you're dealing with and the crusade of the problem. Here'due south how to set a few mutual types of subfloors:

• • For plywood and OSB (oriented strand lath) over joists: First, make sure that the joists are even and not the cause of the trouble. Then, mensurate the difference between the loftier points and low points of the floor. Depending on the situation, yous can either sand down areas of the subfloor that are too high, or install shims beneath the subfloor then that the entire floor is brought upwardly to the same level.

• • For concrete slabs: If there are only a few problem areas in the concrete, you can mechanically flatten them by grinding, bead-diggings, abrading, or using a patching chemical compound. If the unabridged slab is uneven, you may take to use a cocky-leveling physical compound to smooth it out.

• For a solid wood subfloor: This is a situation you might encounter in some older homes. First, measure the difference between the high and low points of the floor. If the difference is significant and runs the length of the room, yous will probably demand to rip upwards the quondam subfloor and install a new 1 to ensure consistency. Fasten plywood shims to the joists and then dry-fit the new subfloor over them, measuring the deviation betwixt the high and depression points once more to make sure the inconsistency in the height of the subfloor is every bit minimal as possible. For a more detailed, step-by-step guide to flattening a wood subfloor, come across here.

Step 4: Use a flooring underlayment to smooth out whatever remaining inconsistencies. A flooring underlayment can help to shine out any remaining peaks and valleys in the subfloor and prevent bug downward the line. All the same, call back that an underlayment can't work miracles, so don't count on it as your only solution. Click here to see our selection of underlayments.

Installing a click-lock floor over a flooring underlayment

Y'all'll desire to make your decision for an underlayment based on the location of the room and whether information technology'southward in a higher place-grade or beneath-grade. If the room is located above another flooring in the house, your best option is a sound-resistant barrier. If the room is below-course, a moisture-resistant underlayment is the best choice.

Step 5: Install the hardwood floor to NWFA standards and accept some terminal moisture readings. Making sure that your final product is upwards to par and so ensuring that at that place are no moisture problems waiting to rear their ugly heads volition assistance to prevent callbacks, and will get out you with happy customers.

For more data most prepping a subfloor for a hardwood floor installation, consult this helpful Forest Flooring Business concern subfloor guide and feel free to call united states at (800) 787-1786 with any questions near your project.

How To Repair Subfloor Under Hardwood,

Source: https://blog.cityfloorsupply.com/how-to-fix-an-uneven-subfloor/

Posted by: kennedypheine1997.blogspot.com

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