Hi all,
I keep reading that the key to good hardwood installation is a level subfloor.
I am removing my carpet and need to level my plywood subfloor. I noticed on the package of floor leveler that it's concrete based. It didn't mention anything about hardwood - just tile and such.
Won't it chip and crack if I nail in the hardwood through the floor leveler?
Or are people not nailing in hardwood anymore?
Thanks,
Can't see why a hardwood floor would need to be installed on a level subfloor. Flat I can understand but level shouldn't matter. I doubt any floor leveling material is going to be able to hold a nail it is weaker than standard concrete. All that said, I have heard of hardwood floors being glued down but don't know anything about it.
Some hardwood floors get nailed but ones also called Laminate or Engineered wood floors often snap together and float on top of the subfloor, in which case are not nailed.
You can nail through a thin layer of leveling but you may need to select slightly longer thanil than usual to make sure you get a good bite in the wood.
Wood floors can usually accomodate some unevenness in the subfloor (especially pitts as opposed to peaks) leveling is not as critical as it would be for vinyl. The planks tend to bridge the imperfections. In other words, you may not to use leveling compound unless the floor is really uneven, a good sanding might be enough.
Be sure to fix any squeeks before covering the subfloor, its the best opportunity you will get.
I think what you're referring to a level plywood floor--usually tongue and groove subflooring with 1/8 inch gaps between the grooves for expansion. No cupping, no raised joints, no nail heads, etc.
Why would you use a c> Hi all,
No don't use a concrete based leveler. Even if you do get a nail through the stuff without bending the nail. It will more often than not, break up or shatter a bit. If you absolutely had to use the stuff...glue the floor down on the patch and nail everywhere else. If the area's aren't that bad, circle the "low spot" with a lumber crayon, get some really thin door skin and put down one to a few layers of the skin, and that will help make the floor more flat without all the hassle of the self leveler. Good luck, Steve
For our hardwood installation there was a patch of floor that was very uneven. I used some self-leveling compound without any trouble. It was only slightly more difficult than the plywood to staple the boards, and the staples were plenty long enough to go completely through it to the plywood below. It did tend to crumble if I had to remove a staple, but not horribly. I would not recommend trying to level an entire floor with it. It should be used sparingly on sections that are dramatically uneven.
Doug
Why would you post an answer on here if you have no idea what your talking about
Why would you ask that question in a 15 year old thread?
re: " Why would you ask that question in a 15 year old thread?" Threads are answers to people in the future as well as people in the past. People are still asking this question, and so far all I've seen are bad non-answers or "use this under tile" But what about tongue and groove hardwoods that need a little correction? That is what this thread is about.
Now, with regard to the question "using leveler under tongue and groove conventional hardwood" this is to Hewy and everyone else who needs an answer but like Hewy, thinks maybe cement based products like Henry 555 aren't quite it.
OPINION: Hewy's right. Don't use conventional cement based floor levelers under tongue and groove hardwood.
PROBLEM: So...what to use? OBSERVATIONS: You need something soft enough to drive nails through, but dense enough to act as a shim, and sticky enough to not crumble or move around. You need something easy to work, available and cheap. Hmmmm... what ever might that be?
SOLUTION: I have found a good option. It is called good old quick set hot mud. Yep...it bonds to subfloor. Heck, it bonds to everything. It is cheap. It sets fast. It is easy and familiar to work. You can screed it. It is easy to sand and feather to perfect level. It mixes fast and easy. It cleans up with water. If you screw up, you can remove it pretty easy. It is not toxic. Flooring nails go right through it, because it is SOFT. (Just think how easy it is to drive a cup nail through drywall...) It doesn't crack when nailed through. Did I mention that it sticks like glue to subfloor?
IME, hot mud is a perfect filler for the occasional low spot (say 1/16th to perphaps 1/4" deep and not more than a few square feet.
Try it sometime. You might be surprised. Requires modest skill, requires experience, requires a few tools to manage. I'm not going to give those to you here...you have to go get them, but it works. It is not for every situation, but for a mostly level subfloor with a few modest dips, it is a good option.
Not to split hairs- but "level" means not tilted. Low spots and dips, when present, show a lack of flatness...
Not to split hairs, but "level" can mean "at a certain height," not necessarily horizontal or meaning "not tilted." Flatness is, of course, different than level.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.