# floor not level for hardwood laminate



## sterling stone (Jan 12, 2007)

question for hardwood guys , my floor in kitchen is sagging, my friends have told me there is a mud like substance that will self level and set up, is this true , how long will it last, and what is the name of the product.
would it be better if i tear out the sub floor and sister in new joist and resheet new sub floor


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

Address the sagging part first then come back about the flooring. I'm sensing a larger problem.


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## Tom M (Jan 3, 2007)

There is self leveling cement but it can get expensive if this sag is more like a valley. Some kitchens in my area are designed along side basement stairways and the floor joists are supported on a beam or lally column on the other side of the stairs. The weight of plaster through 2 floors and the general kitchen wieght pulls down the hung double joist so the floor slopes in that direction. I would lift from below about a half inch with out stress and prop with a 4x4. Then maybe a mud job.


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## sterling stone (Jan 12, 2007)

okay but what about the self leveling mud


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

It works IF your substrate is secure. If the substrate is already sagging, adding more weight will not help anything.


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## MattCoops (Apr 7, 2006)

if you're floor is sagging a SLC won't help. You're just adding weight to the sag.
If you want to do it right, fix the subfloor. Sounds like a weak/water-damaged piece of ply. Or floor joists being spaced too far apart. Or a mix of both.

If you fix subfloor prior to your floor covering you wont need a SLC or mud job. They do sell shims and levels to keep a plumb floor. As a contractor, adopt these ideas


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## J&J Home Imp. (Nov 25, 2006)

I agree about fixing the joists. You may not even need to resheet the floor unless the sheeting is damaged. After that you can assess the need for leveling. If you still think you need leveling an SLC could work. Basically you buy the bag for about $40 and you mix it with the proper amout of water and pour it on the floor. It will seek its own level if mixed right so all you have to do is feather the edges and your done. My guess is after you fix the floor this won't be needed especially if you are doing laminate. It will float over minor discrepencies just fine.


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## MattCoops (Apr 7, 2006)

take all that time to fix floor
and then decrease it's value with vinyl

unless you plan on laying the vinyl for the HO
and then return a year or so later to rip it up and lay tile

job security


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## turner flooring (Feb 4, 2007)

sterling stone said:


> question for hardwood guys , my floor in kitchen is sagging, my friends have told me there is a mud like substance that will self level and set up, is this true , how long will it last, and what is the name of the product.
> would it be better if i tear out the sub floor and sister in new joist and resheet new sub floor


You can level the floor with Ardex products. Or a new material that is just as good called Chemrex leveler.http://www.turnerflooring.com/


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## Krichton (Feb 1, 2007)

MattCoops said:


> take all that time to fix floor
> and then decrease it's value with vinyl
> 
> unless you plan on laying the vinyl for the HO
> ...




Well quite frankly you have no idea what the condition of his house is or it's market value is so it's irrelevant what kind of flooring he plans on putting in. Not all vinyl tile is made equal. A good amount of them are great looking plus they're easy to bring up if he changes his mind later on.


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## MrFloors (Feb 6, 2007)

*Ardex makes two excellent products - K-15 and the 900. Previous poster that specified check the joists is 100% correct. Find out what is causing the sag before you add additional weight to the structure.*


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Matt, you bash vinyl every chance you get. I can appreciate your dislike for a product, I have several that I am not a huge fan of myself. That being said...no offense but, you absolutely have no idea what you are talking about sometimes. Do you realize there are vinyl products that retail for more money per sq foot than probably 75-80% of the tile you install on an average job? Have you ever witnessed any inlaid patterned jobs? Do you have any idea the skill and expertise required to lay a very complicated layout in sheet goods (the RIGHT way) with $8 a square foot materials and have ONE shot at it? After all it is not tile, you cannot just throw away or re-use a miscut or damaged piece of material. How many resilient products have you actually installed in your time on the floor? As I have said to many of the people who constantly inacurately portray laminates....there is a market for the product you so despise and a smart business man would never leave money on the table by closing their mind to a product that has obviously had a great market share for 30 years or more. FYI, I have installed resilient products in million dollar homes on several ocassions. Not everyone wants cold, hard floors with grout lines. Just something to think about.


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## Tyler Homes (Feb 9, 2007)

Well said!!


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## J DoubleD FLoor (Jun 14, 2006)

Gotta Agree with precision here ... I dislike it also ... but it's a money maker ... and that's all that matters


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## turner flooring (Feb 4, 2007)

Gotta agree as well. Vinyl has made long strides with its new line of products. Amtico is a product that duplicates ceramic,stone,and all types of wood patterns(yet it's vinyl). I do recommend learning all flooring instead of just one floor. Adversity is the key. I Don't really like goods such as linoleum for homes. 
There are better materials in the flooring industry, with Vinyl materials. Amtico is just one of many now.


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