Are you also facing flooring problems in your house? Somewhere it is sloped to a side or somewhere there are irregularities that are reflecting through the top floor?
Then this article is only for you.
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The subfloor is the foundation of your home. It supports the weight of everything else that will be built on top of it.
The importance of a good subfloor cannot be overstated. Without it, your floors will sag and eventually crack. The subfloor is also responsible for managing moisture in the space, which is crucial to avoid mould growth and other damage to your floors.
It's not only the tile, carpet, wood, or laminate you walk on that makes up your floor. It's a legible system of parts that work together to offer a stable, safe, and appealing floor for the entire house.
Basics Of Home Flooring
According to the basics of the home flooring, the whole floor is made up of four main segments or layers. The joists, the subfloor, the underlayment and the surface floor covering.
Among them, the most essential is the subfloor. If the subfloor is not on the same level in your whole house then it may destroy your flooring. So it is very crucial that your subfloor needs to be perfectly levelled and stable.
If ceramic tile is laid over a subfloor that isn't up to snuff, the grout lines will most likely crack, and the tiles may even break. So, before you install new flooring, you must first check your subfloor and repair any issues you discover.
1. Joists
Floor joists or simply joists are beams made of metal or wood. It provides strength and support to the subfloor in the flooring installation system.
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2. Subfloor
The subfloor is a structural element that ensures your home's flooring platform's strength and endurance. It is generally made of wood.
Nowadays OSB or plywood boards have become one of the favourite choices for homeowners for their flooring rather than the tongue-and-groove plywood sheets which were used in the houses built around the 1970s.
Unless there has been some form of water damage or settling of the house's foundations or centre support beam, plywood or OSB makes for a fairly thick subfloor that resists buckling or rippling.
3. Underlayment
The underlayment is a kind of acoustical foam which is placed in between the subfloor and the top surface floor.
With the help of its moisture barrier, it helps to absorb sound which protects your floor. It is Non-allergenic and is easy to install in your home.
4. Top Floor or The Surface Floor Covering
This is the uppermost layer of the whole flooring installation system. This is the layer which we can touch and walk on.
This surface can be of different types. It includes hardwood, sheet vinyl, laminate flooring and tiles.
What Is An Uneven Subfloor?
Uneven subfloor is the subfloor which is not levelled to install the rest of the flooring layers on top of it. This type of subfloor has dips, sags or a wavy surface appearance.
But having an uneven subfloor during a new flooring installation is different than having an uneven subfloor in an old house.
In a new house where the flooring system is just getting installed, having an uneven subfloor is common. It can be easily corrected by you or any contractor.
But if your floor is old and you are noticing an uneven subfloor then it could be a serious concern. If you are noticing small dips and sags then it can be done by you.
But if your whole room is sloped to the side or the middle of the room then you need to call a contractor or a professional.
Reasons Behind An Uneven Subfloor
1. Excess moisture, poor structural design, a rotting, cracked, or broken floor joist, soil movement, or foundation damage are some of the underlying reasons and issues that can cause damage to your subfloors.2. Delaminated subflooring is another type of damage to subfloors. When water or moisture destroys the wood fibers, it causes them to break down and lose their structural integrity.
3. The breakdown of a floor joist due to excessive stress is another reason behind an uneven subfloor. It can only be repaired by a professional or a contractor. Doing it yourself can turn it into a bigger mess.
Instruments You Need
- Carpenter level
- Tape measure
- Cordless drill
- Straightedge
- Sander
- Vacuum
- Circular saw
- Bucket
- Long paintbrush
- Plywood of different thicknesses
- Construction Adhesive
Steps For Levelling Your Subfloor With Plywood
The whole process includes 2 main steps. This includes diagnosing the whole floor for the overall sloping or any other minor irregularities.
And the second step involves the laying of the plywood on the subfloor.
Step:1-Diagnose the whole floor.
Step:2-Laying of the plywood on the subfloor.
Step:1- Diagnose The Whole Floor
1. Check The Sloping Of Your Floor
A rotary laser level is the best technique to check for the general slope on a floor. The laser level, when placed in the centre of the room, projects a flawlessly levelled line on all walls.
Measure the distance between the level laser line and the floor at numerous spots around the room's perimeter to see whether there is any major slope.
If you do not want to do this then you can just place a straightedge with one end at the foundation side of your room and the other at the centre of the house.
To assess if the room is generally level or substantially slanted, place a carpenter's level on the top of the straightedge and carefully observe the bubble in the centre of it. It will show you if the flooring is sloped or not.
2. Observe For Any Irregularities On The Floor
For this, you need to lay a long straightedge on the floor and parallel to one side of the wall. Then observe the gaps between the bottom of the straightedge and the floor.
Start moving the straightedge across the floor and you will start to see several uneven gaps between the bottom of the straightedge and the floor.
3. Repair Strategy
If you notice that the gaps are just uneven dips or sags then laying plywood sheets will be enough to smooth the subfloor and make it ready to accept a new flooring.
But if you notice that the sags are bigger or deeper, you can use a liquid self-levelling compound to make the subfloor levelled and smooth for new flooring.
Step:2-laying Of The Plywood On The Subfloor
When a subfloor sags in sections that are less than 4 inches broad and 1/2 inch deep, adding plywood underlayment is usually enough to fix it.
But I would recommend using the thickest plywood sheet to significantly enhance a subfloor which has too many flaws and dips.
But if your floor has slight flaws then a ½ inch plywood sheet will work as well.
1. Do The Planning
Before laying down your plywood sheets it is very important to do the planning of how you are gonna lay them down.
The long dimension of the plywood sheets should run perpendicular to the floor joists. To support the ends, the plywood sheets' short sides must be centred over joists.
2. Trimming And Attaching
If necessary, trim the first sheet to stagger the joints and ensure that the ends of the sheet do not fall over the joists.
Position the first sheet against one of the walls, leaving a 1/4-inch gap along the edge. 2 1/2-inch screws are pushed through the new underlayment and subfloor and into the joists below to secure the sheet to the floor joists.
Drive a screw every 6 to 8 inches down the joist, making that the heads of the screws are slightly suspended below the plywood surface.
To cover deeper slopes, lay plywood strips across the floor. You may increase the thickness of the plywood sheets at intervals to correct the slope if necessary.
3. Fill the gaps
After placing all the strips carefully now you need to fill the gaps to make the whole thing strong.
You can use the self-levelling compound to make the screw heads smooth so that you don't get hurt.
For that mix the self-levelling compound and apply it over the seams and screw heads. Then allow it to dry. It will hardly take 3 hours to dry completely.
After drying, sand the seam and the screw head to make it smooth.
And don't forget to vacuum the whole place before installing the new flooring.
Level An Uneven Subfloor Without Self Levelling Compound
Levelling an uneven subfloor is an important work to strengthen your overall floor and make your home's interiors look attractive.
For minor irregularities and small dips and sags you can easily level the floor by yourself by following the above methods. You can do it by yourself or you can do it by using self levelling compound.
But if you don't want to spend on a self levelling compound then follow these steps below:
1. Check For Any Irregularities - Diagnose the whole room for any irregularities and dips or sags. You can do that by placing a carpenter's level on top of a straightedge and moving it across the floor. You will notice some dips and sags as you will move it.
2. Trimming - After you have spotted all the irregularities you need to trim and attach the plywood sheets according to your room's measurement on the floor. Drive a screw every 6 to 8 inches down the joist, making that the heads of the screws are slightly suspended below the plywood surface.
3. Fill The Gaps - After attaching all the plywood sheets don't forget to fill the gaps.
You can use any recommended compound to fill the gaps and make the screw heads smooth by giving it a blow of sandpaper. But it is better to use a self-levelling compound to do that.
Level The Subfloor By Repairing The Joists
If the cause of the uneven flooring is a sagging joist it is better to repair it fast to ensure your floor's structural strength.
A drooping or fractured joist can be repaired by inserting a sister joist alongside it and screwing it to it if you somehow get access to the joists from underneath the floor.
Instructions Before You Install A New Flooring
In many cases, it has occurred that the new flooring is installed directly over the previous flooring. As stated before, if the subfloor is uneven then soon the grout lines may crack, and the tiles may even break in case you are installing the tiles as your new flooring.
But you can use a self-levelling compound to level your uneven subfloor though you have installed your new flooring.
But it would be best if you diagnose and make the necessary corrections to your subfloor after removing the underlayment and the old flooring for better results.
Most of the problems with the levelling of your subfloor fall under two categories: General sloping and minor abnormalities.
If your problem fall into the first category then you should call a professional. Because if your problem is general sloping then you cannot do it yourself.
But if you have a few minor abnormalities then you can simply do it by yourself by following the step by step guide above.
When To Call The Professionals
As stated above if your whole room slides to the side or to the middle then you should call the professionals to help you out.
Generally this type of problem needs professional touch because it includes the repairs of the floor joists and the centre support beam which is impossible to do by yourself.
But if you still want to do the work by yourself I would recommend you to contact a structural engineer before committing any type of task.
Conclusion
Flooring is one of the major problems which most of the homeowners face.
But it is not something that you cannot do by yourself. Until and unless the problem is small and little you can easily do it by yourself.
Just follow the steps as stated above and do it carefully. You will complete it yourself without spending on contractors.
But if it is something like the general sloping then it is out of your hand. You need to call a contractor or a professional to do it.
