Self leveling underlayment products can be used on concrete floors wood subfloors that are uneven but still in decent shape and even over ceramic tile floors eliminating the task of tearing.
Leveling plywood subfloor for hardwood.
Plywood allows for a much better build up with lower undulations in the subfloor.
You ll need to drill through the wood and into the concrete to fasten it down.
How to level a subfloor for a hardwood floor install.
The key to a beautiful long lasting hardwood or laminate floor is a well prepared subfloor.
Laminate planks snap together and float above a subfloor which means tiny subfloor imperfections are okay although again a level subfloor will help prevent damage.
Level floors are critical for reducing gaps between the flooring material and substrate and preventing sagging and other structural complications.
To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots.
Plywood can usually span slight imperfections and waves in the concrete but check to see each 4x8 sheet is level and the same height across the floor.
Do this by multiplying the room s length by its width.
A subfloor is meant to be flat and level.
Build up from the lowest elevation using the products that allow for enough incremental elevation gain to get to within flatness tolerance.
If not your floor covering which is the solid hardwood laminate tile or other exposed flooring that goes on top of the subfloor will never be flat and level this problem can be fixed but it all depends on exactly what kind of uneven subfloor you have.
After vacuuming or sweeping the subfloor to clean it add a plywood.
The plywood becomes the new subfloor with the hardwood floor laying on top.
Before you install your plywood subfloor first calculate the room s square footage to find out how much flooring you ll need to buy.