How To Level A Wood Floor Before Laying Laminate

Add a 1 3 4 inch nail or screw to any loose section securing the floor sheathing to.

How to level a wood floor before laying laminate. If the uneven floor is due to floor joists that have warped or twisted over time or were incorrectly installed the only way to level the floor is to remove the subflooring and shim the joists. Hammer loose nails back. Fill cracks or major voids with wood putty or a self leveling compound.

A good general rule of thumb is that the foundation shouldn t slope more than 3 16 inch 0 48 cm every 10 feet 3 m. Use a mixture designed for wood subfloors. After vacuuming or sweeping the subfloor to clean it add a plywood layer if the subfloor is in very bad shape but do not overlap the sheets.

Typically the floor must be level and uniform within 3 16 inch every 10 feet. Use a trowel to spread the material then allow it to dry before proceeding. Check your wood flooring manufacturer s recommendations and sand any high spots with a concrete grinder.

Step 1 lay the plywood first take the plywood and lay it down on the floor. To level a subfloor for installing laminate follow the directions above to remove high and low spots. Plywood will be big enough to span the distance of any imperfections in the floor making it level.

Mix the compound as directed on the package then pour it onto the low spots in the floor. Fill any low spots with a cementitious leveling compound following the manufacturer s directions and allow it to dry before proceeding. Set down a 6 ft 1 8 m level every few feet from one end of the room to the other.

Pull up any stray nails or staples using a hammer or pliers. This will give you an idea of how much work you ve got cut out for you and where it s needed most.