| Learning these skills will make or break you | | | | have to smooth out later with floor leveling |
| in a flooring installation. It is the base | | | | compound. It's very important to follow the |
| structure after all that your new floor will | | | | manufactures directions on the bag to the |
| be built upon. There are a lot of different | | | | letter. Not following these directions can |
| actions that are categorized as floor prep. | | | | result in a mixture that will not perform |
| I'll explain a few. | | | | right, causing more problems than helping. |
| | | | |
| Skim coating: | | | | Sanding and screwing: |
| | | | |
| This is the process of applying a thin light | | | | Sometimes when installing underlayment on |
| coat of floor leveling compound with a flat | | | | your sub floor, or installing a hardwood |
| trowel edge held at almost a 90 degree angle | | | | floor directly to your sub floor you will |
| to the floor dragging it across the floor in | | | | come across high spots in your sub floor |
| a side to side S-like pattern. This technique | | | | where two pieces of plywood sheets come |
| is used to cover old adhesive residue, like | | | | together. This is called a "high joist". You |
| the black glue used to glue down old 9"X | | | | must sand these flat before laying down your |
| 9"tiles. Also when laying a sheet vinyl floor | | | | new flooring. If you don't, you will transfer |
| you can skim coat over an existing vinyl | | | | this peak in the floor to your new floor, |
| floor, to fill in the old pattern, so it does | | | | causing a host of problems. A good belt |
| not show through, to the new floor. This is | | | | sander is recommended to do the job. While |
| helpful especially if the underlying floor is | | | | you're at it, go around and check for screws |
| concrete, and you don't want to rip the vinyl | | | | and nails that are sticking up beyond the |
| off the floor. | | | | surface of the floor, and countersink them by |
| | | | hammering or screwing them down. |
| Self-Leveling: | | | | |
| | | | Eliminating squeaks in the floor |
| This kind of prep is taking a bag of self | | | | |
| leveling compound (SLC), mixing it with water | | | | This is also part of this type of floor prep. |
| to the ratio stated on the bag, and pouring | | | | Make sure everything is quiet in the house |
| the mixture on your sub floor. The | | | | and walk around the floor to find the |
| Self-Leveling technique is used when your | | | | "offending squeaks". I usually have a |
| floor is beyond the scope of skim coating. | | | | permanent marker in hand and mark it with an |
| Usually when you have a height difference in | | | | X. When I have found all the squeaks I go |
| the floor greater than an inch, or if it is a | | | | around with a screw gun and drive deck screws |
| concrete floor that is severely pitted. I've | | | | into the floor joist, that runs closest to |
| also used this method to level a ceramic | | | | the mark for the squeak. Most houses are |
| floor before installing a new floor over the | | | | built with the floor joists running 16" on |
| top. Once you start pouring, it is helpful to | | | | center, but it's a good idea if you go down |
| have a friend mixing up another bucket of | | | | to your basement and check out the spacing |
| leveler, so you can keep the mixture flowing | | | | before wasting time driving screws into |
| at an even rate over the whole floor. If you | | | | nothing but the sub floor and air. I have |
| let too much time elapse between pours you | | | | actually found cases where the floor joists |
| can end up with ridges in the cement that you | | | | were 24" on center! |