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