That job in the old bank building last month made me rethink how I handle transitions

We were putting broadloom in a big open room that used to be the main lobby. The floor was this crazy mix of original marble and newer concrete patches. My usual move is to just slap down a thick pad and roll, but the height difference was over a full inch in some spots. I spent half a day trying to feather it out with leveling compound, getting nowhere and getting mad. The building manager, an older guy who'd been there forever, just said, 'Why fight it? Build a ramp.' It sounded too simple. But we cut some tapered plywood strips, secured them along the bad seams, and padded over it. The carpet laid flat as a pancake. I'd been so stuck on making the subfloor perfect that I missed the easier fix. Has anyone else used a method like that on a really uneven surface?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.wyatt1d ago

We did that on a 1950s slab with a huge crack. Tapered strips saved us two days of grinding.

riveradams1d ago

Used to think tapered strips were just a gimmick. Seeing them save that much time on an old slab is a game changer. Definitely keeping that trick in my back pocket.