Just read that a huge chunk of flooring fails because of bad subfloor prep, not the product itself

I was flipping through an old issue of Floor Covering Installer magazine at the supply house yesterday and saw a stat that stopped me. It said something like 70% of callbacks and warranty claims can be traced back to poor subfloor prep. 70%! I always knew it was important, but that number is wild. It made me think of a job I did about three months ago, a glue-down LVP in a condo. The concrete looked fine, but I spent the extra time grinding down a few high spots and filling the low ones. The homeowner asked why it was taking so long. I almost cut corners to speed up, but that stat proves why you can't. The floor looks perfect now and I know it'll stay that way. How many of you guys have had to go back and fix someone else's rush job because they just slapped planks over an uneven floor?

3 comments

3 Comments

fox.matthew19d ago

My last repair was a 2-inch dip across a living room. I used a 4-foot level and self-leveler for two days to get it flat.

thea_wood8619d ago

Oh man, that "two days" part hits home. My buddy had a similar slope in his kitchen. He tried the self-leveler route but the pour was a total mess, way too thick in one spot. Ended up with a weird hump he had to grind down for hours. He said next time he's just using a long screed board and regular mix to feather it out. Some floors are just too far gone for the easy fix.

anna_ross198d ago

That self-leveler can be a real pain to work with.