TIL that old trick of using a 4-foot level to check for dips in a slab is a waste of time after a job in Phoenix showed me a 1/2-inch valley my level missed, which my new laser level caught instantly.

I switched to a laser level for every prep check after that, so what's your go-to method for finding high and low spots before you lay anything down?

3 comments

3 Comments

skylerb151mo ago

You think a straight edge is enough? I've seen guys trust that and still end up with a wavy floor because they only check in one direction. A laser gives you a full plane to work from, so you can map the whole room. Spotting a single ridge is easy, but finding a subtle bowl in the middle takes more than a 6-foot board. Why guess when you can know for sure before the first row goes down?

jesse9941mo ago

Lasers are just expensive toys.

rowan_kelly1mo ago

Laser levels are great but that seems like overkill for most floors. A long straight edge and a sharp eye usually finds the real problem spots. Not every job needs that level of precision.