Unlevel Floors - what type of flooring to use & what to do?

8 years ago

We have huge rooms in our home. We pulled up all the carpet and peel-n-stick flooring that the previous owner used to find 1/2" - 5/8" dips high spots where the pony walls are. The dips are too deep to use leveling compound.

There is not a structural problem, it is normal sagging for our age of home (what I was told). We have had 4 different contractors out and they all say something different.

I love hardwood but it is so expensive (after install/finishing). Had a horrible experience with engineered wood. Want to try laminate. I was told the laminate locking mechanisms would fail if put over large dip.

Anyone else face this problem, and what did you do to solve it and what type of floor did you end up using or suggest using?

Thank you!

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Le Bois Home
Original Author

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

One contractor said to put additional pony walls under the house, another said to tear up the plywood subfloor and just put new OSB down, and another said they could sister the joints to make it more level.

We just had a new kitchen installed and it is the same floor problem in there. I really don't want to do anything that will compromise our new kitchen or newly textured walls (if avoidable).

I was told the leveling compound can be laid at a maximum of 3/16" thick. So that will help but still leaves me with a dip.

One flooring guy came out and said that he could put extra padding in the dips if doing a floating floor but eventually the planks would separate from the pressure and create gaps. He said the nail/glue down option would prevent that but yes, the dips would be noticeable still.