Floor leveling products: suggestions?

An older home with a floor that has obvious high and low areas. What’s a good self-leveling product? Something that can be poured in place over the plywood subfloor to bring it all up to a common level? Talking maybe 1" - 1.25".

Home Depot has a floor leveler in the cement section designed for just what your asking. Just mix with water per directions and pour on. Its self leveling. Will need a squeeze to apply. I’ve used it on my floors. Works great.

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This is up 1.25”-2”
I have never used it so I am not to sure on how it tapers out, at that thickness I have always shimmed with scribe cutting 2x4’s then relaying floor sheathing but it raises the floor at minimum 3/4” around perimeter)a lot of work though, I’m sure you know that. I enjoy your instruction videos Kenton.

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Seems to me to be a ‘bit’ of weight to be permanently adding to a floor that is not designed for that load!!

his is up 1.25”-2”
I have never used it so I am not to sure on how it tapers out, at that thickness I have always shimmed with scribe cutting 2x4’s then relaying floor sheathing but it raises the floor at minimum 3/4” around perimeter)a lot of work though, I’m sure you know that. I enjoy your instruction videos Kenton.

This is it. Will set to a feather edge and is hard as rock. Be sure your underlayment is very secured. Adding fasteners after the fact will be very difficult.

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Ardex, great product.

Not exactly the product I would use for this application!!

ARDEX K 15®

Premium Self-Leveling Underlayment

  • Use over interior concrete, terrazzo, ceramic and quarry tile, epoxy coating systems, wood, metal and non-water soluble adhesive residue on concrete
  • Can be tapered to meet existing elevations
  • Rapid setting

Obviously, you have to use the right product for the job at hand.

I agree with, Marcel and have used that product before and just poured it out and it really did self level, if you mixed it correctly. And, it dried overnight or sooner…I can’t remember exactly:

And you applied it over one inch thick on a plywood subfloor, likely over a large surface area?

As I recall it was about 1" to 1 1/4" to 0" in a 8’ x 10’ area. And it was self leveling. It worked great…it has been a long time JJ. :smile:

Yes, and I have used it up to 2" with aggregate.

Key Features

  • A blend of high-strength, fiber reinforced gypsum and Portland cements as well as powdered polymers
  • Use over concrete, gypsum, wood, VCT, existing patching and leveling materials and non-water-soluble adhesive residue on concrete
  • Use for interior, above-grade floors only
  • Installs up to 1 1/4″ (3 cm) thick neat and up to 2″ (5 cm) with aggregate
  • Walkable in 2 – 3 hours
  • Install floor coverings in as little as 24 hou

Remember if floor sheathing/structure has any flex/movement, self-levelling can crack and even work loose underneath the floor covering, causing undesirable results. Fixing the problem below is the best option. However, if this is your only option! My 2 cents worth! :slight_smile:

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I put 1/4" underlayment over it before the floor covering, Junior. :smile:

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Does your head touch the ceiling? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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That is certainly something that needs to be looked at no matter what product is intended to be uses. The product is fiber reinforced which helps keep it together with minor cracking should it happen. Never had a problem with stable floors.
Repairs are good to accept tile, or carpeting.
This summer, I am doing my concrete garage floor with the Ardexk15.

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Thanks… I was working up to that, thus my including the “plywood” aspect of the query!! :wink:

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Can’t repair paranoia to use a product to fix things I guess. LOL

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I have seen the results of Ardex, it was imo much better than generic big box store products.

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Great response, thanks guys!

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