How to Self Level a Floor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 มี.ค. 2020
- www.ronhazelton.com
How to Level a Floor Before Putting Down Hardwood Flooring
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Transcript:
Just recently, I converted my porch to this Four Seasons room, I insulated the walls, put in state of the art windows so that I could use this room year round. Now it's time to deal with the floors. I want to put in something that will blend with the rest of the house and insulate the room from the cold that's coming through the existing floor.
Not too long ago, I installed a pre-finished oak floor in my kitchen. I love the way it turned out and I want to use the same product out here. Here's my game plan. First, I want to level the existing concrete, then lay down a subfloor and finally install the pre-finished oak on top. The existing floor is made of precast concrete pavers laid on a concrete slab.
Now the existing surface is very uneven and before I can lay anything on top, I'll need to flatten it out. I decided to try a self leveling underlayment, a sort of concrete slurry that I'll pour on top. To make sure the underlayment will bond properly I'm going to use a latex primer or bonding agent. I apply it first around the edges with a wide paintbrush, then mop it on the rest of the floor. I've asked Matt Grandinetti, product specialist with Custom Building Products, to drop by and give me a few tips on how to get the best results. He suggested I set up a production line for mixing. So I pressed a few friends into service. Water is poured into a five gallon bucket, then the dry underlayment is added and mixed using an electric drill. If you need to add a precise amount of water to mix a dry material, you can create a self measuring bucket by simply boring a couple of holes in the side. When the water reaches the prescribed level, the excess simply runs out, guaranteeing a consistent quantity each time since this material sets up in about 20 minutes it's important to mix and pour in a more or less continuous operation. Scott keeps blending the ingredients while Charles carries the buckets into the room.
Yeah, you just want to pour it down. Poured out, it'll flow by itself. What's nice about this product is its very non- labor intensive. It does all the work for you.
I start at the lowest point. The material is sort of like a thick milkshake and it naturally seeks its own level. Each bucketful flows into and blends with the one before, creating in effect, one continuous pouring that can be as flat as the surface of a pond. Now, I suppose it's obvious, but there's one bit of advanced planning that's crucial, I need to finish up near a doorway, a few strokes from a garden rake gets rid of any lumps or voids.
Well, this turned out great. And as you could see, it was really simple to do. I've got a flat and level floor now with just a couple of little problems. Got a hole right here, I think that's caused by the material flowing into a hole or break in the grout underneath and then a little ridgeline running down here. I think this began to set up by the time we poured this. So I'm going to fix those right now.
This is another type of underlayment used to smooth and prepare floors for a variety of floor coverings. Instead of water I mix it up using an acrylic additive, again with a drill. The material is troweled on and can be fitted out to a very thin edge without the risk of chipping or cracking.
Well, the floor is flat and level now, I could put a floating floor system out here right on top of what I've got, but I want as much insulation value as possible and the product that I'm going to finish with is a nail down wood strip. So I'm going to install a subfloor and I'm going to use this material right here. It's called dry core. It's chipboard with a moisture barrier on the back, comes in two by two foot squares. It's got an interlocking tongue and groove edge and as you'll see, it goes down very easily.
I start by placing a spacer strip along the wall and setting the first panel in place. A few taps with a hammer and a block of wood interlocks, the tongue and groove edges. At the end of the first row, I measure to the wall, deduct three eighths of an inch for an expansion gap, then cut the panel on the table saw. This tool, called a pole bar, drops into the gap between the flooring and the wall. By hammering on the striking surface I can drive the joint together. When putting down individual panels or planks like this it's important to stagger the joints so I begin the second row with a half panel. With no nails, glue or master to slow me down, I'm almost finished in practically no time at all. Once the sub-flooring is down, I remove the spacer strips, leaving an expansion gap all the way around the room. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Only a true OG does house renovations in business casual attire.
I thinking the same thing..lol
Hahaha that’s hilarious 😂
With no Knee Pads
Truly a Nice Project.
Hilarious 😂😂
ron hazelton, ron burgundy, and ron swanson. the ultimate dream team.
The cleanest workers ever.....shoes polished, shirts clean and hair combed neatly. 😁
anthony smith
You must be into fashion.
Most dudes won’t pay attention to clothes, hair or shoes.
Just the work.
Those are some fancy duds, alright. And not a splash on them.
I was jealous how clean they were
@@sennentheodore35 I was appalled at how stupid they think we are. These ain't REAL diy videos.
No knee pads
I have to say the windows in that room are beautiful. I love how you get a continuous look outside all the way around even at the corners, amazing.
Ron, thanks for the great video! I have the EXACT same project as yours, with the same issues...over concrete and not level and I've been scratching my head over how to do it...thanks again sir!
this vid is a piece of gold.
1 problem, the title tells only about leveling the floor, but it actually does leveling, subflooring, putting a vapor barrier, and flooring.
so most people who need help for other things won't be able to search their way here, which is a pity.
Neat and clean with very thorough explanations...good job, your floor looks great...just need to go 'ice skating' on it with some polywax...thats how we took care of our hardwood floors when i was younger and didnt realize too much of what was going on besides having fun with family...it was good to see the installation from start to finish...thanks
Ron, you always make it look easy! It's entertaining to watch you work
Beautiful job and excellent construction work models! This makes me want to buy and wear a tuxedo the next time I do construction work! Great video!
I don't understand why Rons channel isn't huge yet! This guy's a legend!
Beautiful job! The self-leveling step was explained well enough that I think I can do my own slab floor which has a lot of uneven spots. The finished floor, wow, it looks fantastic. Thanks for the great video!
Gotta be the smartest builder I've ever seen. Not a "builders bum" in sight!!!
Great knees! Kneeling without knee pads is an achievement on itself.
That's what I said to my old lady.
I’ve been watching Ron Hazelton and Norm Abram since I was a kid very intelligent and smart I don’t know why he is not in the ask this old house until now I’m still watching them I’ve learn a lot from them now my work is all around maintenance and handyman to all properties that I work learn a lot off lessons from this guys thanks
Norm Abram is the man when it comes to woodwork period !
Great video Mr. Hazleton. Thanks for sharing.
Watching from INDIA... very amazed!👌
So much for master craftsmanship Sir.👌👍👏👏
Great job Ronny.
I did the same exact thing last year. I had a pitched slab old back porch that I converted to a sunroom. I used 9 bags of leveler to get the floor right. I used the dricore product but I went with the styrofoam one. More expensive but had a better R value. Instead of nailing down a floor over that I just floated a vinyl.
I used the Mapei leveler. They give you a range of water to use. Please use the maximum amount. I went with the minimum and it was hell. Lol.
I remember that product having the name of "natural reflections" when ever we had to do a glue down application especially, we called it "natural rejection" because of the amount of banana boards and the need to strap the floor as we went along to keep it tight. With enough power, and will to fight the floor would tighten up nice and the milling was good, culling was a must and the finish was top notch even back then. Long bananas okay, short bananas go away.
I remember this guy I use to watch him on Sunday mornings.
Beautifully done 👍
Thanks for the incredible How-To video!
so nice and beautiful when it's done😍😍😍
Wow beautiful looks great nice work 👍
Beautiful!
Great job👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼❤️❤️❤️🌷🌷🌷🌹I love the finish.
You might have been able to avoid the imperfections in the self leveling by using what is known as a smoother. Picture a 36" joint taping knife at the end of a broom handle which is lightly passed over the leveler at a 45 degree angle as you're pouring it out (don't wait till the end of the pour when you're out the room ; ) use 2 people, one to pour, one to smooth). This is fast, keeps you off your knees and avoids the extra work and material of patching!
Very true,bet you are a pro🙏🙏
monsieur ron travail exeptionel beaucoup plus qu il n en faut .vous ete tellment professionel que vous travaillez comme une machine .mes felicitations .
it's guaranty for two decades you say
Thank you sir for empowered
Have a nice and safe day
Just ran into this video. I’m in the middle of doing the exact same thing, except it’s a family room. That floor will match the existing floor. What size nails are you using? I saw where on dri core floor you had to put another layer of subfloor to use nailed flooring. Thanks
Buen trabajo amigo saludos desde Dallas tx.
A awesome idea 💡👏😀and a great 👍look.
Really good Job 👍
Great job!
Thanks 👍 Nice job Ron 😎
Made it look so dang easy!
Good Floor... Good Job...
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 Great job!
Love it!
Puts down "vapor barrier" then puts 2,000 holes in it. 🤣
Great video
thanks for sharing i learned a lot ....
He is a legend and true gentleman.
That is beautiful
Fantastic video! Very helpful and informative! Many thanks!
Top job 👍
Dirt,Grime , you name it, they avoid Ron out of Respect.Man never gets Dirty❤❤
Amazing job 👍🏾 thank you for your skills. Much love from Philly!!
Some tile glue will also do the job regarding the crack and hole there was left. Simply use the same stuff as one uses in a bathroom for setting tiles..no problem.
Clean hands clean clothes perfect shine on his Sunday's best shoes and all with no hair out of place. I was to distracted to know or care what the video was about.
S brown totally agree with you
I need you to install my floors. Been struggling with a company for 3 weeks now. Thought I was gonna have my new floor before Christmas but it seems I wont. I'm about to do it by myself.
Very good
I am a floorlayer in Gods own county of Yorkshire ,England. I screed floors to put a variety of floorcovering down. There is a confusion between leveling and smoothing a floor. In my country especially in the north the houses are sometimes hundreds of years old so if we leveled a floor in a kitchen for instance the back door would have to be shuttered and there would only be 3foot of doorway left to get through lol. Obviously im exaggerating but the point is if you're puttind a floorcovering down over tge screed then the screed only needs to smooth the floor not level it.
Shaun Dempsy let me loose with me spiked roller
I love a spiked roller but you get to Hebden Bridge and the screed is flowing out the door, the hills are that bad lol
#1 rule, self levelling cement does not self level!!! Dont ever pour and walk away. If you checked this floor with a 8 foot straightedge, its guaranteed not flat or level.
You need to use a spiked roller, and wear spiked shoes, and walk on the wet cement and move it around with a trowel and the spiked roller in order to get a flat floor.
To get a level floor, you need to chalk line a 2x2 foot grid on the cement, and use a laser to measure down to the intersecting points on the grid, and record the differences in heights. Then you can cut 2x2 fir shims at the heights and glue them down with pl premium. Now you can pour to the tops of the 2x2 fir and know that you have a perfectly level floor. The wood can be chipped out later or left in.
how can u tell if a floor is stable enough for self leveling compound? I'm not sure if my slab is still moving or not... it's cheaper than ripping out the slab and repouring it but I'd rather do that knowing it was done right than having the self leveling stuff fail after a certain number of years.....?
@@enkrypt3d If your slab is cracking from ground movement there is no product in the known universe that will not crack. There are so many variables that cause cracks in slab without mother nature being the culprit. Then there is the unstable ground factor, so you need to figure out what's going on. Bad concrete psi from dishonesty is common, how many people have a core density test preformed to check proper psi when having a home built.
Just like all DIY shows, skipping all the real work and deceiving the public.
Do a video!
@@enkrypt3d concrete always moves always as far as telling if it was done right is all but impossible if its not cracked up then its probably okay if it has many cracks you have problems. If you need or want more help I would be happy to give you some advice. I am a retired General contractor of almost fifty years experience will give you solid reliable advice
Bro I’m 26 and tired just watching this 🤣 much respect to this dude. I’m thinking about leveling my concrete bedroom floor...might leave it now 🤣
THE ONLY ONE AD THAT I COULD NOT SKIP IN U TUBE . THE PRESENTATION OF THAT SMALL GIRL ABOUT HER DAD .
Excelente explication
What Paul Jackson said about the double vapor barrier. It creates a mold trap.
perfect !!!
Came here on how to level a floor. Learned how to lay an oak floor instead. Thanks! Will use this in my new home :-)
I would secure the subflooring to the underlayment if I were you.32 years experience.
What did you use to dam up the perimiter of the room before pouring the self leveler??
I have a question I am about to use high end vinyl floor planking on a concrete slab the room is like couple feet below grade. Now existing are 9x9 anyway some are missing what would be best way to even floor.
I thought the work is Done halfway to this video I was worried..then came the blue vinyl film...another half to Go..
Love
Was that the trousers that you poured the cement?
Such a great video, that's clear, step by step and easy to watch, with so many fantastic tips!
QUESTION - when laying the flooring you leave a bit of a gap for expansion. About what size is that gap?
Thanks for the helpful video!
The56Kaveman 3/8 is typical
You can buy spacers for this at pretty much any hardware store.
You want to leave about 5-6 mm all around the floor so it can expand and contract with moisture and temperatures. A nice finish with some wood trim is preferable alternatively PVC trim can be used.
1/4 is fine
What's the name of materials?
I used Bruce flooring like that shown Silly me I did not know that you can NEVER get it wet. I mopped it and the finish peeled up on the edges !! It was a disaster!!
Was I supposed to coat it with Urethane??? Waterproof Vinyl for me from now on !!
This is why a job done right is so darn expensive, very clean and meticulously done, check his khaki pants, no dirt at all.
Ron. My man. This is Alex. You installed frame-posts in a couple of garages. One back in 20 years ago in my little garage and next time in Hanson Auto in S.L.C, Utah.. do you remember me.. it’s been a while. How have you been.?
thanks that was great
Did you not have to re-frame the entry door with that much added height to the original floor?
Definitely would need planing down, unless it was done beforehand in preparation (I did this to mine knowing id have to add +5mm leveler and +5mm flooring) edit: sorry just realised this was a year ago 😂)
عمل رائع بدون غراء او لواصق ..
Hi Ron , that's a nice looking wood floor in the sunroom , my twin sister who was diagnosed with MS said that she wishes she had an enclosed sunroom like this , but they can't really afford it , nice job Ron !!! 👍😊🛠❤
I'm looking for a product to put down on a garage floor where the concrete is very bumpy and irregular. It is not smooth or looks like it was even troweled or floated. Is there anything in the market than can cover a thickness of less than 1/4 inches AND hold up to a vehicle?
Only Ron can rebuild a House in dress slacks and penny loafers!!😏👍
Did you need to seal the gap between drywall and floor before pouring the self-leveling cement? Did you use tape?
You should. Some people use silicone or a small bit of expanding foam but there's a liner made for it that's quick to fit and just roll it and hit it with the staple hammer search self leveller liner you'll find it
As a commercial floor layer of 18 years, you should have used a DPM on the floor first. (damp proof membrane). Normally in the form of a two pack epoxy resin. This will stop any rising damp that will occur. A warm room will pull up any residual moisture in the sub floor.
Whats the name of the products you used to level the floor and can it be used on a basement floor
I do believe that the subflooring is installed incorrectly, it should be fastened to the underlayment with special poly adhesive and concrete fastener.i use Aerosmith's concrete nailer at 140 psi. Works great and btw..I do have 30 plus years of wood flooring experience.
Do you a video to demonstrate the correct way Jack Dandridge?
And are you even 30 year’s old 🤣
@@ForrestGumpWR very funny. I wish I was 30 years old.listen guys , I have my way, you have yours, and Ron has several .I do not make videos I just watch them when I'm bored. There are hundreds of guys that have videos of installing floors and some of them are amazing. If you want to have a floor installed on a subfloor that is not secured, go for it. I hope it works great and last for decades but I seriously doubt it . In my opinion, subfloors need to be secured,fastened, screwed, or stuck to what your building on for many reasons. ,and I feel like people should consider adding 2 steps to the video (glue &nails on subflooring) if attempting a install based on this video or you could end up having separation, gaps, ☆moisture, and even squeaky floors.
This is a 20 year rated floor who cares about quality? It's a motel style POS job.
@CB BC the subfloor has built in vapor barrier on the back of it already, which makes me wonder why he sandwiched the subfloor with another vapor barrier on top of the subfloor.
Lol that was the same ting I was thinking..but it was a great job I have to say..very good.
What kind the material did you use to make a level
You are as good as a young man
"Non-labor-intensive" besides of course the mixing, hauling and pouring.
just finished 200 sqft by myself. its really not bad.
Love it when they wear smart chinos and shoes to do these demonstrations.
Isn't there some additive you can use in that self leveling mixture to keep it from drying so fast?
Latex
I just want to know what you recorded on. Saw the 480p quality of the video and thought this was put into TH-cam back in '09.
why use a bit of timber to smash up the tongue or groove edge? You use a off cut to slot in and hit that. This then stops any distortion of the T&G edges
Ron is dressed so clean and does the dirty work with out getting a smudge on em
the video should be titled "getting your sucker friends to do the dirty work and you waste an afternoon laying down a krappy floor in your old porch".
Where on earth did you get that awesome mop? It reminds me of when I was a kid when my Mom gave me that permanent job and my hands were too small to wring it out. 🙃
No knee pads laying floor for a few hours. Boss level: legend. Lol
Boss level: stupid
What's the "expansion gap" for if the wood is nailed? How can it move?
Did you prime the wall or drywall??
Your using an "engineered" product, the floor pcs. will be straight and fairly impervious to dampness. Really good idea to allow the product to come into your home, per manufactures recommendations, to acclimate to your temp. Check instructions for time length.
Keep a space against any solid structure to allow for expansion, READ THE DIRECTIONS. Couple of things I would hit you on, DO NOT face nail any flooring product other than the edges where your finishing molding, a.k.a. base board/toe strip will cover. 1/2" to 3/4" will be just fine. If you can see a fastener (nail, staple) when completed, you screwed up.
Second, the cut end can start the next row, depending if it is at least 6" in length. This will reduce waste, provide staggered joints, and make the job quicker.
Measure the height of the adjoining flooring to existing flooring where anything you want to add will join. Figure how much "height" you will need to reach this as level. This includes new leveling, subflooring, and finished flooring.
ALWAYS READ the installation instructions, what you need to do for the product you are using. It will save you a ton of headaches, and give you a foot hold if something goes wrong, which does quite often. I know, I've been doing this for about 28 years now.
The only thing I question is why a sealing tape wasn’t used along the walls..moisture barrier like in a shower area. Concrete holds moisture and will transfer it to the walls ...sealing after concrete was poured defeated doing it later..everything else looks excellent.
How much you charge for proyect like this?
Yes...i think thats what i noticed first...very well dressed for the job...but i do like the sub floor installation...
won't the staple going through the vapour barrier compromise it.
When you nail into the wood, does it comprimise the vapor barrier? Also how do you do that on your knees without knee pads!;)
this is why he should have put the vapor barrier on the bottom just above the concrete.
With the level quick product, can we use it on the existing wood floor on second floor in house with a floor that is two inches out of level?
You can use some self levelling products on wood subfloor, though it typically requires more prep work. Seams and any other holes need to be sealed with caulk so the product doesn't seep through them, barriers need to be put up to stop it from going where you don't want it to (into another room, for instance). You also need to prime the surface and use a metal mesh. The primer helps it adhere better to the wooden subfloor, and the metal mesh gives it added strength so it doesn't crack.
You can always call the company Custom Building Products with questions. They are very good at answering questions. Don’t trust Home Depot associates as they are usually clueless
So calm and professional. Loved watching this video over random crypto news.
What self leveling product name did you use