How can I easily level unlevel floors and address rotted wood underneath when redoing my floors to make my home safe and comfortable for my family ASAP?
Hey there! So, I’ve taken on the challenge of redoing all the floors in my one-story home with a basement. Let me tell you, the floors are a bit of a nightmare right now! 😅 I’m planning to get rid of the particle board and reveal the wood plank subfloors that are hiding underneath. The wood is not in great shape, so I’m thinking of covering the entire house with plywood and then tiling most of it and carpeting the bedrooms.
One issue I’m facing is that the floors are not level. Any tips on an affordable and quick fix for that? I want to make sure I’m not just laying plywood on wonky floors, especially with my two little ones running around.
Oh, and there’s a small area near the front door where I suspect the wood might be rotted. Should I be panicking about that, or is it something I can handle when I get to that point?
I’ve tackled subflooring and tiling in trailer homes before, so I’m feeling pretty confident in my ability to figure it out 😂 My main goal is just to make this house livable for the next 5-8 years. I’m not planning to stick around forever
When floors are not level, finding a quick and easy solution can be challenging.
Instead of just agreeing to it, what do you think?
I’m totally cool with accepting it, 😅 but I’m concerned it might create problems when laying down the plywood.
The house, constructed in 1902, is a bit warped and worn.
Hargrove However, placing tile directly over it may not be the best option.
I understand your concern. 👍
Hargrove I suggest first leveling the floor before installing the subfloor. Also, consider looking into LVP as an alternative to tiling.
Thank you, ! 😊
If you decide to go with tile, be sure to glue it down and use 6″ center screws to hit the joist. These floors have a tendency to shift a lot, leading to tile and grout breaking within a year. If you put a full 3/4″ subfloor over it, there are mortar options that allow you to tile right on top. However, LVP will be a much easier, lower maintenance, and cheaper option. I understand that many people prefer the look of tile.
As a contractor, based on what I see and what you’ve described, it seems like you’re in over your head. Sorry, but I have to be honest.
I’ve been without a home my whole life, and what may seem like a mess to one person could be a treasure to another. 😉
It seems like I might need some help from a contractor if you’re in the northwest Missouri area and have some free time 😉 I’ll put in the effort, just need some guidance. 😂
Hargrove I appreciate that
That’s very nice of you. But if it were me, I would stick with your original plans involving the plywood, and so on.
It’s just the way it is, and for a proper job, with all the extensive demolition and reconstruction, it could cost you 10-20 thousand dollars.
I hear you on that, I’m just trying to figure things out for the time being, and open to any suggestions.
Hargrove Yeah, I get it
It can be really overwhelming when it comes to organizing everything
If the floor is uneven, consider shimming, adding plywood, and then laying tile on hardie backer. We’re currently dealing with this issue in a downstairs bathroom.
Hey , you could try skipping the hardie backer and going straight to ply with a quality mastic mortar. I’ve removed 20-year-old tiles in great condition like this plenty of times before.
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Is your floor not level or smooth? If it’s not smooth, consider renting a floor sander. If it’s not level, think about buying a laser level to mark a line all around the inside of the house. You could rent a rotary laser, but you may find a 2-line laser level at a big box hardware store for less than a one-day rotary rental. Once you establish a baseline level around the house, measure down to the floor to identify highs and lows. Then, you can use a floor leveling compound, slats, shims, or a combination to create a level base for your plywood. If there’s suspected rot, investigate by cutting some floorboards or looking from underneath to locate the source of water.
It seems like the moisture damage in the basement was caused by a significant leak that has now been repaired. The floor is also not level. Thank you for your guidance, I might need some assistance with the slats/shims since I am not very experienced with that. 😂
Tiling over plywood will raise the floor, affecting all trim and doorways. Are you ready for that? Consider using self-leveler, but it’s a big job and will increase the height. Replace the subfloor where necessary. Check for levelness and use screws instead of nails. Opt for LVP flooring with underlayment. It’s hard to believe they are all uneven.
I’m going to be removing the particle board and replacing it with plywood. I’ll also be filling in the 1/2″ space left behind.
Does Hargrove have any insulation under the floors in the crawlspace? It seems like the weather is getting colder. Good luck with your project!
Hey , I don’t really have a crawlspace since I have a basement. I mentioned in another comment that the weathering is actually from a previous leak.
Hey Hargrove, I replaced carpet with LVP in 5 rooms and 6 closets over the span of 4 months. I’m disabled so I watched a lot of YouTube videos first. Getting off the floor was always a challenge, but I’m proud to say the floors still look great a few years later. I used Lifeproof flooring from Home Depot.
Moisture damage from led to a slight collapse in the house. Although all support beams are stable and the basement leak has been repaired, the house is quite old and the floors tend to slope towards the center.
Remove particle board, replace it with cement board, and apply self-leveler over it since you are planning to install a tile floor
What if I try using LVP, ?
Hargrove in that case, you’ll still need a level subfloor to prevent the LVP from clicking with every step, particularly in the uneven areas.
Hargrove are you referring to the imperfections in the particle board when you say ‘not level’? You can patch those up, but it’s crucial to ensure the floor is level first, followed by underlayment and then LVP.
Hargrove we just finished redoing the floors on our second floor. We were on a budget and it turned out pretty good. You have to use self-leveler to even out the floor. Let it dry, sand it smooth, and repeat if necessary. There’s a small spot in the hallway that wasn’t completely level and it makes a slight creaking noise. Despite the 12mm LVP and underlayment, the noise is still audible. Stay positive, you got this!
Without seeing it, I would go with Hardie backer, tape, and seal the joints before tiling. LVP is a good idea, but if you prefer tile, go for it. It’s hard to judge without seeing it. Invest in a 2-line laser to check the height consistency. Measure from one end of the room and compare. Also, measure from the center low spot to check against the walls.
Hey , I’m totally cool with lvp. Thanks a lot for the advice! ☺️
Wishing you all the best in your new home!
In this scenario, where the floors are sloping down towards the middle, it seems like the main beam above the basement floor has sagged a bit. Check if you have a main beam in the middle of the house, with floor joists resting on top of it from both sides. If the posts supporting the main beam are made of wood, inspect the bottom of the posts where they sit on the floor or on a pier to see if they have rotted and compressed down. If that’s the case, you can jack up the main beam and install new posts or add solid blocking under the existing posts after cutting the bottom to fresh, unrotted wood. This will restore your floors to an acceptable level. It might actually be more cost-effective and efficient than dealing with leveling compound and heavy shimming.
Thank you, !
Before you can determine the most effective solution, you need to remove the existing floors.
Hargrove I agree with this. You could try getting a couple of basement jack posts and lift that beam up slowly to see what happens. Just make sure it only lifts in the middle and not by the walls. It’s hard to say for sure without actually seeing how it’s held together. Houses from the early 1900s weren’t built with standard techniques. I grew up in one built in the late 1800s and my dad spent our childhood repairing and restoring the house, which was awesome! I learned a lot! There’s so much to love about old houses! Instead of regular plywood for the subfloor, I’d use tongue and groove. In one of your responses, it says you’re open to LVP… I’d go for that instead of tile. It’s more forgiving with imperfections and movement. Plus, it might be cheaper. Good luck!
If this is the solution for you, it’s best to only raise things 1/4″ at a time, then wait a month before lifting again. This allows everything above to realign gradually. Upstairs door jambs might return to being level and doors won’t stick when closing. If doors were modified in the past to make them work, they may need adjustments. It’s a good idea to use a large level on the upstairs floors while lifting, especially in areas where the floor is uneven. A laser level would be the simplest tool for this. There are alternative methods for leveling the floor from below using thin string, or once again a laser level and a tape measure. Youtube is a great resource for floor lifting techniques, just be patient and search for solutions that match your situation.