Concrete Uneven Under Wood Floor

All you need is complete access to your concrete floor area.

Concrete uneven under wood floor.

Remove all debris dust and loose particles off the floor. This is a situation you might encounter in some older homes. The cause is usually settling or shifting of the foundation underneath the floors. Concrete blocks or heavy items leveling an uneven subfloor leads to an even wood floor.

Remove carpet rugs padding and padding strips. If the entire slab is uneven you may have to use a self leveling concrete compound to smooth it out. Tiny dips or ridges in the concrete won t affect your hardwood floor installation but large ones can lead to floor squeaks later as the connection between the floor boards is stressed. If the floor beams and joists are made from wood like the ones above a crawl space they will usually bend rather than crack.

Uneven floors are rarely caused by problems with the floor itself. Self leveling compound is similar to concrete typically coming in large bags in powder form. If you install wood flooring directly over an uneven subfloor your new wood floor will be uneven as well. Use your judgment to see what will be in the way and remove those.

When you are dealing with uneven floors one option that you have is to use self leveling compound. If you have old vinyl or any other flooring over uneven concrete demo and remove all debris. First measure the difference between the high and low points of the floor. But if you cover the uneven subfloor with self leveling compound before installing your wood flooring your new floor will be even and level.