How to Use a Floor Leveling Compound
If you're laying carpet, ceramic or vinyl floor covering over a plywood underlayment, before you start you should make sure the underlayment is completely flat. Plywood underlayment has seams between the boards, and the occasional space, split or low spot, all of which can interfere with the floor covering. Pouring down liquid floor-leveling compound will fill those depressions and give you a nice, level base for the flooring. The compound dries extremely fast, so mix it in small batches and work quickly. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Floor leveling compound (powder form)
- Power drill
- Mixing bar
- Long cement trowel
- Vibrating hand-sander
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Vacuum cleaner
Instructions
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1
Lay your plywood subfloor, making sure all the screws are sunk completely under the surface and the seams between the boards are even. Get the floor surface clean and dry.
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2
Pour about 2 inches of powdered floor leveling compound in your bucket. Load your drill with the mixing bar and set the bar in the compound. Add water according to the ratio recommended on the leveling compound packaging, and begin stirring with the bar.
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3
Continue stirring the compound and adding water and powder alternately, until the mix is the consistency of a thin, watery pancake batter, and until you have about as much as you can spread on the floor in 10 minutes.
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4
Pour the compound over the first seam between the boards, covering the whole seam in one long line of it. Immediately spread the leveler with your cement trowel to make sure it's completely filling all parts of the seam. Trowel it only where necessary to redirect the compound. The liquid consistency of the compound should get it to level out mostly by itself.
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5
Do the rest of the seams in the same manner. Also pour the compound over any splits in the grain of the wood, open knots, or other low areas. Mix additional leveling compound, in small batches, as needed.
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6
Let the leveling compound set for 4 or 5 hours. Sand it smooth by going over it very lightly with a hand-held vibrating sander and medium-grit sandpaper. Vacuum up the dust. The floor is now ready for tiling or carpeting.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear a dust mask when you sand the leveling compound
