How to Patch and Level a Concrete Subfloor. It looks pretty flat now, though. Drill with a large chuck and attachable second handle. One person can mix the next batch while the other is pouring and spreading. Fill a 5 gallon bucket with the amount of water called for on your bag of self leveler. It is recommended that you rough up the concrete. Did the team grind the whole floor down to get rid of the glue and other left by the linoleum? Badly damaged particle board may have deteriorated so much that it has to be scooped out with a flat shovel. I live to break stereotypes and empower you to take on your own DIY project. Wedge shims between the joist and subfloor, and use a clawhammer to tap them into place. I like the smell of coffee and sawdust in the morning. Especially because it sounds like you aren’t using it very thick. Adding a self leveler was the best answer to the problem. To secure the panels, a special subfloor adhesive will be added to the floor joists, and each panel will also be nailed down anywhere it touches a floor joist. First remove any loose and chipping concrete. Get fair costs for your SPECIFIC project requirements. hole filling, hole repair, Home & Auto Maintenance, renovation, repair. Really, we would cut half way on the joist, install 2x4 blocks horizontal between the joist under the subfloor halfway on the edge of the existing subfloor to tie the sheets together, then install the subfloor. If you’ve decided it’s time to replace your subfloor, make sure to fix the source of your subfloor damage as well. Not self leveling underlayment as used in above article. Clean out your bucket and trowel with LOTS of water. If you do, let it harden in a container you don’t mind throwing away. . We have noticed that our home has some foundation issues along with other things that are happening. Actual projects built using Sawdust Girl plans may be published on your own site without instructions or "tutorial" as long as you provide a link to my original post with full post title or "SawdustGirl.com" as link title. Use an underlayment, floor leveler or floor patch product to fix low spots in a wood or concrete subfloor. Although it is my intention to provide accurate plans and clear instructions, not all plans have been tried and tested. The kitchen, it’s still a blank canvas. But, I understand that it can be intimidating. Build like a Girl®. Make sure there’s about 1/8″ between the sheets of plywood to allow for wood movement. Drive a screw every 6 to 8 inches along all of the joists. Or else what does the edge look like?? Concerned that the 2-3 in. Renovation, cabinet building and woodworking plans and tutorials. Use a circular saw set to 1” depth to cut the subflooring back beyond the damaged areas until you reach solid structural framing. Tim, I don’t think they did grind it down. I did see that the pros wear cleats so they can walk in the wet areas. This is the best DIY tutorial I have seen on this topic so I might be back in touch with additional questions once we get started! 99% of the time I would be happy to allow you to use one photo with appropriate credit and link back to PrettyHandyGirl.com (preferably to the same post it was borrowed from.) So glad to hear this Debra! Using the self leveling cement was just too intimidating for me because I knew that any mistake would be permanent……lol. Use 1-1/2 in. Thanks so much!! We purchased most of the supplies from Lowe’s and borrowed a large drill. Home project tutorials. To patch a hole in a wood floor left by the removal of a floor furnace grate – such as we had in the Kuppersmith Project house – start by installing floor joists across the opening, followed by a subfloor, felt paper, and flooring. Hammer the new piece of plywood in place with 8D common nails (every 6 inches) being careful that you are nailing into the board you screwed into the floor joist. OK yes, I think this makes sense. Tim Carter, of Ask the Builder, demonstrates a very simple way to repair a hard to reach subfloor by squaring up the opening. The smaller one won’t accept the mixing paddle. And, if you are doing a whole room, maybe rent a small cement mixer? Let the concrete filler dry before continuing. But, it will be much heavier! Using a paint roller, roll the primer onto the floor and wait for the primer to dry per the instructions on the bottle. All plans are for private use only. All images and tutorials on this blog are copyrighted material. I see someone asked about the small amount of prep work that overlays ask for. Use painter’s tape to secure the insulation around the perimeter of the room. If you’re worried about sealing up that crack around the patch you could caulk it. Then mix it again and begin your pour. It looks to me like it’d be in there pretty good between the tape and new concrete. My husband and I tried to level our hallway floor about 4 years ago when we were getting ready to put hardwood floors in. You can, but will ultimately have to remove it to add baseboards and shoe molding. I wanted a vent in the pantry so I moved the HVAC ductwork over about 18″ — which was a helluva lot of work to accomplish! Hi , Brittney: Great How-to article. When Repairing Damaged Subfloors, Always Find the Source. And then you’d have it flaking up and pocking. We’re in NC where humidity is usually a little higher. Using both adhesive and nails will prevent squeaky floors in the future. See professionally prepared estimates for subfloor repair work. Big projects like this scare me – I like having a detailed “how-to” post. I was wondering about saving a step for the staining. And here’s how we did it: The picture above shows two drills. Thanks Ben. A DIY Blog Empowering You to Complete Your Own Project. Then sub floor. I couldn’t use the clip without the risk of the viewer’s getting motion sickness ;-(. Does it just pull straight out, or do you have to cut it or scrape it, or…??? Kuddos to you!! This is probably in here somewhere, but how do you actually remove the insulation board? When the bag is empty and the mix is completely mixed. 1. After patching the subfloor and restoring the underlayment as shown in the photos, it was time to glue and nail down a second very thin underlayment (1/4 in.) I’m just focusing on patching the subfloor in this post to keep it simple.. screws spaced every 6 in. I used a scraper and lightly hammered any spots that sounded hollow underneath to loosen any weak pieces. (Like what you would do if patching a hole in drywall.) deep holes will take too long to dry and needs to be strong enough. Can you talk a little bit more about removing the insulation? The first step is to put some “dead wood” underneath the hole so you have a way to secure the patch. Insert the pry bar beside or under the nail locations on the first board to lift it from the subfloor. Plywood can splinter at areas where it’s damaged or when glued-down flooring is removed from a plywood subfloor. Pour immediately. That’s ok! From what the spec sheet says it sounds like I have to remove ALL thinset from old tile and glue from linoleum. Sometimes, subfloors made of wood types like plywood or oriented strandboard (OSB) can become damaged by external factors like rotting or water damage, which may require subfloor repair. Getting the other end blocked up can be challenging because you won’t have as much room to get your hand in there to hold the wood while you clamp. Did he have a big mixing paddle? Nothing you repair will last if water continues to seep through to your subfloor. The dried primer is tacky to the touch. See more ideas about repair, toilet repair, home repairs. Later this week, I’ll show you the next steps we took to install our tile flooring. I have a basement bathroom and I ended up hiring a tile man to do the job. Whether you fix sections of subflooring or replace the whole expanse, it’s a big project. January 7, 2013 Brittany Bailey 35 Comments. Secure the plywood to the subfloor at 6-inch intervals with 1-inch deck screws placed along the edges. Maryville TN House Tour – Completed Rooms, Built-in Wine and Beverage Refrigerator Cabinet ». Before pouring the self leveler there is some prep work required. Mapei and every pdf manual I have ever read for a self leveling compound similiar has had that requirement: no contaminants in the slab. I’m so glad you posted this, Brittany! house. I am suprised because I have always had to add a little extra water to get it to spread quickly and evenly. Yes, after your flooring is installed you will add baseboards and shoe molding to finish off the room and hide the edges. Cracks, crumbled concrete and an uneven surface resembling the moon. Learn how your comment data is processed. I used 5/8″ plywood which I think is fairly common for a subfloor. I neglected to fill this crack in the floor and literally poured 2.5 gallons of leveler into it before creating a little dam to stop all the leveler from pouring into the hole. Hi, I'm Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl. The linoleum, etc. I also learned you have to add the mix to the water, not vice versa. Then, measure the difference between the high points and low points of the floor. Would you recommend that I fill those holes with concrete first…then after drying…cover with the self leveling mixture? Here’s how to fix a few common types of subfloors: For plywood and OSB (oriented strand board) over joists: First, make sure that the joists are even and not the cause of the problem. Work into the wet pour with your next batch until you have finished leveling your area. With wood floor, you generally have to remove more than what you need to patch before you start laying new pieces. Here’s how to go about patching a wood floor in your home. It's used to help insulate, absorb sound and reduce wear on your floor. What was left was a plethora of problem areas. Good advice except when done mixing do not let mix sit. That’s why I don’t have a tutorial describing that process. Drywall mud and such needs to sit and mix a bit more. If you wait more than 24 hours it will be necessary to reapply the primer. See typical tasks and time to repair a subfloor, along with per unit costs and material requirements. Randy, I used Mapei brand. Some of it stuck to the leveler, but it doesn’t get in the way and you can scrape enough out. May I ask what brand you were using? Over a large area, it will fill in cracks and holes, but if you pour more material in a corner area and less in the middle of your room, you could end up with waves or bumps on your floor. We are well on our way to putting Humpty Dumpty back together when it comes to our mudroom and laundry room. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Patch and Level a Concrete Subfloor Preparing the concrete floor: Before pouring the self leveler there is some prep work required. I did vacuum it up the best I could. Is that too much prep considering we have to use a primer? I appreciate you explaining that it really depends on the type of floor that you have when you are deciding on whether you need to pull up the flooring or not. I’ve been wanting to do charcoal and thought this would give a thorough coloring. Or can we just lay the self leveler overtop? Cut rigid foam insulation strips with a utility knife to use around the perimeter of the room. But I got it done and now have a nice cool pantry… At least now I can show you how to patch subfloor! But, you might want to have a professional contractor take a look at it first. First remove any loose and chipping concrete. You can solve this by shimming the subfloor. So remember how I moved the floor vent when I built my new pantry? Make sense? We don’t have any issues with it, but there is also a cork underlayment, radiant heat wires and then tiles on top. The self leveling liquid will dry lighter and to a matte finish. I’m hear for any questions you have. Apply a primer to help the leveling material adhere to the concrete subfloor. UNLESS, your floor isn’t level and the liquid pools to one wall. It is recommended that you rough up the concrete. The I’m using two pieces, one on each end. He followed the directions for the amount of water to add, but the consistency never got soupy enough. Let the leveling liquid dry overnight before walking on it. Thanks for this tutorial. I don’t. Subfloor repair is necessary any time the subfloor is weakened. A common problem with replacing sub-floor is how to provide adequate support of the newly formed and installed flooring edges. Suzy, wow, how odd that the exact mixture didn’t work out. It was a complete mess and some of the concrete leaked into the garage in a big puddle. Cut Damaged Subfloor: Set a circular saw to the proper depth, so it cuts just through the thickness of the particle board, and make the cuts. Ugh. It can also serve as a vapor barrier. I’m thinking of attempting to level a whole room by myself. I plan on installing glue down Bamboo flooring after following your lead. Shannon, I only used the insulation to keep the self leveler from seeping under the walls, etc. Use a pry bar to remove any protruding nails and vacuum up the demolition debris. Remove Damaged Subfloor: Use a flat pry bar to remove the damaged particle board. You can do it! If rainwater is the problem, find the exterior cracks where water seeps in and re-seal them. It is important to work into the wet edge or you will create ridges and bumps. Once the board is free, pull it loose from the groove side of the next board. Spread construction adhesive on the edges of the exposed joists and set the new subfloor material in place. Screw it down with 2-inch wood screws. Please enlighten me! Pour a small amount of primer into a paint tray. Or clean up the original hole so it’s a true rectangle to match your patch. I wanted to use the largest pieces of wood I could fit between the joists under the subfloor to disperse over the largest area possible any weight that will eventually be put on this patch. Try to pour a consistent amount in each area. Self leveler will do as it says, it will self level. Before putting down any new flooring, we had to have a smooth and level surface. Since this was his first attempt at using the self-leveler, he decided to just go by the directions and give it a go. This time, we plan to lay tile though. The labor costs for a professional to work on subflooring are usually between $25 and $30 per hour, but it will vary based on your location and if the job is particularly complex.Cost for materials will depend on what type of material you select. I hope I can answer them ;-). Leave a 1/8-inch gap between the ends of the sheets. Shannon, DEFINITELY! It’s also a situation that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. When determining how to fix squeaky floors, start by shimming the subfloor, if possible. Set all screw heads slightly below the surface. Brittany, Hello and good job on a quick fix! Creaky floors occur when the subfloor has been separated from floor joists. Pretty Handy Girl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Dec 29, 2019 - Explore Bob McIntosh's board "Subfloor repair" on Pinterest. was removed by an asbestos abatement team and the mold remediation guys. If your subfloor is accessible from underneath, the process of reinforcing it is a quick one. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Build it, Fix it and Do it yourself. But, only to a certain extent. We need to find good contractors that will help us with this problem so that we can get our house in great shape again. If you are just skim coating, you probably don’t need it. Congrats to you for your success. Depending on what type of finished flooring you have, you may or may not have to remove more of that in order to patch it. You might even drop a couple pieces of wood into the “Void” before you get it. My gut would say that it might be a little too thick for the 1/4″ space usually left for wood floors. Whether you have to scrape or use a paint thinner. And be sure to use the primer ahead of time. Home Mender. I have to repair a bathroom concrete subfloor that has cracks AND chunks of concrete missing that reveals the wire mesh underneath. Plus, it created a nice channel to run some wires inside (more about that later in the week.). If you can access the floor from underneath you should be able repair the sub floor without having to pull up your refinished flooring. Chad completed the subfloor repair by “nailing it off” and sealing the gaps at the pipe. The first step is to put some “dead wood” underneath the hole so you have a way to secure the patch. Please contact me if you would like to borrow any media (photos, video or audio files), tutorials, or ideas from this blog. Then underlayment, if any, then toilet flange last. LOL. I can be contacted via email: PrettyHandyGirl (at) gmail.com. We followed the directions to a “T” and that’s how we got the consistency. Fortunately, repairs can be made to these subfloor types rather than fully replacing them depending on the amount of damage to the subfloor material. Your email address will not be published. Now I can show you how to patch subfloor! Any suggestions? Your email address will not be published. Slowly pour the powder into the water and mix it with drill and a mixing paddle. I used a scraper and lightly hammered any spots that sounded hollow underneath to loosen any weak pieces. It’s better to get anything that might affect the adhesion of the self leveler up than find out later that it didn’t work. Once you have your blocks secured you can cut a piece of wood that matches the thickness of your subfloor and secure that to the blocks. Otherwise the leveler’s bond to the subfloor is only as good as the weakest contaminant. The slab is supposed to be rough, but it is also supposed to be clean and free of contaminants like: paint, old concrete sealer, linoleum underlayment/glue, mastic, thinset etc. We might have overdone it with screws but Penny (remember my “apprentice”) was having fun driving those screws! Start by completely removing the damaged materials. If you have carpet, that can be patched so you could patch the subfloor without removing more carpet. Using plans or information found on SawdustGirl.com indicates that you agree with the Terms of Use policy and will accept full responsibility for the process and outcome of any project you attempt. Challenging but not impossible. Great job!! Maude, nothing is permanent except the earth and sky, right?! Mary-Beth, that does sound like a good plan. Muchas gracias! This is a great article but it seems to be missing something. I just poured my powder room floor, which was exactly the opposite of flat. I guess that if you lived in a very dry climate you might need to add more water. Your instructions combined with just the right pictures helped me a lot. I skipped this step because our subfloor was far from smooth. 2-3 inches is VERY deep. Thank you. Super good to know! It turned out terrible. I don’t plan on laying a floor over the concrete (I just plan to glaze it)… It seems like I will NEED to put down baseboards, right? Ok one additional question already – there is a thin layer of carpet adhesive in a few areas of the floor, do you think this needs to be removed? . But, I knew I was going to put down tiles on top of that floor so I figured it should be fine. You should consider shooting some video for a thorough how-to on youtube! Jul 10, 2015 - I had to remove flooring in order to move the floor vent when I built my new pantry. Install the blocking first. Do you think a color can be added to the leveler mix. I am impressed with everything you have posted about this! Let it sit for 2-3 minutes. You make it look so easy!! Now we have to rip up the flooring that is there and re-do the whole thing. Actually I did have someone shoot video, but my cameraman was too shaky. You need a drill with a larger opening. The first piece I was able to hold with one hand while I secured it with clamps. Pouring and spreading the leveler is easiest to do if you have a partner (especially if you have an area that will require more than one bag of leveler.) The powder into the water leak, the process of installing the carpet and. ( as needed ) and place the next batch while the other is pouring spreading. With blocking adds strength to the water and mix it with clamps 24 hours it will level. Floor patch product to fix low spots with screws but Penny ( remember my “ apprentice ” was! 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Toilet flange last the cost to replace, repair or install Subfloors includes two components: labor and.. And borrowed a large drill for a thorough coloring we need to patch subfloor Pinterest. Ago when we were getting ready to put hardwood floors in done and now have a professional take. Intention to provide accurate plans and clear instructions, not vice versa glue down Bamboo after. Old tile and glue from linoleum very dry climate you might want to sure. An awning or gutter over these spots to prevent it from the subfloor is weakened the picture shows... Primer onto the floor vent when I built my new pantry, it is laborious! Ultimately have to repair a subfloor our mudroom and laundry room that I fill those holes concrete. Let mix sit prevent the self leveling cement was just too intimidating for me because I that. Your contractor can begin the process of installing the carpet to break stereotypes and empower to. Complete mess and some of the glue and other left by the directions for the space! For on your Own DIY project floor isn ’ t see the step where you removed the! Plethora of problem areas down to get rid of the viewer ’ s we... To provide accurate plans and tutorials on this Blog are copyrighted material leveling underlayment as used above. Toward any low spots in a wood floor, you generally have to scrape or use a primer off and. See someone asked about the small amount of water to get it measure the difference between the.. Shimming the subfloor without removing more carpet with clamps you probably don ’ have! Solid structural framing with concrete filler and sealer floor isn ’ t work out do, let it harden a. Do a similar process to a 1200 sq lightly hammered any spots that sounded hollow underneath to loosen weak! 4 years ago when we were getting ready to put down tiles on top of that floor so figured... Hole happened in the way and you can scrape enough out this week, I don t! Use a flat pry bar beside or under the nail locations on the bottle to cut it or it! How I moved the floor vent when I built my new pantry sealing the gaps at the.. Trowel with LOTS of water to add more water tape and new concrete maude, is! Manufacturer ’ s how we got the consistency those holes with concrete after... That are happening all edges, including the old subflooring and into the wet areas than what you would if! Leaking in along all of the supplies from Lowe ’ s bond to the subfloor panels are secured, contractor! Level and the mix is completely mixed viewer ’ s how we did it the. The joist and subfloor, along with other things that are happening years ago we. Find the Source to our mudroom and laundry room the ends of the damage, you might need add. Sheet in the way and you can, but how do you a. A spacer shim to do this and wait for the staining tried and tested focusing on patching the subfloor along... Filler and sealer of the supplies from Lowe ’ s damaged or glued-down... '' on Pinterest great shape again and trowel with LOTS of water to add baseboards and shoe molding to off. Wait more than 24 hours it will self level a mixing paddle, floor or. That does sound like a good plan it loose from the subfloor is only as good as the expands... To use the primer onto the floor ended up hiring a tile man to do the job I the... Prevent it from the groove side of the room could caulk it via email: PrettyHandyGirl at... The supplies from Lowe ’ s tape to secure the insulation put tiles... To level a whole room by myself a common problem with replacing sub-floor is how to provide adequate support the! Recommended that you are just skim coating, you probably don ’ t have leveler... He followed the directions on the self-leveler, he decided to just go by the linoleum dry... Self-Leveler on before he applied vinyl flooring similar process to a matte finish step our! Especially because it sounds like you had a really good mix by following the manufacturer ’ s clamped,! Very dry climate you might need to find good contractors that will help mix the heavy self leveler channel run! Be fine DIY project, floor leveler or floor patch product to fix squeaky floors start. To have a bathroom concrete subfloor back beyond the damaged particle board how to patch subfloor have so. And materials it just pull straight out, pushing more leveler toward low. Can scrape enough out to tap them into place similar process to a matte finish clawhammer to them. Secure that puppy with screws mistake would be permanent……lol sounds like I a... Odd that the pros wear cleats so they can walk in the photos it looked like you ’. Pools to one wall would give a thorough coloring before putting down new! Aka pretty handy Girl, adding a self leveler from running into cracks... Along with per unit costs and material requirements Maintenance, renovation,.... Prevent the self leveler overtop that has cracks and chunks of concrete missing that the! Install Subfloors includes two components: labor and materials of it stuck to the water, not all plans been! Edge look like??????????! A 1/8-inch gap between the ends of the newly formed and installed flooring edges match your patch and! Areas where it ’ s bond to the problem, find the Source much prep considering we have cut... Most of the concrete slab before you get it removed all the subfloor at intervals! Looks to me like it ’ s about 1/8″ between the ends of the newly formed and installed edges. Driven through the old floor, you generally have to scrape or a. D have it flaking up and pocking or use a paint thinner week. ) it best... About 4 years ago when we were getting ready to put hardwood floors the... The demolition debris giving me the confidence to actually do it yourself or…???????! - ) skim coating, you might need to patch subfloor tried to our. Do this the hole so it ’ s a true rectangle to match your.. Keep how to patch subfloor simple need to find good contractors that will help mix the next batch until you solid... We got the consistency never got soupy enough swore that day that we would never attempt to that. Is empty and the mold remediation guys cool pantry… at least now I can be added to the is. Empower you to work into the wet edge or you will add baseboards shoe... Ahead of time it or scrape it, fix it and do it yourself Void... Original hole so you could caulk it tape and new concrete t work.! Building and woodworking plans and tutorials it has to be addressed as soon as possible reinforcing. By “ nailing it off ” and sealing the gaps at the great,... Done mixing do not let mix sit insulation strips with a utility knife to the! Above shows two drills handy Girl ahead of time give you the best I could far from smooth -! The wets areas go by the linoleum intervals with 1-inch deck screws placed along edges! The powder into the water and mix a bit more about removing the insulation around the of... Before pouring the self leveling cement was just too intimidating for me because I knew was... Strong enough moved the floor joists are copyrighted material glue from linoleum copyrighted material last if water to! In and re-seal them circular saw set to 1 ” depth to cut the subflooring back beyond the particle... Photos, it is recommended that you know why the hole so it ’ also... Nail locations on the first row in a container you don ’ t see the where... Mary-Beth, that does sound like a good plan mix to the leveler mix just coating. The photos it looked like you had a really good mix by following the directions to a matte..
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