On Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:27:16 -0500, Suzie-Q
wrote:

I pulled up the carpet in my bedroom to find that the previous
residents put the carpet down on top of plywood. I want to put some
vinyl down over the plywood, but need to fill in the cracks
between the plywood as well as fill in any small holes first.

I went to find some "floor leveler," describing to the person
in the floor department at Lowes what I was trying to do. She
showed me a big bag of powder, told me that I'd need six bags
for a 14' x 15' room, and that I had to mix it myself.

Whew!

If that's all there is I'll get it, but isn't there something
else? I don't really need a lot. Isn't there a sort of "hole
filler" that I could use? I remember buying some when I wanted
to put vinyl on a concrete floor that had small holes in it.
It worked a bit like spackle.

While it is a large area, the whole floor wouldn't have to be
covered with the stuff.

Thanks in advance for your advice,

You don't need floor leveler unless you have lots of dips and bumps or
ripples. If you are talking about sheet vinyl, best bet is to get the
prep and installation instructions from the vinyl manufacturer you
plan to use. They will recommend products compatible with their vinyl
and adhesive (if you are using glue down), including a floor patch
compound used for the seams in the underlayment. Be aware than even
very small imperfections in the underlayment will telegraph through
the vinyl over time; even a layer of tape will show eventually. So it
is important to get it smooth. Often the best bet is to put down a
new layer of 1/4 inch underlayment, filling the seams and screw heads
with the recommended patching compound, and then sanding smooth per
directions before placing the vinyl.

Good luck!

Paul F.