Floor "Leveler," or not
 

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,

--
8^)~ Sue (remove the x to email)
~~~~
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outre...ew/main/wacvet
http://www.umbrellahatsociety.com/
http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

"Suzie-Q" wrote in message
...
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.

One word: Thinset. Trowel it out where needed, using a non-notched trowel,
using a trowel corner to work it into the wider seams.

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

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.

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

On Oct 8, 3:27 am, Paul Franklin
wrote:
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.

That's exactly what I would do. A little more work, perhaps, but
removes a
lot of uncertainties.

Good luck!

Paul F.

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

Paul Franklin wrote in
:

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;

Yep. Even if you put it over existing vinyl that was in good shape, the
recesses in the "pattern" will eventually show through. It would have to
be skimcoated first.

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.

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

Artful Dodger wrote in news:47e9accd-bdad-4a87-
:

On Oct 8, 3:27 am, Paul Franklin
wrote:
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.

That's exactly what I would do. A little more work, perhaps, but
removes a
lot of uncertainties.

Good luck!

Paul F.



a new layer of 1/4 inch underlayment,

Luan?

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

On Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:00:22 -0500, Red Green
wrote:

Artful Dodger wrote in news:47e9accd-bdad-4a87-
:

On Oct 8, 3:27 am, Paul Franklin
wrote:
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.

That's exactly what I would do. A little more work, perhaps, but
removes a
lot of uncertainties.

Good luck!

Paul F.



a new layer of 1/4 inch underlayment,

Luan?

Folks have used luan for a long time with few issues, but most of it
isn't rated for underlayment, and will probably void the vinyl
warranty. Best to stick with the stuff actually made and sold as
underlayment; usually comes in 4x4 sheets. AFAIK, the main difference
is there are guaranteed to be no voids.

Paul F.

Floor "Leveler," or not
 

Suzie, I sure see a very different answer than others.

There are gyp based floor levelers, acrylic based, and cement
based. I have had problems in the past with gypsum based products
and do not recommend them. If you have small areas to work and
will not have further use for the product, Durham's Rock Hard
water putty will work quite well. Any good floor supply store,
lumber yard, or box store should have many choices of floor
leveler. Thinset is an adhesive for ceramic tile, it might work
but one of the major issues with any leveler is the ability to
feather out to nothing which is not typical for thinset.

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DanG
Keep the whole world singing . . .


"Suzie-Q" wrote in message
...
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,

--
8^)~ Sue (remove the x to email)
~~~~
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outre...ew/main/wacvet
http://www.umbrellahatsociety.com/
http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/