The Floor Is Croked

If the wall isn t straight and you start a full course of flooring against it then the whole floor will look crooked.

The floor is croked.

It s a bit confusing but a flat floor can still be slightly out of level and still create a good foundation for a long lasting floor installation. The likelihood a given floor has for bending is affected by many factors but the most common primary cause is simply old age. On the top side of the floor another fix it idea to lay down new hardwood over the existing floor. Some new flooring installations require a level subfloor such as resilient tile flooring.

A plywood subfloor will bridge any minor waves in the existing floor and leveling compound would help too. Laminate flooring on an uneven subfloor can cause problems and needs to be addressed. A new floor design that satisfies code requirements for bearing capacity and rigidity resistance to bend may still be appreciably sloped after many years of service. Laminate floors aren t attached to the subfloor but subfloor preparation is as critical as it is when installing a nail or glue down floor.

The floor can have an unlevel subfloor and still have a base for a nice laminate floor. You will have to make sure your joists can handle the addition of considerably more weight from the plywood subfloor and any floor coverings. How to determine if a floor is level.