View Full Version : Leveling basement floor
lost??
Sep 29, 2013, 08:52 PM
I'm redoing my basement and am a few weeks away from doing the flooring. I'm going with vinyl plank as it seems to stand up to mostiure well and fits in the budget. Part of the basement already has tile down. I'm not sure what it's made of but back when I purchased the house the inspector said it was most likely asbestos so I am just going to go over it, overall the tiles are in good shape. However part of the current floor is just slab, so there's a very small height difference where this meets the existing tile,maybe 1/8 inch or so. Can I just use self leveling cement on the slab to make the two areas level? The slab portion is about 10 ft by 10 ft. Any input is appreciated, thanks.
scott53715
Sep 30, 2013, 04:34 AM
Be careful with your installation. Is there a membrane/ pad that goes under the vinyl planking? I'm assuming this is a floating floor that is not glued or attached
To the floor in any way. In a damp environment especially, you'll need to leave room at the edges for expansion and contraction. Installation recommendations should be followed closely or the floor may buckle. You'll probably not notice the difference in 1/8", but you could feather-out the difference with some floor leveler. You could first snap a couple sections together and place over the transition to see if you even notice.
ma0641
Sep 30, 2013, 05:40 AM
You do need to feather the tile end. Use floor leveler and go out at least 6" or more.
lost??
Oct 1, 2013, 09:06 AM
Thanks for your responses. I'm going to try to feather the difference out over 6-8 inches. Also, as far as an underlayment, all the manufacturer recommends is 6 mil plastic. I plan on using this on the concrete portion of the floor, but not over the tile, as the new floor will not be in direct contact with the concrete over the tile.
ma0641
Oct 1, 2013, 10:49 AM
Thanks for your responses. I'm going to try to feather the difference out over 6-8 inches. Also, as far as an underlayment, all the manufacturer recommends is 6 mil plastic. I plan on using this on the concrete portion of the floor, but not over the tile, as the new floor will not be in direct contact with the concrete over the tile.
Poly sheeting can be very slippery. How are you planning to address that.
lost??
Oct 1, 2013, 11:49 AM
I was thinking I would lay it out over the area and overlap it where the floor meets the walls, where I would staple it to the walls below where the baseboard will ultimately go, since this area will be covered anyway. Then I'll use weights to weigh it down as I go and once finished trim the excess off at the walls. I'm not sure that I would be able use any adhesive to attach it to the concrete? I'm also open to any other suggestions, thanks.