Laying Plywood On Uneven Concrete Floor

Look at the board where it touches the subfloor and see if there are any dips bumps or otherwise uneven areas.

Laying plywood on uneven concrete floor.

Begin by cutting sheets to 16 inches by 8 feet or smaller panels marked 3 8 of an inch deep on back and a minimum of every 12 inches across in width. If your floor slants from one side of the room to another you will have to call a professional as this will likely be a structural problem. If you are dealing with a wavy floor you can just put plywood over the top of the entire area. If your floor is plywood you don t need anything else.

If the uneven floor is due to floor joists that have warped or twisted over time or were incorrectly installed the only way to level the floor is to remove the subflooring and shim the joists. These hills and valleys will eventually lead to unwanted bouncy spots squeaks and groans in the final laminate floor. Position yourself in a way that allows you to see the board more or less from the side and look for low areas that show up in relation to. The air spaces between the dimples also act as insulation and keeps your floor warmer than if your floor was laid on bare concrete.

As a result the material for the subfloor will acclimate to the temperature and moisture content of the room expanding or contracting before the installation rather than after. Place 16 inch planks perpendicular or diagonal to direction of flooring. If the floor is only slightly uneven you will be looking to cover your subfloor with thin hardwood 3mm or 1 8 inch alternatively for subfloors that require a high level of correction we will be looking to cover the floorboards with or preferably plywood. It will also help if you have any small humps and roughspots in your floor that potentially give you uneven joints when you butt your plywood together.

Use a minimum 3 4 inch cd exposure 1 plywood sheathing 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. Lay a 8 to 10 foot piece of lumber on the concrete floor. A little cheat to help work past a small dip in your subfloor when installing laminate flooring.