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How to level sagging floor in old house using shims, not floor leveler, in home renovation
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- Опубліковано 23 жов 2020
- Renovating an old house inevitably comes with sagging floors to some degree. This time we were faced with 2nd story floors which were out of level. In an effort to add as little weight as possible to the aging floor joists, we choose not to use floor leveler (which is essentially concrete).
To determine actual level, a laser level is a helpful tool in this process as well and can be found on Amazon:
DEWALT Line Laser, Self-Leveling, Red, 3-Beam (DW089K)
by Dewalt
amzn.to/3xNbY3K
A similar less costly laser level is :
KAIWEETS Self-Leveling Green Laser Level, 360 Laser Line with 2 Plumb Dots, Cross Line 197ft with 7800mAh Rechargeable Batteries & Magnetic Rotating Stand for Construction and Picture Hanging
by KAIWEETS
amzn.to/3xGZkDH
Rather than using heavy floor leveler, we opted for use of shims to raise the low spots and create a new level surface. When you can't raise sagging floors from underneath, as in this instance, without damaging the ceiling below, the next best option is to create a new level surface from above.
The process is straight forward. We found the highest spots in the room and placed one end of a 6 foot level :
(www.amazon.com...
on the high spot and the other end at a low spot. We then used shims (plywood pads) placed on the low spot till the 6 foot level bubble indicated level. Once a wider area was leveled, we could lay down the first sheet of 3/4 inch sub-floor.
Also, if you are in the market for any tools, check out our Amazon store front.
Visit our amazon store front for our recommendations for tools and supplies for DIY success!
www.amazon.com...
If you click on the amazon links and buy, you are helping us out as a channel. We are Amazon
affiliates and can earn from qualifying purchases and no extra cost for you. Thanks for the help in supporting our channel and enabling us to keep us making videos!
#saggingfloor, #floorsag, #floorlevel, For more content be sure and check us out at housebarons.com/
I did this exact same procedure in my 100+ yr old house. A few thought/suggestions if I may:
1. If you have asbestos, it should be removed prior to doing this. If you cover it up, someone else down the line may renovate this house and may end up ripping out the floor and unknowingly disturbing the asbestos.
2. ALWAYS GLUE AND SCREW. Don't use nails.
3. Try to use at least 5/8" thick plywood (3/4" is best) as your top subfloor to maximize strength and minimize bouncy spots.
4. To shim, pick up a few sheets of 1/4" Luan, 1/2", 3/8" and 5/8" plywood. For really bad floors, rip down 2x4 to get desired height. Also pick up wide roofing shims for precision leveling.
5. There should be no more than 8-10" between the shims to prevent that bouncy feeling in areas where the shims are too far apart. If you use 3/4" plywood for subfloor, you can get away with 12" apart.
How can you find out if you have asbestos? My house was built in 1920, records of the property are spotty...
@@mimi101 It's actually not supposed to be a risk unless you work with it everyday in large amounts. The guy who did my survey told me and wasn't one bit bothered by it??
@@Graham94 Oh good! Thanks Graham!
You don't have to remove the asbestos because of the next person who will move in to it. And if they are worried they can get a proffessional team in to remove it. :)
J R, This is great info! For my floor joist, I decided to go with RV shims that were hard wood and 4"x9" for my crawlspace work. this way I could rip down to what ever the situation required and help with any future rot. I'll be working the rest of the project from above and will be using your method. Appreciate your input!
Great idea! Was just about to rip up my entire floor but I think you've saved me from a massive headache. Thanks from the UK
Glad it helped! And thx for letting us know where you are DIYing 😃 - always interesting and appreciated! Cheers!
Great video. This is exactly what I thought I could do in my head. Nice to see a visual of it! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Hey Synovia,
Glad you found this helpful!
I hope your project goes well - Thx for watching!
This video was just the solution I needed. I have a sloping cement floor we are renovating and putting in new carpet. Thank you so much, I really didn’t want to try self-leveling compound so this looks like a good option.
Hey Maria,
Sounds good. Thx for watching!
I was planning to do this but started to doubt myself, so it's nice to see confirmation that it will work. You have no idea how you've eased my anxiety. Thank you!
Thx for watching!
OMG, this is response to my prayers. THANK YOU!!!!!
Hey Elena,
Awesome. Hope it helps.
Thx for watching!
This video helped me more than any other Ive watched in last couple months. so much appreciated. Thought I was stuck with my sloped floors. will be attempting this today. Im going to put 3/4 cdx ply down as subfloor, then 1/2 backerboard and tile on top. feels like that should be strong enough. thank you again guys!
Hey Jesse,
Nice - happy projecting!
Thx for watching!
I'd avoid the tile. Your floors are sloping for a reason. tile is fairly heavy and will most likely start sloping again in 5 years, cracking said tile. At worse, catastrophic floor failure where your carrier beam and strings literally snap. I realize your comment is 10 months old but just thought I'd offer my 2 cents. Best of luck
My sweetheart adjusted some posts under the floor in the crawl space and added some shims to level the floor. Then he used plywood over the subfloor. You need plywood not OSB if you are going to nail down hardwood. Then he nailed down reclaimed red oak with nails and a hammer which we had cleaned and removed nails and staples. Sweetheart then sanded it and used two coats of satin sealer. Beautiful oak floors now. They're fantastic. He did a wonderful job.
Hey Cindy,
Perfect! Thx for watching!
you must be 90 years old calling your partner 'my sweetheart' without cringing
This will be a huge help for me. I have a very wonky floor.
Hi Bri, awesome, hope this helps, let us know how it goes!
I need to do this in my tiny upstairs converted attic eventually. It seemed daunting and I was estimating $50-100,000 to hire someone to do it (prices are crazy where I live). You made it seem way easier and maybe even possible to do it myself with my partner. Thank you.
Hey Sedona…,
Great. Thx for watching!
I know right away this is quality job when I see oatmeal plywood being used.
I leveled my uneven basement floor with OSB boards, shims and concrete screws. Your video was really helpful. Thank you very much.
Hey best…,
Way to go! Thx for watching!
Thanks for this. I'm having a house rehabbed and my carpenter just did this and I freaked out a little. lol. His explanation was the same as yours. I'm more at ease now. Thanks!
Hey John,
It’s not the perfect solution. But sometimes perfect can be the enemy of the good…enough.
Here’s a recent video that gives some perspective…
ua-cam.com/video/-hYhd6V1nuQ/v-deo.html
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons Thanks. My house is 95 years old so this video definitely helped.
Thanks. I used a laser level on the high spot an used the plywood spacers to fill gaps from 1/8 to 1 inch. Those LVP floors are very unforgiving so the subfloor is critical. Thanks for the idea.
Hey T K,
Very good! Glad it worked for you. Thanks for watching!
Been trying to redo the flooring in my house with lvp amd had to remove everything because the floor wasn't straight. Unforgiving is right. Going to straighten the whole floor out and relay.
Omg! I love you!! One of my upstairs bedrooms has a dip in the middle if the floor, and I've been trying to find ways to fix it without major upheaval. This is the best!
Hey Make…,
Thanks so much! Hope it works for you and thx for watching!
I'm just getting into the remodeling the whole deal and mainly you guys do tremendous good work and I'm just starting and I already made my 10,000 dollar Mark already just just from watching videos I'm doing jobs I thank you guys have a blessed day man
Awesome! Thank you! Keep up the good work!
This is a great idea. No way this would fail if the directions are followed. A+ for this one 👍🏾👍🏾
Hey Kash..,
Glad you think so! Thx for watching!
This is a huge help for me as I get ready to redo the flooring in my kitchen. Thanks guys!
Hey Rich,
Thx for watching!
did you have to remove kitchen cabinet frames/appliances for this?
Been saving ply scraps and cedar shakes for a couple years with plans to do that to my 200 year old shack, pullin up the floor is just crazzzzzzzy.
Last project after top to bottom Reno’s is the floor!
Hey Rob,
200;years old - awesome. Sounds like an adventure for sure! Thanks for watching.
I KNEW that there was a way to compensate for an unlevel floor. Thank you for sharing! 👍
Hey Timothy,
Thx for watching!
Thanks for the video. One of our bedrooms is like walking in a funhouse.
Hey DS,
Thx for watching!
Thanks for the great video. I do have a few questions.
1) If I use floor leveler instead of shims, do you still recommend using plywood or can the vinyl plank go right over the floor leveler?
2) what is the maximum distance in between shims in order for the plywood not to noticeably flex once you step on the final flooring and place your weight on the area right on top of the gaps
3) what is the recommended thickness of plywood
4) are you screwing the plywood into the shims?
1. Read mfg directions for both your planks and leveler. Normally VP can go right over floor leveler (but you MUST use the plank mfg approved padding under the planks)
2. Maximum OPEN AIR space between shims (not necessarily to the center of the shim pile of you are using large, square shims) is same as for joists--normally 14.5" (for 16" on center joists). You could go less (12"), but I would not go more.
3. Use subfloor mfg or code recommendation for the equivalent joist spacing for the thickness of subfloor you are going to use--normally no less than 3/4" T&G. (Remember, since you are not using joists, you are concerned about the maximum UNSUPPORTED SPACE between shim piles.) Also check plank mfg specs for subfloor, if any.
4. Unh...yes. If you screw between the shims you will bow the plywood. If you can hit joists, good. But make sure you are at least starting to penetrate completely through the original flooring for max holding power.
My 2c.
Thanks for the video! My mother in law hired a guy to do her floor in her room, when he was done the floor was 2 inches higher than the hall way 😐 didn’t use shims
Oh wow! Thx for watching!
The air gap in between will mold and eventually rot through. Just letting you know if you decide to do this. It may be sealed but spores will find their way out. But it’s your house so you can decide if this is for you.
Installation is on a 2nd floor, conditioned above and below. Doubt there is enough temperature differential above and below to produce moisture for mold/rot to grow. If this were above a slab on grade it would be one thing, but since it's not, i don't see how this is any different than a typical plenum space between two floors. I vote that it's fine.
if extruded polystyrene pads is used as shims instead of plywood pad? Please advise.
Hey Chris,
We would agree. It’s a totally dry space. So mold is not a worry on this second floor. Thx for your input.
Can’t really say. Never tried that before. Not sure about durability.
Thx for watching.
Holy Karen - air circulating isn’t going to promote mold - just the opposite
Great solution. Cheers chaps. Now to sort my 1830 floor out!
Hey vince..,
Glad it helped! 1830’s ??! Woohoo - sounds interesting! But worth saving that history!
Thx for watching!
Thanks, this is what I need - pier and beam, also can't put on the weight of the self-leveler (plus it's messy and wet) I prefer wood shims.
Hey Stonepoint...,
That is why we used shims as well - leveler is heavy!
Thx for watching!
Outstanding!! Best video I have watched
Awesome our floor is sagging and undeveloped in spots, think this will be the fix we are looking for! Thanks
Hey Donna…,
Great. Just make sure you first diagnose WHY you floor is sagging. A defect in the structure can be hurt by extra weight.
We always like to fix the cause before addressing the symptom.
Thx for watching!
Hello, great video! Just a few questions:
1) what is the maximum distance in between shims in order for the plywood not to noticeably flex once you step on the final flooring and place your weight on the area right on top of the gaps?
2) what is the recommended thickness of OSB or plywood?
3) are you screwing the plywood into the shims?
Hey Family,
1) 12-16 inches - depends on the thickness of the plywood.
2) 3/4-1 inch tongue and groove.
3) yes - through the shims into the floor w/ glue.
Regarding spacing, 3/4" subfloor allows 24 inches on center (along strength axis).
You want the shims over the existing joists, and the shims are wider than joists (no problem in that axis (lengthwise)
Regarding weaker axis (48 inch width), 5 shims 6 inches square, spaced out would span 2 1/2 feet, side by side. Space them out with roughly 5 inch gaps to cover 4 feet.
Haven't found any information about derate for the week axis, so I'm using 50 percent of rated span (12 inch centers).
Seems pretty solid.
Regarding moisture, I laid down poly sheet. And the subfloor is DryMax, the OSB guaranteed not to swell if left out in weather for 500 days.
I'm not using squares, I'm using triangles; easier to level a tripod than a table.
Great video man I was about to replace my whole floor saved me time and cash thanks!!!
Hey Antoine,
Glad to hear it! Thx for watching!
Good job, I used to level surface where requires a precision levelness using shim as thin as 0.001".
If you can't find the right combination of shims, use a planer to get the right thickness.
Hey Gil,
That is some crazy precision! Thx for the tips! And thx for watching!
Just seen this! Gave me an idea on how to do my floors!
This seems like a fine temporary solution but I feel like it will not last too long without sagging between those shim gaps.
Unlikely. That OSB is normally installed over 16 on the center joist and is fine.
AWESOME. I have an issue in a 170-year old wooden house and have avoided the idea of laminate because of the weight of a filler. My sagging area comprises a smaller area, but at its deepest is nearly 3” 😒 judging from the distance from floor to the bottom of the open door. I think it’ll work.
Great job. Simple solution for a huge problem
Hey si06ka,
Thx for letting us know and thx for watching!
My wife and I bought our first house back in 2017. It was built in the 1960s. Looking back, I wish we would've passed on buying the house because now the floors in the back of the house has started to sag and those floors have tile so the tile has started to crack in places. So stressful....
Hey B…,
Can you find out why by looking underneath?
Sometimes supporting there can make a huge difference.
This is what we did from the basement:
ua-cam.com/video/Hvgk8ZE0kaE/v-deo.html
Yes. Houses can be stressful. But care and repair can protect your investment.
ua-cam.com/video/Hvgk8ZE0kaE/v-deo.html
I really love your method, might be harder to do on concrete but I think its possible.
Hey Internal…,
Oh yeah. Seems like it would work to be. Thx for watching
Bookmarked. This is brilliant!
Hey Tim,
Cool deal. Thx for watching!
Great video... Thanks from Canada.
Hey Bob,
Thanks much for the kind words AND thx for letting us know where you are viewing from. We are always curious.
Thx for watching!
I get doing this to level off finished flooring, but it still leaves the problem of a sagged overspanned step notched 24” on center 2”x 8” joist in an old home. If you did this correctly an easier way would be to go under the house add coupke footings and a beam Jack up the whole floor to be closer to level then 3 bags thin layer self leveler. That way you correct the issue not a cosmetic band aid.
If cement floor might consider poly foam injection first then some leveler.
Thx for the input!
This was so very helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful! Thx so much for watching!
Does it matter how you lay the subfloor down since it’s not technically structural? Basically just click it together the best way it fits the room?
I have uneven floors in every room of my house. I just tackled the worst room which is 10x10 and poured levelling compound all over it. I regret it, I don’t think the structure is strong enough for it and it still has a slight slope. Will follow a method like this for the rest of the place.
Hey K B,
We were careful on the spacing so that the floor would not bow when walked on - shims every 12-16 inches and subfloor - tongue and groove plywood.
thx for watching!
How did it work out for you?
Great video! Well done and straight to the point. Thanks!
Hey Ben,
Thx for watching!
Thank you very much for sharing this. Your video was very helpful. Good man.
Cheers!
Hey Vinayak,
Thank you for watching!
Exactly what I was looking for, thanks mate.
Hey Kerry,
Thx for watching
Appreciate you sharing this with us. May I suggest using a wireless lapel mike to eliminate the echo caused by the empty room?
Hey Paul,
Thx. Yes. We were without that day. But good advice.
Thx for watching!
One side of my tiled 11x12 floor is 3 1/2" lower, then tapers off to the high point. Id need a ton of leveler. Instead I will use hardwood flooring 24 pieces 3/4 x 8" x 12' s and level and shim each one separately skipping the need of another layer of subfloor. I figure I'll start at the low point and work my way to the level side flattening and leveling along the way.
Hey inventor,
Definitely sounds like too much for leveler. Sounds like you have a solution!
Thx for watching!
This is brilliant . 3 years ago this would be super efficient now with the price of plywood it would cost you 1000 dollars just to level your floor lolol
3/4 inch cement would be even more expensive
Great video...I have an old house over 123 years old...the old section has the trees for floor joists...sags in the middle..has the old wide pine planks and over that is hardwood...I want to put a floating floor on it..do you think your shim method would work...thanks for making taking the time to make the video..gives me alittle hope..I don't want carpeting
Excellent video!
Thank you very much!
This was super helpful! 👌 Any tips for out of square door jams and unlevel drywall ceiling? Thanks!! Great stuff!
Hey Joel,
This first step would be to see if it is possible to correct any of the causes of the sagging.
In this video we were able to remedy a lot ( but not everything) through the use of jacks.
ua-cam.com/video/Hvgk8ZE0kaE/v-deo.html
Then if the door jam is not corrected .... only fix I know would be to cut it out and re-shim it. Pretty simple task.
Ceilings - yikes! Hope the jacking up the floor works. Otherwise, you have to shim it and hang new drywall. Hanging ceiling drywall is labor intensive :-)
Hope that helps!
Thx for watching.
Thank you very much. This was really helpful for me.
Hey Milan,
Great! Thanks for watching!
Great idea!! Using it today.
Hey Tessa,
Awesome! Let’s us know how it works out! Thx for watching and commenting!
Isn't the plywood simply going to become un-level over time in all the areas there aren't any shim's.
Hey C,
Your typical floor has plywood or OSB spanning joists that are 16 inches a part. So the shims are spaced similarly. Should not be a problem. Thx for watching.
Feels like "Flippers special"
Great videos thanks for sharing 👍👍🙏
Hey Gil,
Thx for watching!
Wow great idea thank u so much for taking out your time to explain.. this is awesome… where can I get those big shims?
Hey Jose,
We cut those from a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood and other scrap made to fit .
Thanks for watching!
Can you do this on top of hardwood floors?
Hey Rich,
Seems like it would work - though covering hardwood is sad. Just know that you want to address the cause of the sag ( stop it from sagging further ) before doing cosmetic changes.
Thx for watching!
Thanks for this tutorial - exactly what I've been considering.
Question - I'm doing this *on top* of an exisitng hardwood floor (an old sagging railroad apartment) - and then carpet or vinyl on top of the hardwood.
The difference between corners of the 15'x8' room is significant - (from high point first) [0", .5", 2.25", 1.75"]. I plan on using 3/4" plywood and 12" square shims spaced with 12" air gaps between each shim pile, then drilling the plywood into each shim pile at those intervals.
The issue is that I need to protect the hardwood floor below (it's not in fantastic shape, but I can't go screwing wood screws into it as I am a renter). I'm wondering if you could recommend a wood-friendly adhesive - like vinyl or silicone? Just to keep the shim piles stuck enough to the underlying wood.
I don't imagine they will be drifiting or scooting around a lot as the whole setup will be filling the entire floor area and everything should be snug, but it seems risky to not fasten the shims to the original floor in any way.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!
Hey hop,
Sounds similar to what we did. Could you not lay down the shims. Then put a dab of liquid nails on top of the shim. Then lay plywood on the shims.? The shims would be glued to the bottom of the plywood but not the floor. Maybe put flooring paper between shim and floor if you were worried about marking up the floor.
Anyway, once the glue dries, the shim won’t move because the plywood floor won’t move.
Hope that helps. Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons Hey thanks for the quick reply!
I think you are right - no adhesive between the lower floor and shim interface, just liquid nails + shallow woodscrew between the plywood and shim.
just need to figure out what to put on top of the plywood that doesn't look terrible 😅😅
@@Housebarons one more question! (haha sorry) - the floor is *quite* crooked, so much so that there is a quarter inch drop just across one stack of 12" shims - what would you say is the tolerance at which to ignore the gab given the flex properties of 5/8" OSB? I can't find plywood under 1/4" and would need to star doing partial (quarter width) shims across these stacks
I really want to do this rather than ripping out the old floor/subfloor then sistering to joists with HEAVY 2x6s or what not, but the only PROBLEM is afterwards my floor is going to be about 1" taller than the two adjoining rooms that are level with decent floors. ANY IDEAS??
Ripping up old floor or raising / resupporting the floor from underneath are the only ways I know to address the issues. We shimmed because supporting from underneath was not cost effective. But yes, it raised all the floors on the second level by an inch.
It can be a dilemma.
Thx for watching!
Thanks from Edinburgh!
Hey INVISIBLE…,
Thx for letting us know where you are watching from!
Thanks for the. This is awesome
Glad you liked it!
You’re a genius
Hey sauce..,
Thanks and thx for watching!
thanks i have a sagging bathroom this will work
Good job. Thanks for the info.
Hey Luke,
Thanks for watching!
an excellent video..
Hey BKD,
Thx fir watching!
Hi, thank you for the great video! I have a wavy floor in my home office on the second floor and I think this is just the answer I'm looking for. I would only be doing this as a small (around 6' x 7') platform for one area though, that I'd cover with a rug, and I don't want to damage the existing hardwood underneath. Is there something you can recommend to go under the shims to protect that surface, like carpet padding? My concern is that it's spongy so it might mess up the leveling over time (if not immediately once my desk and rolling chair are placed on the final platform). Thanks again!
Hey Joshua,
Maybe try thin padding used as underlayment for engineered hardwood floating floors.
Specifically we’ve used “quietwalk” - it’s blue in rolls.
Lumber Liquidators sells it, also big box home stores.
Hope that helps.
Thx for watching!
The proper way, of course is a lot more work and cost, is to rip out the existing subflooring and sister the expose joists with new lumber to level each. Then you install new subfloor.
Much more work but will last lot longer then just shim and glue new subfloor. The old subfloor will eventually squeak and Creek.
Hey jjc,
True- but we didn’t want to mess with the asbestos tile.
Thx for watching!
Are the edges of the OSB boards painted blue at the store, or did you guys treat them with something? For what reason are they treated, impermeability?
Also, I've been looking for this method of leveling without knowing I were looking for it ;) Appreciate the video very much!
Hey Armen..,
They are painted on edges at the mill - I think it’s for identification.
Thx much for watching!
Won't the original floor continue 5o sag over time bringing the "new floor" with it? I don't think you should hack a foundation.
Hey kuhki,
This floor got there over 100 yrs. So eventually, decades from now it may need to be rebuilt but that seems not to be cost effective for this situation.
Thx for watching!
Some say the guys are still leveling this floor which keeps sagging each year. After laying layer after layer of floor boards on top of each other, the hight of the room is now height of a 2 year old toddler, few more levelings and the entire room should be sealed with floorboards to the ceiling
Thanks really helpful.
Hey C,
Great! Thx for watching!
Space between spacers?
Hi! This might be a silly question, but surely where you place the shims on slanted parts of the floor it won’t be level? Won’t they just follow the slope of the floor? Do you have to cut the shims and angles? Thanks!
Hey Dan,
Yes - the shims are different thickness of wood stacked on top of each other till they get to the needed height for all of them to form a level surface.
Hope that helps.
Thx for watching!
Hi there, Thanks for sharing. I'm currently facing same problem in my kitchen which is smaller (2.5m x 2m) and was wondering if I can use Extruded Polystyrene pads as shims instead of plywood pads?
Your prompt reply is much appreciated!
Hi,
Never done that. I would want to test or find data about compressibility over time - will weight of the floor covering and furniture, people walking on it cause it to get smaller over time???
Hope that gives you food for thought.
Thx for watching!
Great idea
Hey Ben,
Thanks. And thx for watching!
What length of screws to use to screw on half inch plywood and shims through wooden floor
Measure the thickness of board, plus the gap plus another 3/4 to 1 inch into the sub floor.
How do you run it through the hallway to the stairs without transitioning
I have a slanting floor in my 1860s cottage, where the brick walls are set on the ground and basically seperate from the floor. Would it be better to apply this method or get someone in to restump?
Hey Duck,
The method in this video is more last resort. If you can get into a basement or crawl space and address the slanting condition of the floors that way ( be presupposing or jacking) it’s far better long term.
Hope that helps.
Thx for watching!
Thank you so much!
Hey Jonna,
Thx for watching!
Would you consider using this leveling method if you were going to install tile on top, or would it simply flex too much?
Hey Jeff,
Yes, flex would be an issue. I think you need something like 1.25 inches solid subfloor for tile. Thx for watching.
@@Housebarons or self leveler
Looks like a viable solution in some cases. Did you have any trouble with the 3/4 inch OSB not supporting enough in between the shims?... Was there any 'give'?? Thank you. Great video.
Hey Jer…,
Not at all - regular floor joist spacing is 12 inches apart.
Thx for watching!
Great video, thanks! Like the method, we are most likely going to use something like this in our place.
Two questions is I may:
1) If a were to put some material between the shims, what would you suggest?
Something like dry compound?
Or mineral wool? Just to limit a possible "hollow" noise.
2) What was the minimum thickness difference between the shims? Like one mm or so? (Metric system here.)
Hey Alexander,
So where are you from?
1) you could use mineral wool, but honestly, I don’t think you’ll hear too much of a hollow sound ( at least we haven’t ) if your subfloor is 2 cm thick or so .
2) not sure exactly what you mean here. The thinnest shim we used ( if that what you mean ) is probably something like 5mm.
A thicker subfloor will not flex so much so…
Hope that helps.
Thx for watching.
Hi@@Housebarons,
Greetings from Czechia (EU)! :)
Thanks for the reply.
Some more, if I may:
1) Do you recommend to put some step-proof insulation like a think fibreboard between the shims and the OSBs?
2) In our project we have Fermacell/Rigips gypsum fibreboards instead of OSB. The price is the same, but they are twice as heavy, which is a good thing for acoustic insulation. But my understanding is that they are less flexible and more fragile than the OSB and if they are gonna be screwed with the underfloor, this could be a bad thing? The underfloor is OSB atop new wooden beams.
I hope it makes sense what I'm saying :)
Hi Alexander,
Czechia! Thanks for letting us know - Im always curious where people view our videos from. I have never been to your country, but I just looked on Google and your country has some INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL old buildings! I guess that is one of the blessings of living in a country with such a long history of building structures.
As for you place, I looked up the flooring you mentioned and saw this video:ua-cam.com/video/zLBltK2r_ho/v-deo.html
I hope this is similar to what you mentioned. Ive never seen using that fill (rocks?) to shim a floor.
Is this what you meant by dry compound in your earlier comment? Seems like that would work. Just never seen that method before.
If those boards are like some fiber boards we have here in the US, I would think it would work to add on top of OSB. Seems like that would make a solid floor.
If there will be an air space between OSB and fiberboard ( with shims, ) then the thinest floor material we would use above the shims is 3/4 of an inch or something like 20mm. Our OSB would still flex at 20mm. And if we were adding porcelain or ceramic tile over that, it would need to be extra rigid / thicker - so somewhere around 30mm thick so the floor won't flex and break the grout between tiles.
One caution about fiberboard we have here is that it can't ever get wet. ( like in a bathroom, kitchen) Something I would check. Im guessing you are putting a finished floor over this??
Another question - I just reread and saw you said you had NEW wood beams. Were they installed wrong? Not level?
Hope this helps!
Thanks for saying hello from Czechia!😀
Could you please describe how you finish around door? That would be a great help. Thank you.
Hey Jin,
Whether you are talking about the subfloor ( like what we laid down in this video ) or the finish flooring, they are similar.
We had to undercut the molding ( the door jamb, and the door molding ) and slide the subfloor wood under it so it looks seamless.
You can see how we did this very thing near the end of this video we made on finishing a floor.
m.ua-cam.com/video/fNrbM9sdmjg/v-deo.html
It’s fine to undercut the molding and jamb because all of that is hanging on the 2x4 framing core structure of the wall.
AND as you raise the floor, the door may no longer fit, so you may need to trim off the bottom of the door.
Hope that helps. Feel free to let me know if something still is unclear.
Thx for watching!
thanks a million!!!
Hey Susan,
Thx fir watching!
Good video!!
Hey Henry,
Thx for watching!
Hello, very useful video. Wondering if I can follow same approach to set up my small home gym in my unleveled Garage floor. I am only talking about 6x13 ft space to create a workout platform and this approach looks easy to me unless you have any risks.
Hey Siriram,
Just make sure it can hold any weights if you are using free weights.
Thx for watching.
Can you still do this if the wood is old, unleveled and unstable? Also the wood has some holes in the floor
Thx for this video. I have 2 questions if I may : 1) isn't the "air space" under the plywood making the finished structure noisy to impact/sounds (walking, moving chairs, voices, TV, etc...). I'm concerned with soundproofing... If that is the case, would a layer of soundproofing material be indicated under the plywood and on top of it ? 2) few shots of the video show some deflection when you guys walk on the plywood . Is it because it has not been screwed down yet ?? I'm asking because I'm told you need 1 1/4 structural material to avoid deflection on tiles... thx
Hey Jean…,
There is a space but this is essentially a floor over a floor which also has a space in between it and the ceiling below. Still you could add additional sound proofing material if you want to be sure.
2) deflection - yes. We still have to add another 3/8 to 1/2 finished floor which will add more stiffness. We are not doing tile on this floor. You are correct / tile subfloor MUST be thicker to keep your grout lines from cracking!
Thx for watching!
Is it ok to drill all of those screws into the asbestos tiles underneath the new plywood? Once those tiles have been drilled into shouldn’t they be removed from the house so the fibres don’t escape into the air?
Hey prize,
It seemed incapsulated to us. The screws drill down and don’t bring material up unless you strip the screws.
Thx for watching!
Thanks for this video !! I will used your approach to relevel my floor . Where did you find the little 12" X 12" flat shim sheets ?
Hey LG…,
We made our own from 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch plywood.
Thx for watching!
Thansks for your answer !
@@Housebarons
So should I remove the old long one inch wood plank flooring to level out the floor/add some form of insulation? I would have had contractors do this but nobody wants to do it this way they want to use a compound to level it out which is too much weight to add onto the floors for 130 year old house
Hey The mom…,
I’m with you on not wanting to add extra weight w/ leveler. You could do as you say - a good way to also add insulation if there is none. You may also find issues you can fix from above once you can see underneath.
Thx for watching!
Great info!...How do you handle the door sill with the additional height? Or the difference between the hallway and the room the work was done in? I am thinking of doing this in our cabin but have to keep in mind the entry and sliding patio doors. Appreciate any feedback!
Hey Humbucker…,
The sliding door should be easy / just add a transition strip to make a smooth transition to the new height.
ua-cam.com/video/FBWwjtjAed/v-deo.html
The entry door is a bigger challenge - if it’s wood, you can simply trim the bottom off to the new floor height. Measure 2x, cut once. 😃
BUT if it is metal : steel, that’s a bigger deal. Either replace with wood or remove and replace it higher.
We have moved an exterior door before - at least you can see the work involved here:
ua-cam.com/video/K7nNTeczXBI/v-deo.html
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons Appreciate the feedback and response! This years challenge for the cabin is doing this exact procedure. Last year, I either replaced or sistered all the floor joist and center support beam and decided to let it sit over the winter so I can adjust any movement that happened, if any. with that said it is a cabin and still have some out of level and uneven areas to address from above and will be trying what you have shared in this video. Appreciate Ya!
Hi, can u use 1/2 inch plywood?
Would it bend ?
How big are your squares?
Thanks and great video
Hey gates…
1/2 inch for the subfloor ? Yes that’s thin so you’d probably feel some deflection. You’d have to have your supporting squares / shims closer. You could lay out a single sheet of ply wood with shims under it, walk on it and see how much it sags.
Our square shims were about 12x12 inches.
Thx for watching!
Hi- I recently bought a 123 year old small one story cottage. The bathroom floor is sloping downward in an area and the kitchen floor as well. Five tiles cracked under the toilet- I originally thought maybe someone dropped something heavy in that area but the toilet is uneven as well. Should extra support be put in those two areas under it in the very strange basement? It’s strange because half is cement flooring and half dirt- then add the shims and sheets of plywood (OSB)? Thanks for the informative video!
Hey Lex..,
If the subfloor can be seen from the basement, I would add extra support if the see the subfloor deforming or any beam sags. Hopefully that can be addressed from underneath!
We once’s lived in a 95 yr old house which had a similar basement floor. I feel your pain 😃
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons thank you! I’ll let you know how it goes!!
thank you much easy now
Hey Al,
Awesome. Thx for watching!
If this was a downstairs room with no asbestos tiles or glue, would you have used a floor leveling compound or have done it this same way? Kitchen floor in my 75 year old house has about a 2 inch slope. I’ve already removed a section of subfloor to replace some rotted seal plate and rim joist (about a 4 foot section). Just want to level the floor the most economical way.
Hey Terry,
Because of the weight of the leveler, i think it is better to fill in some of the gap with plywood if you can't jack up the floor. You could use all floor leveler - but it is so heavy, I'm not a fan of that route.. Your call.
@@Housebarons thanks, I’m going to try your way
Hey guys what if you dont screw down the wood? Would that be ok? If you used "no more nails" so that it doesnt squeek later on down the line
Sounds like that would work as well! Thx for watching!
still looking for a solution for basement concrete floor, leveler is very expensive.
Can this be done to an existing hardwood floor .! I plan to lay LVP but didn’t want the hassle of removing the existing floor to level it out and I don’t want the extra work from jacking up the floors . I’ve asked several people and jacking up the floor seems to be the most popular choice . Any help / info would be greatly appreciated
Hey Lou…,
Yes. This idea can work. Remember you need a strong subfloor to support the lvl plank.
Jacking up the floor is certainly doable and can yield great results. But everyone’s situation is different.
Here is a video where we list 3 different options.
ua-cam.com/video/-hYhd6V1nuQ/v-deo.html
Maybe they can help you think about your floors.
Here is our playlist for our floor leveling work.
ua-cam.com/play/PLExVGissIl-H-npOe7v64K2y6IIOQvHk6.html
If you have any questions be sure and create a NEW comment so it will pop up for me to see.
Thx for watching!
This is great and very informative but where did you get the shims? Im having trouble finding them! Thanks!!
Hey Sarah…,
We made them from 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch plywood.
Thx for watching!
@@Housebarons thank you!!