Watched a guy in Tampa try to install vinyl plank over a 1-inch floor dip without leveling

He was convinced the underlayment would hide it, but after the first three rows you could see every single plank rocking. The homeowner made him pull it all up and start over with self-leveler. How do you even get through an apprenticeship without learning that basic rule?

3 comments

3 Comments

janab8211d ago

Ever seen how a bad subfloor feels like walking on a trampoline? That's exactly why you have to fix it first.

charles91911d ago

Ha, @janab82 is right you gotta fix it first. But a trampoline is the fun kind of bounce. A bad subfloor is more like a slow, spongy sink. You step near a loose board and it groans. Put a fridge on that spot and the door won't close right. That's the real problem, not the bounce.

nelson.cameron11d ago

Disagree on the fridge example. That's an extreme case with major damage. Most bouncy floors I've seen are from long joist spans or thin plywood, not rot. They feel springy everywhere, not just in one soft spot. You can live with that bounce for years if it doesn't bother you. Fixing it means opening up the ceiling below or the floor above, which is a huge project. Sometimes the cure is worse than the symptom.