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Vent: A job in Boise last fall taught me to always check the subfloor myself, no matter what the builder says. | Flooring Installers - Librear

derekgibson•5mo ago

Vent: A job in Boise last fall taught me to always check the subfloor myself, no matter what the builder says.

We were putting down some nice engineered hardwood in a new condo building. The project manager swore up and down the subfloor was flat and ready. I should have known better, but we were on a tight schedule. Started laying the first planks and right away felt a soft spot, then a big hump about six feet in. Had to pull everything up. The subfloor was a mess, with high spots over a quarter inch and some sections not even glued down right. Cost us a full day to fix it with a grinder and leveling compound. Now I don't care what anyone tells me, I roll out my eight foot straightedge and check every single inch before a single piece of flooring goes down. Anyone else get burned by trusting a builder's word on prep work?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencerh955mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst! I learned the same lesson the hard way with a tile job. My rule now is to check with a 4-foot level AND a marble. Roll the marble around, if it takes off, you know you've got a slope. That double-check has saved my butt more than once.

karen_martin5mo ago

Honestly, the marble trick is kind of genius. Tbh I would probably just end up losing the marble under some cabinets and then have a whole new problem. My luck, the floor would be perfect but I'd spend an hour fishing it out with a coat hanger.

luna_sanchez4mo ago

Wait, you use a real marble? I tried a steel ball bearing from the hardware store because I was scared of exactly that, losing it forever. It's heavier so it rolls even on tiny slopes you might not feel. The level tells you it's flat, but that little ball finds every single dip. Total game changer for laying laminate last year.