I Got An Estimate To Have Hardwood Flooring Put In My Lower Level Condo Kitchen.?
2009 June 17
Only to be told that my floor (cement) is not leveled. So before I can get flooring installed I need to get it leveled.
Any experienced contractors out there that can give me insight to the process, cost and other alternatives?
Please only respond if you have an intelligent response. Do not refer me to the internet or yellow pages.
Thanks a bunch!
2 Responses
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Most subfloors are not level. Depending on HOW unlevel it is…depends on the best way to level it. A good flooring installer should be doing this himself, because a good flooring inistaller will not trust anyone’s floor prep other than his own. Not to mention, if there should be a problem, you want only one sub to have worked on your floor – otherwise it’s going to be an exercise in finger pointing and blaming the other guy.
On a concrete slab, if you have small dips, the installer will use a cementious based leveler. If you have hump – they will have to grind those down. Floor prep is they are using the leveler usually runs for material and labor $90 per pound of patch they use. Grinding, usually priced by how long it’s going to take. Floor prep is not an exact thing, but without looking at it, it’s hard to say, but this is a start.
Engineered hardwood (Bruce, Anderson, Appalichain, etc.)is lovely in a kitchen, and while moisture will damage it, the only thing moisture won’t damage is ceramic. Don’t mop your floor like you were in the Navy, a good hardwood cleaner and a dust mop will do great. Bruce makes an excellent one that they sell at Home Depot. Just be aware that since the kitchen is a high traffic area, depending on how many people are in your family, you’ll start to see wear patterns in the urethane. This is not a problem, a hardwood sand and finisher can “buff and coat” your floor. That is where the top layer of urethane is removed and a new layer is put on. You can do this every year if you want – you’re not getting into the wood.
Some people would recommend laminate(Pergo, or others) in a kitchen, expecially since your subfloor is not level. A laminate floor is a floating floor, since it is not glued to the slab, it will span SOME subfloor irregularities. However, your slab should still be relatively flat, so some floor prep could still be needed.
The downside to laminate, is that since it is not real wood, it’s a picture of wood with a layer of “plastic” on top of it – when it starts to show wear patterns, there is nothing you can do put replace it.
Hope that helps, if you have any other questions, you can drop me an email.
don’t put hardwood in your kitchen. don’t put any wood flooring in your kitchen. when it gets wet it will absorb the moister and warp. especially the cheap stuff like pergo. you can level your floor with underlayment. you can get it at Lowe’s or Home Depot.