How To Level An Uneven Basement Floor

The main problem with a basement floor being uneven is that it s generally made from concrete which is a hard unyielding material.

How to level an uneven basement floor.

Installing flooring on an uneven concrete can cause buckling and loose boards after the installation. The first step to making the most of any basement is to achieve a level floor. Before you finish your basement floor with tiles wood or carpeting it s important that the floor is completely level. You need more planning that you may expect.

The easiest way is to use a self leveling compound also called liquid floor underlayment or floor resurfacer within sections of level cut rails. Happily enough leveling uneven concrete slabs has an easy fix that won t sacrifice your headroom. In order to level a floor that won t bend you have to add material to the low spots which will balance out the high spots. Filling in gaps cracks and crevices as well as leveling uneven concrete will bring up the aesthetic and shore up the structure of the flooring.

A plywood subfloor will bridge any minor waves in the existing floor and leveling compound would help too. You have a few options. I have listed a couple of forgiving flooring materials carpet and vinyl to use over uneven concrete floors. Over time concrete floors can settle unevenly or become uneven due to cracking and moisture.

Grind the floor use a self leveling compound or use a subfloor to get it pretty close to even as possible. Leveling the floor can fix the problem removing the uneven area and leaving you with a smooth level surface that s suitable for any floor covering material you may desire to install. Fixing an uneven floor is just more than leveling. Fortunately you can level an uneven basement floor using either a concrete grinder or a self leveling agent.

You will have to make sure your joists can handle the addition of considerably more weight from the plywood subfloor and any floor coverings.