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Got absolutely stumped by a 1970s sunken living room with a weird, non-standard step-down height.
It was only a 5-inch drop, but the old pad was glued to the slab and the tack strip placement was a nightmare. What's the most unusual subfloor condition you've ever had to work around?
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theac631mo ago
That 5-inch drop sounds like a real headache, especially with the glue. Once had to deal with a concrete slab that was poured with a deliberate, wavy slope for "drainage" in a basement laundry room. Trying to get anything flat on top of that was a joke. Ended up using a crazy amount of self-leveler, which felt like cheating, but sometimes you just have to work with the mess you're given. Those old houses have a real mind of their own when it comes to what's under the floor.
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drew_bennett241mo ago
Totally agree with @theac63, sometimes self-leveler is the only way to deal with a mess like that.
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williams.jenny27d ago
Hold up though, are we sure self-leveler is gonna actually stick to that glue? Ive seen people pour it straight over old adhesive and a month later you got hairline cracks spiderwebbing through the whole thing. In my experience you gotta mechanically scarify that surface first, get some real tooth for the bond. Otherwise youre just pouring money on top of a ticking time bomb. Your mileage may vary of course, but ive had to tear out way too many "fixed" floors that let go at the glue line.
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