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desertsteph

ok all you DIYers! guestion on floor patching/leveling

desertsteph
11 years ago

the floor under my back door - where a threshold should be but isn't... is unlevel. I can see daylight under the door more on one side than the other. I was thinking my door is uneven but in looking at the floor - it's uneven. Well, looks like some is missing.

It's wood there - the flooring in the laundry room is sheet vinyl (icky) but it's torn/worn from the 'threshold' area. probably ripped out with the threshold. (a number of weird things are missing in here - like a faucet knob, some socket covers). maybe sentimental (lol!) to the prev owner?

Anyway, I plan to get a new threshold piece and put in there but now I'm thinking I should fix that wood underneath before adding the threshold. Right?

since it's wood, any idea what I should use? I've been looking on lowe's site but don't see any that say can use with wood. Maybe just a wood filler? I know I'd need more than the little container I've bought in the past to fill in holes in wood furniture. Is there wood patch?

it's maybe 6 or so inches by 10 or 12"

Comments (24)

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    Funny you should ask this today. This morning I searched for an answer to my uneven floors (mine are concrete) and hit upon a website that I'm apparently not supposed to mention here. In addition to the website how-to's, there is a forum. I registered today but haven't gotten an email from them yet. If you want to see their how to instructions for an unlevel wood subfloor, email me through GW.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    thx! I try to do that.

    we're not supposed to link to other sites? people do on kitchens all the time.

    did someone here already tell you that? they link to ikeafriends or whatever that site is I think.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    ok, we'll see it this works. never done this before!

    so weird that you were checking the same thing out today.

    I decided today that my next trip to lowe's I needed to replace the weatherstripping around door frame. it screws in - I like that over sticky stuff. Then seeing the gap at the bottom figured I might as well tackle that. which led to - gotta fix that floor to even out the gap!

    well, it's gotta be done - I'm losing a/c out that gap.

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    I noticed the weatherstrip on the bottom of my back door is ripped. I have no idea how to fix that but I have a feeling it means taking the door off the hinges. *groan*

    I got your email and replied. I think it was that particular link. When I tried to put it in a post, there was a message from GW that said something about that was a site they wouldn't link to because of previous spam issues, or something like that. But I bet it's because it has a discussion forum for flooring, and therefore a competitor.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    marti - I didn't get an email yet. my page wasn't set up to get one tho - just did that.

    but on the page I typed the email to you I had the option to send myself a copy, I did and got that one! That's why I sent it to myself - to see if it'd come thru.

    yeah, must have been because it had a flooring forum that they wouldn't let you post here.

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    Ok, sent again. Look in your spam folder. I'm using dh's email, Big Dog Sxxxs (x's fill in missing letters).

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    ok - got it. thx. and yes, I remember getting a 'big dog' email in junk last night or earlier - and I deleted it. lol!

    off to check it out.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    marti - thx for sending me that page. I read up on what was there about wood floor repairs. they said use roofing felt? I think that's it. I bookmarked it 'cause I'll have to read it again. And again.

    I also searched for some youtube demos etc. I'll need to watch a number of them to gather up info on it.

    When I go to HD/lowe's this wk I'll check out what roofing felt is. We're to have a few days where the high is only about 103 or 104 so I think I'll try to go early on one of those days. My list for there is growing!

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    Roofing felt? How odd. My floor is slab and I'm not sure how to go about leveling it. If we had cement stuff, it would be a huge area and that includes the dw area. The dw barely fits as it. What a pain.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I though it weird too. But I think it was so that it could be layered - like shimming into the level it needs to be.

    I have to read it again for it all to sink in - plus watch the youtube videos of other repairs.

    When I thought about that leveling compound stuff I remembered that they had used some of that in some areas in here before - and the subfloor is wood. The part by the door that needs fixed is part of the subfloor.

  • msjay2u
    11 years ago

    hmmm I guess we are all in the same boat. Here is where I am at on my floor. I took out the cabinets in the kitchen and got the new cabinets. Problems: 1- the old cabinets were deeper than the new so there is a gap of about 2 " on one side of the floor and in front of all the doorways that I made wider there is a big gaping hole (when I say big I mean about 3" wide LOL) and I can see basement in the hole. I been wondering do I rip everything up and lay all new sub-floor which I don't have the money to do? or do I find a way to fill in.
    Now about this roofing felt. My jackleg handyman brought a big role of it to put on my wall where he did this fake brick treatment. After I gutted the walls I put in new insulation and tacked on the roofing felt on top of it then put on the sheetrock. I mentioned this to a contractor and they said my walls are now waterproof and I increased the r factor in my insulation. hmmm. I have a lot left so I need to know how to use it on my floor as well.
    I love this site...

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    do you think that roofing 'felt' is the same as tar paper?

    here's an article w/pics i found that shows leveling a floor using tar paper. It shows how to 'shim' it.

    well, that must be the same site /people that marti couldn't post. says they've spammed our site in the past so they are blocked.

    also, somewhere in the past few days since posting above about it I saw or read that you shouldn't use the felt stuff as a moisture barrier. Wish i could remember where I heard/saw that. I had been googling 'floor leveling' so maybe it was on a site listed there.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    msjay - this morning I watched a 'this old house' video w/tom Silva replacing a threshold (was on p1 when I googled 'threshold repair'). He shows taking up the old threshold and there's empty space under it! He did put something in to cover it tho. that might help you. Mine HAS wood there - it's just lower on one end.

    I do like the detail shown on the TOH videos.

    can you post a pic of the 'hole' in your floors? that might help us give ideas for fixing it rather than replace the whole subfloor. that's not only expensive - it'd be a bear to do.

    here's my doorway problem - the black stuff is actually old vinyl! I don't know what they did to it by the door - set it on fire? the rest of the room is a very light (whitish) color.
    you can see on the left side (by the split in the wood) where it is lower than on the right side.

    I wonder if I caulk that crack and then put a shim or 2 there I'd be ok on it? I think I'll caulk that 'crack' that goes all the way from the left to the right at the very outer edge too.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    ok, I was reading up more on fixing this spot on the floor. AND I came upon something else - a door SILL. Seems a body needs one of those too. Good grief! what's next? It goes under the threshold.

    I went to HD earlier mostly to look around at these 'sills' and thresholds. I did manage to get an older guy to answer some of my questions. He said yes that a sill and a threshold are needed. One threshold I looked at would have a ledge (bump UP) of 1/2 - 1" it looked like. All I could think was that I'd trip going out the door. I told him that too - and he pointed out another one that he said was a sill AND a threshold in one - and it was a lot flatter. Had a slight incline on both sides. but it IS slight and I doubt I'd trip on it - besides it'd be a both in one job!

    I asked about leveling/fixing the wood floor part and he said I could just cover it with some wood putty. They have 1 that is premixed I think. I'll get whatever is easiest.

    They also had the stripping that screws on around the door frame - it was 25.00. I only had about 35.00 w/ me and already had a few things in my cart so I didn't get it. But now I know what it is/where/how much.

    I bought a rubber strip thing that screws on to the bottom of the door to close that off - but it's metal and I forgot to get a new blade for my hack saw and a metal drill bit. I'll check those I have but I don't think they are for metal.

    On the way home I remembered that I had a VISA gc with me - I could have used that.

    I already have a list for my next trip. That'll be to Lowe's I think. I do like them better.

    Does anyone know if a moisture barrier should go down on the floor before the sill/threshold goes down? I haven't read anything about needing one. Not in the TOH video either.

  • msjay2u
    11 years ago

    It is okay to use felt but I should have put it on the outside of the sheathing not the inside and I used it for water and wind. But according to the net it does nothing for wind. I guess I am not the only one who mistakenly thought that. Oh well. it is code that roofing felt or that plastic junk be used under siding however the felt manuf only warranty their products on roofs.
    Whenever I want to put a website on a page i usually trick the page in not knowing it is a page by using "dot" vs "."
    for instance gardenweb dot com. Will it let you do that?
    Anyway I already filled the holes up with expanding foam and I brought some lauan to lay on top of the floor, which I will staple down then use some self leveling compound on it and put some more vinyl down. I am interested in knowing how to build up that 2" strip (like 60' LONG!) So if you can give a hint to the site that would be great or can you email it to me at acitygirlscountrydream at gmail dot com LOL

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    "Whenever I want to put a website on a page i usually trick the page in not knowing it is a page by using "dot" vs "."
    for instance gardenweb dot com. Will it let you do that? "

    I've done that on other sites but didn't think of it here since they provide a place to put in the url for a site. darn... should have thought of that.

    if you google 'wood floor repair' it should be on the 1st page. If it doesn't I'll email to you. I found other help out there also. The TOH videos are much better help I think. I like the visual of their clips.

    can you post a pic of that strip you need to fix?

    you have a PROBLEM or need to REPAIR a HARDWOOD FLOOR?

    or is it a vinyl floor?

    I'm usually clueless but in this case I came up with a few.

    would still like to see the damaged floor tho. can't say that I have the answer to fix it. Could you put in some contrasting flooring along that strip?

  • msjay2u
    11 years ago

    Girl I have several places to fix. Here is where the sink base was. If the new cabinets were the same depth there would be no problem but they aren't so there will be a strip about 2-3" where there is no flooring built up. But I did say I was going to put some lauan on it and I got some self leveling compound to fill in right? In this photo don't even ask why I left that little hole in the drywall. It seemed silly to cut this small a piece and the piece above it was a patch. Its going behind the cabinets but before I put them in but I will fix it. I might not mud it, sand it and paint it though....

    This photo shows where I took all the framing off a doorway never to be replaced and the black is the asbestos tile on top of the pine floors, then on top of that is some lauan thae last owner put down, then a layer of sheet vinyl she put down and as you see I ripped off and then the top layer that I put down and getting ready to cover. LOL

    This photo is where I told you light from the basement could be seen so I filled the hole up with expanding foam. That was when I found the snakeskin in the wall and I was afraid of a critter getting in the house. I plan to cut the foam down and sand it even with the floor. I don't see any reason why this won't work...

    This photo shows another doorway where the framing was removed. It needs to be corrected as well. It also appears I have to remove the door sills/jambs or whatever they are called and install new ones because the ones there now are too short. :-( I just noticed that super long rusty nail in the photo. So glad I had my tetnus shot before I got all involved in tearing this kitchen apart. ewwwl so dangerous

    I got construction dust everywhere and I know it looks terrible. It feels worse than it loooks. NEVER AGAIN WILL I GET MYSELF IN THIS PREDICAMENT. I said it before but I mean it this time!!

    Here is a link that might be useful: here is the progress of my project...I changed my blog address

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    msjay2u, that is a lot of work! Are you doing this all by yourself? Amazing!

    I looked at your blog and saw a picture that looks like it has tile on the soffit above the cabinets. Do you know if that's really what it is?

    And last, how did you change your blog address?

  • msjay2u
    11 years ago

    I have friends helping here and there but mostly by myself. There are some things I can't do like lift a cabinet or rip out a wall to widen a doorway etc. That tile is not "real" tile it was that tile paneling they sometimes use in bathrooms. yeah. It was on all the walls and ceilings in the kitchen and the bathroom. this house was really disgusting. I was really brave to buy it. and even braver to live in it this long but there were so many fundamental things wrong that I had to get new roof, HAVC, and stuff like that. I need some foundation work done also. its never going to end.

    My blog address started on blogger but I didn't understand how it worked so then I got a free one on wordpress and decided to buy my domain name in case I want to start putting ads on it...not knowing the free is on wordpress.com and the paid is on wordpress.org...different places and that has caused lots of problems. People from garden web have emailed me asking why I took by blog down and I had to give them the new website. you would think wordpress would give you a free redirect. but nooooooo. LOL.

  • TxMarti
    11 years ago

    Asbestos tile isn't dangerous unless you saw it and make dust. My dd's basement floor was covered with asbestos tile, red and green ones. Ugly but in good shape. Her inspector said they were no big deal in buying or selling her house.

    msjay2u, I looked at wordpress and thought of moving over there, but I was so used to blogger that I just stayed there rather than try to figure out wordpress. I wish I had started at wordpress though because they seem to have a lot more options.

    What I'd do, if it's not too late, is to re-open your blogger blog and put a link in it to your new blog address.

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    yeah, as long as she doesn't try to rip it up. I'd just 'floor' over it if possible.

  • msjay2u
    11 years ago

    NO NO NO I know better than to try to rip it up. I will be putting the lauan on it and then putting the next layer of vinyl on it. I like your transition!! It looks good.
    Marti if you go to my old blog it should redirect you automatically to wordpress. (I set it up like that). What is your blog address?

    Here is a link that might be useful: this is what happens when you go to my old blog

  • desertsteph
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    lol - I figured you did know that.

    the divider between floors - I don't know if that was posted on the flooring or the kitchen forum (or somewhere else) but I'd never heard of anyone doing that before.

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