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Always thought those self-leveling compound ads were hype until I had to fix a dip in my living room floor | Diy And Reno - Vivisector

matthewmiller•5mo ago

Always thought those self-leveling compound ads were hype until I had to fix a dip in my living room floor

My 1950s house had a good 3/8 inch dip right in front of the fireplace that made laying vinyl plank a nightmare. Picked up a bag of Henry Pro-Finish from the local hardware store last weekend and watched it smooth out perfectly on its own. It honestly felt like cheating compared to mixing up mortar or trying to sand down joists. Has anyone else been surprised by how well something like this actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

harperp245mo ago

Hold up, @miller.diana's story about just watching it flow out perfectly is wild. I had a similar experience, but there was this one spot where a tiny air bubble refused to pop, and I ended up having to poke it with a toothpick like some kind of mad scientist. For a minute I thought the whole pour was ruined. But then it just settled out flat again. Really makes you question why we ever bother with anything else.

miller.diana5mo ago

Honestly felt the same way when I did my kitchen floor last year. I had this weird slope near the back door and figured it was gonna be a whole weekend of misery. Poured that self-leveler and just stood there watching it find its own level like some kind of magic trick. Tbh I was half expecting it to foam up or crack or something but nope, it just worked. It's almost disappointing how easy it was, makes you wonder why we bother with all the traditional sanding and shimming for small fixes. Ngl I felt like a pro for about ten minutes until I remembered I just poured stuff and walked away.

felixhenderson5mo ago

Dude right? That stuff is basically magic I swear. But watch out for that stuff on really old wooden subfloors though. I had a buddy who tried it on some original 1920s planks and the water in the mix made the wood swell up and bubble the leveler. He ended up having to rip the whole thing out. Its great for concrete or modern plywood but old wood can be a real wildcard. Just a heads up for anyone thinking of trying it on a vintage floor like that.