Shoutout to the guy who showed me a better way to handle a tricky transition

I was finishing a glue-down vinyl plank job in a Phoenix kitchen last Thursday and the transition to the sunken living room was giving me fits. The client wanted a flush metal reducer, but the subfloor drop was just over an inch and my usual method wasn't working. An older installer I know stopped by, watched me struggle for a minute, and quietly suggested building up the low side with a layer of 3/4 inch ply and feathering it with leveler. Has anyone else dealt with a sudden floor level change this big on a residential job?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia321mo ago

Oh wow, that's a huge drop. Did he say to screw the plywood down first, or just set it in the leveler? I'd be worried about it moving later.

emma_garcia1mo ago

Honestly it's probably fine either way. That leveler stuff is pretty sticky, it's not like the plywood is going for a walk. People get so worried about every little step but most of this stuff is way overbuilt anyway. As long as it's flat and supported, it's not going anywhere.

rodriguez.mia1mo ago

Ha, I'm the queen of overthinking this stuff.