While carpet and carpet pads hide a lot of deficiencies found in typical subfloors, things like wood, tile, and LVT/LVP flooring reflect those deficiencies: Uneven joints between planks, sheets and tiles; Floors with obvious slopes, bumps, ridges and/or rolls, etc. These deficiencies can quickly turn what was anticipated to be a beautiful LVP floor into a disappointing eyesore (examples below).

Photo on left shows inadequate subfloor preparation; Photo on right shows a well-prepared subfloor.

Many commercial buildings suffer from a variety of uneven/poor subfloor issues that require addressing to ensure a quality outcome of the finished floor. Certainly, the type of finished flooring defines what level of preparation the subfloor requires.

PATCH PRODUCTS

Patch products are engineered to be applied with reduced effort, bond exceptionally, and finish well. However, while patch products will effectively fill dips, voids and smooth rough surfaces, only the most proficient applicators can effectively smooth an entire floor. Imagine trying to smooth a large rough surface, using one hand at a time, while on your knees for significant amounts of time. It is a very real skill. For the novice, patch is best used to address localized deficiencies in the subfloor.

SELF-LEVELING MATERIALS

There is another method that keeps one on their feet and provides a smooth, flat floor. Much like filling a waffle iron with batter, self-leveling materials (aka, self-leveling underlayments or SLUs) are very flowable and “seek” their own level. However, they really should be more accurately called self-smoothing underlayments, as getting a “level” floor is really up to the applicator.

WHY DEPENDABLE?

Long the application domain of professionals, today’s material technologies have put successful self-leveling installations within reach of the novice. Dependable’s SLUs are engineered to make a successful installation is easier than ever before. Engineered to tolerate less than ideal subfloor conditions, Dependable’s SLUs flow well, filling and smoothing a concrete subfloor much better than waffle batter!  In most cases, installing SLUs over concrete subfloors is now as simple as:

• Clean
• Prime
• Mix
• Pour
• Spread
• Smooth

When done properly, the result is a subfloor that resembles a sheet of glass. Flooring contractors love working on the smooth, tight surface provided by these SLUs. Such smooth surfaces can only be the result of an efficient, high quality flooring installation. Reach out to our sales or technical team for your product demonstration. You owe it to yourself to experience the results. Those who have tried have found that the smooth, uniform subfloor created by Dependable’s SLUs are the ideal material for their installation teams, and the platform of choice for the finished flooring.