“With the increasing prevalence of floating luxury vinyl floors and larger, thinner ceramic tile, the need for a flat subfloor is becoming that much greater. That need has led to an explosion of self-leveling underlayments on the market. A range of subfloor prep product manufacturers discuss their latest offerings, technologies and common misconceptions about working with the materials.

Patch vs. self-leveler. Using a patch vs. a self-leveler comes down to choice, according to Daniel Tallman, HPS Schonox business development. “A simple job with slight imperfections in a floor is almost always addressed by patching. However, a large skimming job with patch usually requires skimming and sanding. This can be labor-intensive and dusty. If the jobsite is an existing healthcare facility, a dust-reduced leveler might be desired instead.”

When applying a self-leveler, subfloor prep is essential, he added. “It should consist of vacuuming, removing easily friable materials, priming and putting down foam tape to guard against overflow. That should take up 75% of prep time. The other 25% is spent pouring.”..”

To read more about Underlayment systems click the link. http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=271196&p=50

Underlayment Systems, Part 1: Self-Levelers, Patches and More

By: Michael Chmielecki

Floor Covering Installer

September 2015