Keep Self-Leveler in Place
When there are gaps in a soon-to-be-tiled subfloor, a self-adhered membrane applied on top will keep self-leveler from pouring through the cracks.
Using self-leveler under tile in older homes works great because it creates a stable, smooth, and (you guessed it) level floor surface. However, many older homes used 1x boards as the subfloor and the gaps between some of the boards can be as much as ½ in. wide. To prevent 100% of the concrete self-leveler from ending up in the basement, I cover the floor with a non-granular, self-adhering roofing membrane before pouring out the self-leveler. You can adhere the entire membrane to the floor if you want to, but I’ve found it easier to work with if I remove just the backer on the part of the membrane that overlaps the one below it. Once the main part of the floor is covered, don’t forget to create an expansion gap and seal around the perimeter, and to seal around penetrations like the closet flange and water supply lines.
— Josh Risberg; Rosemount, Minn. Drawing by Martha Garstang Hill.
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