I’m re-doing a bathroom floor, tearing up the hardwood that was there and installing a tile floor and tiled shower. It is an old house and the floor is out of level by about an inch and a half over about 4 feet. The sub floor is 1×6 lumber layed diaganally across the joists and nailed. Joists are 2×8 dimensional joists dating from 1920 spanning about five and a half feet. Floor area of the bathroom (not including shower) is about 25 square feet. The two methods I’ve had explained to me are to cut shims, lay them over the joists and then lay down 3/4 inch plywood, or just lay down the 3/4 inch ply and use leveling compound. (Lots of it!) Cutting shims is not that big a deal, there are only 4 to do and for the shower I was just going to level it when I mud the shower pan. No matter what I do there will be a slight difference in height from the hall floor to the bathroom floor, but I’ll address that when I put down new floors in the rest of the house. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Replies
Between those two choices, i'd do the shims. I think it would be quicker and less messy.
I'd rip the shims, preferably using a table saw.
I just did this last week; same issue - I sister with 2x4s, screws and glue. I think it's flatter than with shims.
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Forrest
Edited 5/16/2007 10:22 pm by McDesign
My first choice would be Forrest's method, second choice would be ripping shims, and last choice would be floor leveler. Not only is it messy, it's expensive, especially if you're talking about 1 1/2" thick.
Thank you all for your input. I think I will rip the shims on the table saw; I bought a taper jig for that very purpose today. I appreciate the help.
Kurt
Put your underlayment right on the unlevel floor and do a mud job to level it for tiling. I had the same thing,2" on a run of 6', my tile man just did a mudjob to absolute level and then granite tile, problem solved!!
You've probably been asked this before, but are you the former This Old House Steve Thomas?
he's actually the former Maple Leaf and Blackhawk steve thomas!!
Oh, maybe he'll let me ask him some hockey questions then. Like...guess I don't have any hockey questions.
I know there's not much chance he's TOH's guy, but this is a pretty popular place and we do get big names occasionally like Gary Katz.
Hey, Hazlett's famous now - good roofing article by him in this issue of FH.
Congrats, dude
Forrest
I wish I was the TOH Steve Thomas then I wouldn't be bending nails for a living !!!