Do I need to fix my subfloor before installing hardwood or tile?

Yes if it's uneven, spongy, or rotted anywhere. Installing over a bad subfloor leads to squeaks, cracked grout, or gaps that show up within a year.

How do I know if my subfloor is bad?

Squeaking when you walk, visible sagging, a bouncy feel underfoot, or soft spots near bathrooms and kitchens are the usual signs. A contractor can check with a level and moisture meter before quoting the job.

Can subfloor leveling be done in a day?

A single room with self-leveling compound can often be poured in a day, but it needs to cure before flooring goes down, so plan for the job to add a day or two to the overall install.

Subfloor repair and leveling before new flooring

A lot of older Connecticut homes, especially colonials and capes built before the 1960s, have subfloors that have shifted, squeaked, or sagged over the decades. Bathrooms and kitchens are common trouble spots where old leaks have rotted out sections of plywood. None of that shows up until someone pulls up the old flooring to install something new, and it's a different job from refinishing or patching the surface layer.

This work covers cutting out and replacing damaged plywood or OSB, screwing down loose subfloor to stop squeaks, and pouring self-leveling compound over concrete slabs or uneven wood subfloor so tile, engineered hardwood, or vinyl plank sits flat. Tile in particular needs a subfloor within a tight flatness tolerance or grout lines will crack. Skipping this step is one of the most common reasons a brand new floor fails within a year or two.

A contractor doing this work should check moisture content before closing anything up, especially over slab or near plumbing walls, since sealing in dampness causes problems later.

What it costs

Price depends on how much of the subfloor needs to come out versus just leveled, whether access is easy or requires working around cabinets and plumbing, and the type of flooring going on top, since tile and engineered wood have different flatness requirements than carpet or laminate. A small leveling job in one bathroom costs far less than replacing subfloor across an entire first floor.

Top 3 by our score

Ranked from our published scoring of public Google reviews for floor refinishing & repair.

1. Absolute Floor & Design
5.0★ · 291 reviews

94
2. Lotus Wood Flooring
5.0★ · 141 reviews

92
3. Artwood Floors LLC
5.0★ · 99 reviews

91

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FAQ

Do I need to fix my subfloor before installing hardwood or tile?: Yes if it's uneven, spongy, or rotted anywhere. Installing over a bad subfloor leads to squeaks, cracked grout, or gaps that show up within a year.
How do I know if my subfloor is bad?: Squeaking when you walk, visible sagging, a bouncy feel underfoot, or soft spots near bathrooms and kitchens are the usual signs. A contractor can check with a level and moisture meter before quoting the job.
Can subfloor leveling be done in a day?: A single room with self-leveling compound can often be poured in a day, but it needs to cure before flooring goes down, so plan for the job to add a day or two to the overall install.

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