subfloor leveling issue


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Old 10-15-18, 06:30 AM
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subfloor leveling issue

Came across a head-scratcher. In an L-shaped hallway, the floor is level from one end to around 3/4 of the hallway (shown by black arrow) then it falls by about 1/2" to the end of the hallway (red arrow). That fall would be over a span of around 6', which far exceeds the 1/8" over 6' guideline. However, where the hall turns to make the L-shape, the floor is level from end to end (blue arrow).

How do I deal with this level change going one way and not the other? 3/4" engineered hardwood is going over the area and running perpendicular to joists. The joists are 2x8", 16 o.c.. The subfloor is 5/8" plywood. Thanks.
 
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Old 10-15-18, 06:34 AM
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Can you get to that area from under the floor to what may be causing it?
 
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Old 10-15-18, 06:50 AM
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So the upper box (left to right is good but falls down 3/4" along the top.

What is along the top , walls or doors?

You will need to build up that area to get it level. sheets of 1/4 plywood and or shingles/heavy tar paper can be used. It will be a stair step transition!

3/4" is quite a bit, to fill but if you dont level up the boards will be above the floor!
 
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Old 10-15-18, 07:01 AM
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Joecaption. I can't (really don't want to) get under as I stupidly glued and screwed new plywood down. Thought I would be smart and work from the top side to level.
 
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Old 10-15-18, 07:29 AM
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Marq1. Yes, it is level from left to right. There is an interior wall with a door going into the bathroom along the top and a bedroom door on the side where the blue arrow starts. See new diagram. No, it doesn't drop 3/4", it drops 1/2" along the top shown in red arrow direction. It only drops about 1/8" where bathroom door is (pink arrow) but then it drops again about 1/2" as you move further left towards the start of blue arrow (other red arrow). The span in the blue area (top to bottom) is a little over 4 feet. I mentioned in first post that it was about 6'. So the red arrow areas are 4' not 6'. Don't know how that affects the 1/8' over 6' rule.
 
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Last edited by edee_em; 10-15-18 at 07:32 AM. Reason: add information
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Old 10-15-18, 09:19 AM
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So leveling in front of a wall is easy but if you have a doorway then you are creating an additional height transition in addition to the thickness of the wood!
 
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Old 10-15-18, 12:48 PM
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Yes, Marq1, and that is my dilemma. I'm not too worried going into the bathroom as that floor will also be replaced with 3/4" plywood and tile and that gives me room to play with and be level with hall floor. My bigger concern is going into the bedroom at 1/2" higher in the hall. I am extending the hall hardwood into the bedroom but I don't know what it will look like or what additional work I will have with the hall being 1/2" higher. Guess I'm going to have to go in and rip the bedroom apart to see. So I have to stop hall flooring project to go and rip out bedroom carpet, displacing son, making wife angrier than she already is, etc.. Man do I hate renos!!
 
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Old 10-15-18, 04:25 PM
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If you don't mind it, I would probably just put a perpendicular transition across the floor where your black and red arrows meet. Since its right at the corner it will look like it was planned. lt will also help with expansion and contraction if you have large rooms. Then continue the flooring on the opposite side of the transition, where it can just follow the floor.
 
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Old 10-15-18, 11:31 PM
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Sounds interesting XSleeper. To make sure I understand correctly, I would run flooring along black arrow, perpendicular to joists, and stop flooring where red and black arrows meet. Then, run flooring along blue arrow, parallel to joists, but perpendicular to flooring laid along black arrow. Is that correct? Would you use a transition strip or not? Finally, the flooring in the blue arrow direction would be parallel to joists. Isn't that a no-no?
 
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Old 10-16-18, 02:40 AM
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Not what i was suggesting. You would put 1 board parallel to the joists where the black and red arrows meet. All flooring is still perpendicular to the joists.

You could run parallel with the joists as you just said but that is not preferable. All depends how beefy your subfloor is, as far as how well it will look / last. If you have a good subfloor that would be fine.

I would certainly not go ripping things apart. There's a good chance it can't be fixed.
 
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Old 10-16-18, 07:06 AM
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Thanks for the clarification Xsleeper. With the floor running in the same direction after the perpendicular transition strip, however, how is the unlevel subfloor being dealt with?
 
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Old 10-16-18, 06:40 PM
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You did say it was all downhill at the red arrow... so it would all follow the floor.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 03:05 AM
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That makes sense, XSleeper. Thanks.
 
 

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