Old timer in St. Louis warned me against using a self-leveler on plywood subfloor... he was right

So about 2 years ago I'm doing this kitchen remodel in an older house out in the county. Subfloor is 3/4 inch plywood, pretty solid but has some dips. Buddy of mine who's been doing floors since the 80s tells me don't pour self-leveler on plywood, it'll crack and peel up. I figured he was being old school and stubborn so I went ahead and did it anyway. Sure enough, 8 months later I get a call from the homeowner saying chunks are coming up where the dishwasher leaked a little bit. Had to tear it all out and go back with feather finish patches instead. Cost me like $300 in materials and a whole Saturday. Has anyone else had bad luck with self-leveler over wood?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade78014d ago

Did you use a primer before pouring? Same thing happened to a buddy of mine, he skipped the primer and it peeled right up. I used to think primer was just a money grab, but now I always use it on wood subfloors.

the_miles14d ago

Primer was just a money grab" - that's what I used to think too. But I tried skipping it once on plywood and regretted it within a month. Now I don't even question it, just slap some on and move on.