We are going to install luxury vinyl plank flooring in our basement. This product clicks together and floats, much like laminate.
Two questions:
- The cement slab/subfloor is fairly level, with one exception: There is a 36"W walkout door, and the floor slopes down about 1/2" over the 6-8" before the door threshold.
Is this 1/2" descent enough to worry about when installing the floor?
If so, any suggestions?
Here's a pic of the flooring extending to the threshold showing the slope:
- In the pic you can also see a marble threshold. This abuts the actual door threshold (which you can't see in the pic). Wondering if I should remove the marble threshold and put in one more suited to laminate or vinyl, with a lip to hold the flooring down under it. Maybe something like this:
If I use this, can I just bend the vinyl flooring down the slope and secure it under the threshold's lip, or do I need to fill in the cement to make the entry area level before installing the threshold and flooring?
Thanks,
Jim
Best Answer
Yes, this will be a problem if done as is.
If you don't stabilize that flooring by leveling the floor beneath, you will find the floor will sink under your feet as you step on it in that point, and since there's a fixed threshold, you'll create a tripping hazard in the process.
The product you show - that's a bullnose. It's used on steps. It's not suited for your intended use and it won't work anyway because you're on concrete. They're meant to be nailed in place.
I suggest you get some patch leveling compound. It's a concrete product that's fairly thick. You apply it to the uneven areas of your floor with a nice wide trowel and use a long straight board to basically boost up the sinking area of the floor to create a nice level surface. That will keep the boards from sinking when stepped on and keep the top of the floor close to level with the marble threshold for a nice safe walking surface.
Get pre-mixed leveler. One container should be enough: