Newbie to forum starting to install a new floor; question about leveling

highup · Nov 29, 2018

Tom Picciani said:
One thought is to put down a glue down vinyl plank. I just put down Shaw 2mm vinyl planks. It’s flexible enough that level subfloors aren’t a problem. Tough to find the glue though. I think I used Robert’ 7200. Came out pretty good.

If it's level it appear more wood looking....... If the floor has rolling waves, the planks will show that. A product with a lower sheen will help hide those long waves or dips.
The way you are going about this is good and maybe the floor will be almost as flat as you need it to be.

Skip Helms · Dec 1, 2018

Update: I've got a pair of 9.5" x 1.75" LVL beams (one 28', actually) three feet from the original beam and half that much from the ill-considered load-bearing wall. So far in just bringing the beam up to the bottom of all the joists I've taken the largest dip in the floor from 1" to 1/2" today. From here I'll slowly pump it up until it's flat on the topside and then bolster the jack studs on either end. The sistered LVLs should not need a center brace but if they do , they'll get one.

Raising the original beams from the earlier posts produced some ominous creaks from the 2x4s screw and glued together so for this, I'm using PT 4x4s and put a 1/4" steel plate on the bottom so the pad on the bottle jacks wouldn't crush into the short-grain. Last night I Gorilla-glued 1/4" ply to those with a cutout for the pad so it won't slip around. A single countersunk deck screw holds it to the bottom.

One of these days I'll post back with some actual flooring questions. Cheers, sh

highup · Dec 4, 2018

How did you sister the LVL's to each other? Screws, glue?

Skip Helms · Dec 5, 2018

I used the FastenMaster FlatLOK 3 1/2" units with two rows on 24" centers. Really stout screws. It says you don't need pilot holes but unless you can really lay into it at 90 degrees to the surface, they are hard to start. So I did pre-drill the holes and used a HD corded drill with a side-handle to not rip my shoulder out. sh

PS These LVL beams can't be glued together too. They have a waxy surface that repels pretty much anything sticky. sh

Skip Helms · Aug 23, 2019

Hello all after a long time. The cabs are finally in. I decided to have the floors installed by a licensed pro, but everyone's help in getting those floor joists in order was needed. Thanks to all for your interest and best of luck in all your projects. sh