A job in a 1920s Portland bungalow made me rethink how I prep old subfloors. Now I'm split on the best approach.

4 comments

4 Comments

Rethink how I prep old subfloors" is right... my last attempt made me rethink my whole career. Spent a whole weekend feathering out a slope in a 1915 kitchen, only to realize the real problem was a soft spot I'd missed under the fridge. Had to pull up half the new underlayment. Felt like a real pro... a professional idiot.

stella_scott9611d ago

Did you try using a long screwdriver to poke around before you start? I picked that trick up from an old timer and it saved me on a 1920s bathroom floor. @miller.thomas I feel your pain, pulling up fresh work is the worst. For me the soft spots always show up where a pipe leaked years ago and the rot got sealed over with paint. Now I go over every inch with a probe and a 4ft level before I lay anything down.

phoenixk641mo ago

Old houses always hide their worst secrets in the corners. Missing that soft spot is a classic gut punch after all that prep work. The worst part is knowing you have to tear up your own fresh work to fix it. That specific brand of frustration is why I triple check everything now. It's the only way to save your sanity on a remodel.

miller.thomas1mo ago

Honestly, just burn the whole floor out and start fresh.