# Asphalt shingles under laminate fllooring



## Juniperlampguy (Nov 11, 2007)

Not sure if this is the place to ask, but I'm putting a laminate floor in an old house with uneven floor surface. I have read where asphalt shingles work great for shimming up low spots. I have been laying down the shingles, and they work good for leveling. I have not fastened the shingles down, but my question is about the gritty noise from the mineral used on top of the shingles. I laid down a piece of OSB on the shingles for an experiment, before putting down laminate. It makes a crunching sound when walked on. Anyone here have experience with this kind of thing?


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

I would think you would want something better than shimming with asphalt shingles if installing laminate flooring. If the low spots are really bad, perhaps one of the epoxy floor leveling compounds would help. At the least trowel on some leveling compound and screed level, and follow with an underlayment plywood. JMHO. :thumbsup:


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

QuikSet cement is great for levelling low spots.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Look for a product called LevelQuick. You just mix it to a thick liquid and pour it on the floor and it will find all the low spots and fill to a hard durable surface. It can be used on either wood or concrete floors.


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## Juniperlampguy (Nov 11, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> Look for a product called LevelQuick. You just mix it to a thick liquid and pour it on the floor and it will find all the low spots and fill to a hard durable surface. It can be used on either wood or concrete floors.


Thanks for the input guy's. I just discovered LevelQuick. Think I'll try it,


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Bits of asphalt shingles do work really well under patio slabs to level them.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Juniperlampguy said:


> Thanks for the input guy's. I just discovered LevelQuick. Think I'll try it,


I've used it twice. Once on a wood floor under linoleum and another time on a concrete slab under this tile. The stuff is really easy to work with.


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## RepairmanJack (Aug 4, 2013)

I found asphalt roofing felt under the lower-most layer of sheet flooring in my 1920s bungalow. It had been glued down, so it was pretty nasty to remove (fortunately the mastic was water-soluble). 

I'd offer the suggestion that un-glued felt might be more helpful, if you want some that will be reversible. In my case, there was beautify white oak flooring under all that vinyl...


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## Darkk Helmet (May 1, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> Look for a product called LevelQuick. You just mix it to a thick liquid and pour it on the floor and it will find all the low spots and fill to a hard durable surface. It can be used on either wood or concrete floors.


I just completed installing new stair treads except for the landing tread. I am installing click-lock engineered wood flooring over existing oak flooring in the upstairs hall. The oak flooring in the hall has a significant dip as it approaches the landing tread and I have been looking for some way to level it. I am interested in the LevelQuick product but their site states "Do not bond directly to hardwood...". Is there another product I can use or a method of using this product on hardwood? The level difference is about 1/4 inch sloping up to the main floor over about 6 inches and about 36 inches wide.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Darkk Helmet said:


> I just completed installing new stair treads except for the landing tread. I am installing click-lock engineered wood flooring over existing oak flooring in the upstairs hall. The oak flooring in the hall has a significant dip as it approaches the landing tread and I have been looking for some way to level it. I am interested in the LevelQuick product but their site states "Do not bond directly to hardwood...". Is there another product I can use or a method of using this product on hardwood? The level difference is about 1/4 inch sloping up to the main floor over about 6 inches and about 36 inches wide.


No, I wouldn't use level quick on a stair landing. If there is a dip I would either try to jack the landing up or shim it. It wouldn't have to have quite [email protected] coverage to support the flooring.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Darkk Helmet said:


> I just completed installing new stair treads except for the landing tread. I am installing click-lock engineered wood flooring over existing oak flooring in the upstairs hall. The oak flooring in the hall has a significant dip as it approaches the landing tread and I have been looking for some way to level it. I am interested in the LevelQuick product but their site states "Do not bond directly to hardwood...". Is there another product I can use or a method of using this product on hardwoodto the main floor over about 6 inches and about 36 inches wide.


You say " The level difference is about 1/4 inch sloping up "

Is it 1/4" or does it slope?

If this is a consistent 1/4" by 6" by 36" then I would just use 1/4 plywood. 

George


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## Darkk Helmet (May 1, 2016)

Steve Neul said:


> No, I wouldn't use level quick on a stair landing. If there is a dip I would either try to jack the landing up or shim it. It wouldn't have to have quite [email protected] coverage to support the flooring.


A little more work revealed a poorly installed spike for the original oak floor. The spike was literally holding up the floor. I managed to get the spike out and tried driving a nail. The nail stopped where the spike stopped so I imagine there is something in the frame that just happens to be blocking that area. I did successfully drive a nail about an inch of to the side of the spike so that pretty much confirms my suspicion.

With the spike removed the floor came down about 1/8" on that side of the stair. The oak is buckled with the plank behind it somewhat at the joint and won't budge. The floor is generally slightly wavy when checked with a level and the high spots need to be fixed before I lay the new flooring. The worst and highest spot is where these two planks join. I will try a few more tricks to get it more level but will probably break out the old belt sander.


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## Darkk Helmet (May 1, 2016)

GeorgeC said:


> You say " The level difference is about 1/4 inch sloping up "
> 
> Is it 1/4" or does it slope?
> 
> ...


I discovered the cause for this issue and posted it in my previous post. The gap is across three feet at the oak planks that meet the landing tread. I am definitely going with shimming up the new landing tread after I sand the high spots down for the new flooring and tackle the issue with the oak planks at the landing tread. Thanks.


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