Hardwood Floors February/March 2025

By Jim Muggleton

My personal tendency when providing a recommendation for flooring materials is to approach each project installation as being unique. In doing so, I like to ask questions in advance of providing a system of products to best suit the intended use of the proposed floor covering, combined with consideration as to what circumstances that covering will be subjected to. Are we talking about a residential kitchen or a nightclub dance floor? Substrate preparation products, in either case, will differ dramatically from one product to another. For the purpose of this article, we are going to focus on one floor assembly component that appears in the majority of substrates, the self leveling compound. So, what are self-leveling compounds, and what do they do? Well, marketing aside, the majority of self-leveling compounds display the term “self leveler,” a term used quite often, generally with varying degrees of interpretation. In order to successfully place a self leveling compound, you need a variety of things, including, but not limited to, the right tools, the right conditions, and the right person. The right person relates to a trained individual familiar with the placement of self-leveling products, regardless of the material’s composition. The use of experienced flooring installers is always preferred, but the use of the right self-leveling compound is paramount. Considerations such as the substrate that needs to be covered, suitable primer selection, the depth requirement of a self-leveling compound for overcoming substrate irregularities, the correct selection of a self-leveling compound that is approved by the finish covering manufacturer, and what extremes the self-leveler and finish

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The use of experienced flooring installers is always preferred, but the use of the right self-leveling compound is paramount. Considerations such as the substrate that needs to be covered, suitable primer selection, the depth requirement of a self-leveling compound for overcoming substrate irregularities, the correct selection of a self-leveling compound that is approved by the finish covering manufacturer, and what extremes the self-leveler and finish floor covering will be exposed to.

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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