I recently had a contractor install vinyl plank flooring over a concrete slab, and I'm a bit concerned because he didn't use any floor leveling compound. I like him and his work overall—he charged me a reasonable price of $1k for about 1000 square feet, and the trim looks great. However, I've noticed some soft spots in the floor, especially in high traffic areas. As a new homeowner, I didn't realize that the slab wouldn't be perfectly flat, and I'm surprised he didn't mention anything about it. I can live with the soft spots, but I'd rather not. I know that there's an option to drill and inject compounds into those spots, but I'd prefer not to damage the flooring. What's the best way to handle this situation? Should I remove the flooring, do the leveling compound, and reinstall it?
1 Answer
It sounds like your contractor should've suggested leveling the floor if it was necessary, but technically, he might not be responsible for that unless you discussed it beforehand. Did you use an underlayment or at least a moisture barrier? If the dips aren't too bad, the vinyl might settle over time, but deeper dips will definitely show more. Considering the low price you paid, it’s reasonable to expect that he mainly focused on getting the floors clicked together without additional leveling.
I should definitely check with him about the moisture barrier; I totally forgot about that! Honestly, I was so exhausted that day I ended up sleeping on the couch while he worked. Normally, I oversee everything, but I trust him after all the work he’s done for me.
And yeah, the pricing for those rooms was part of a bigger project he’s been working on for me, so he’s been pretty good about keeping costs lower.