I am about to begin finishing my basement. When we poured the floor it got away from us and has some high/low spots in it (should have made it in 2 pours). How much will 1″ EPS conform and to some extent level the floor? Do I need to maybe use leveling compound as if I were going to tile, then put down EPS and ply? The worst dip is appx 1/4″ in 8′.
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Replies
1" foam will conform to gradual changes in height, but won't level anything and will bridge some dips, but creates a week spot in that area. As a rule of thumb you are relying on the stiffness of the ply to span those low areas and the foam won't contribute anything. Thin ply may not span much.
I'd use leveling compound on the worst of the low spots and rent a floor grinder on the high spots.
Cheers
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
Are you that concerned about the unevenness in a basement? If you're putting carpet down, don't worry about the dips---if you're going to tile the bathroom, self-level only that area. At forty dollars a bag, it's too expensive to relevel the entire bathroom. With thick carpet and pad, I doubt you'll even notice...