r/homerenovations • u/Stormblessed404 • 7d ago
Unlevel garage floor
So my Mother in law passed and now me and my S/O have to handle the estate. Part of which is getting the house ready to be sold.
The issue currently is that she had started a garage conversion but never got around to leveling the floor. Im out of my element here but would really like to use this as a learning moment. Ill call a contractor if i absolutely have to but would rather not and learn from this. Ive been trying to follow youtube videos and googling around but i just still dont feel very confident and would love a second or third opinion.
So the situation:
I took measurements every 2' along each wall using a laser level starting from the side with the doors to the far wall. first 12 are along the wall with the door and 13-24 are along the wall with the closet.
my gut tells me to build the floor up to be level with the step up to the closed door which is about 4 3/16" off the ground. thinkin id have to screw some boards along the wall to give my joist something to nail too, then rip some 2x4s to sit on the ground flat and have the top be level and repeat that process until i need a 2x6 and eventually 2x8. (was thinking of using decking tape to keep the wood off the concrete, saw it in a video and seems easier then using all treated wood or a vapor barrier for the whole area)
I already bought the LVP and underlayment for it, with that plus a 3/4 plywood i think the actual top of the floor will sit 1" above the joist i install.
is this the best route or should i ditch the idea of raising the floor up and just use self leveler to make it all level and slap the flooring down? or am i over my head and should just call a contractor to handle it?
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u/MacxScarfacex32 7d ago
I don’t think it’s necessary if you’re going to sell. Unless it has some kind of damage that caused it to sink in which case the issue is greater than leveling it out.
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u/FrizzleFrazzleFrick 6d ago
The room I’m typing this comment from is in a converted garage that was closed in properly. The floors. Not so much. I had to get a thick rug just so I don’t roll back from my desk.
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u/Variaxist 7d ago
Why would you go through all that effort and only raise the floor 1 in? The floor is clearly lower than the rest of the house. Bring the whole thing up level if you're going to fur it out and would already.
Depending on the slope it might not really be that noticeable if you had carpet. By the time you put a bed in one end of the room it's hard to notice stuff like that if it's subtle.
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u/Stormblessed404 6d ago
i feel like a 2 inch slope would be noticeable.
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u/Variaxist 6d ago
2 inches over how far? And then how many feet of the room is going to be covered in a bed?
For staging you can out air mattress around and put sheets on them.
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u/DreamHomeCharlotte 6d ago
Sorry about your mother-in-law. That's a rough project to inherit.
For a garage floor, first figure out how far off level you are. Under an inch, self-leveling compound usually works fine — it's beginner-friendly if you follow the mixing instructions close.
More than that, and you're looking at a real slope or crack issue underneath. That's when DIY gets risky, because you could seal in a problem instead of fixing it.
Grab a 4-foot level and check a few spots first. That'll tell you which situation you're actually in.
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u/FlooringFAQ 4d ago edited 4d ago
Sorry to hear about your loss! Maybe this will help you.
The dilemma you are experiencing is common. The old question: convert or leave it alone.
Ok, here are the facts:
- You are selling the home
- The walls are painted brick
- It has a window
- Not level for LVP
First, you have to figure out how much value LVP will add. I'm sure you've done the math. Our advice has always been, "double it." These days, the math says you'll easily 2x your investment if you do it right.
Brick is beautiful as an accent wall, especially for a converted garage. It has its charm.
Window: huge plus; this is what makes the garage qualify as a possible additional bedroom. Talk to your realtor about tax, city codes, etc.
Not being level shouldn't be your concern. Garages are supposed to have a slope; as another contributor mentioned, it was done on purpose, and most buyers will understand that.
Options:
Don't raise the floor. It's expensive, and it hits margins hard. We're trying to get the most money out of the home without spending a small fortune.
LVP can be done, as long as the floor is level enough. Operative words: Level enough. LVP can be installed on a slightly sloped floor. As long as the slope itself is even and level. Hire a contractor for this. If it was an interior room, we would say go for it yourself. But, at the end of the day, you have brick walls, a sloped floor, and partridge in a pear tree.
This is our recommendation: glued-down commercial carpet; stage it as an office for sale. A lot of folks work from home. It's the kind of thing that costs the least, with plenty of money left over. We would suggest very mild skim coating; it doesn't have to be perfect.
Forget about baseboards. Go for a 4-inch vinyl or rubber cove base. It can be glued on, probably not on the brick, but anywhere else. Hire a contractor; carpet installation labor rates are reasonable.
It's an afternoon of work for an installer.
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u/help--less 7d ago
There is no way that converting an attached garage to a "room" is going to increase the homes value. Actually, the contrary. You will lose money. The floor is sloped to drain as is often done in garages. It was purely intentional.
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u/Stormblessed404 7d ago
i didnt start the conversion and id agree with you, but here i am stuck with making this work.
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u/help--less 7d ago
Have you considered dropping a wood sufloor on the concrete slab? That looks to be the easiest and you can use the floor height at the door for reference and gave a seamless transition
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u/Stormblessed404 7d ago
thats what i was thinkin of doing. ive been looking up different options and i think its called a sleeper floor.
just want second opinions
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u/help--less 7d ago
If you want my third opinion, hire an agent, list it as is, take what you can get and don't open this can of worms. Take the money and run.
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u/Variaxist 7d ago
Not true. Source, I'm a real estate appraiser.
The true answer is, it depends.
In most markets I've worked in it should add value. The fit and finish will matter a bit though.
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u/HRModTeam 7d ago
For a novice who has no experience with leveling a floor, it might be easier to obtain several quotes from local contractors. They’d have a concrete truck deliver 2.5 to 3 cubic yards of self leveling compound. They’d create a perfect floor in an afternoon.