Can You Staple Wood Floor Through Floor Levelling Compound?

Leveling Compound

• A leveling compound is a chemical mixture typically made with an epoxy that fills in uneven parts of the subfloor. These compounds are often self-leveling. Mix the epoxy and its reactants together, pour it on the problem areas, and let it flow naturally to the depression and harden there. This helps prepare flooring materials, such as concrete, for wood flooring.

Stapling Through Leveling Compound

• Flooring staples are not designed to go through leveling compound. The staples need a tough material such as a cementitious board layer to grip. If your leveling compound is light and is easily penetrated by the staples, you probably do not need to worry. If you used a large amount of the compound, your staples in that area may not be able to work properly.

Alternatives to Compound

• If you need to use a lot of leveling compound on your floor, consider adding a new layer of flooring entirely, another backerboard substrate that will solve your leveling problems and give your staples something to grip. If you only have a few cracks or minor issues in your flooring, consider using a putty instead of a full leveling compound.

Stapled Floor Alternatives

• If you use leveling compound, consider switching the type of wood flooring you use. Many wood flooring types are glued down instead of nailed, which solves leveling issues. Engineered wood flooring also comes in floating floor styles, which allow you to hook the boards together without using nails or staples.