How to Level a Floor With Putty

Prepare your flooring by removing any debris. If your flooring is wood, looking for squeaky, loose boards. Nail or screw any loose sections of wood flooring into the joists below. If you are leveling a concrete subfloor, sweep and scrape away any existing adhesive.

Fill large and small cracks in the flooring with enough putty to fill the gaps. Wipe away excess putty with a damp sponge and allow to dry.

Smooth the surface of the putty with sandpaper until it is level with the flooring, and sweep away the dust.

Locate high and low spots in the floor with a level. Identify problem areas where the level does not sit flat compared with the surrounding area.

Grind down the high spots with a sander (for a wood floor) or a concrete grinder. Use a level to determine if they have been corrected. Sweep or vacuum any dust and debris.

Apply leveling compound or putty, using a putty knife, to the areas that need raising. Apply slightly more putty than is needed so it is higher than the area around it. Leveling compound is preferable when filling large spaces. Allow applications to dry thoroughly.

Buff away excess putty until the patch is level, using sandpaper.

Cover with wood paint or other tint to hide the patches.