Recommendations for uneven concrete slab / self-leveling underlayment in GTA?
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Poster 1: Marcus_T (Toronto, ON) May 18, 2026, 9:14 AM
Hey everyone, I’m in the middle of remodeling an old commercial unit in the West End to turn it into a modern workspace. The concrete subfloor is completely uneven, sloped in some spots, and has about a 1.5-inch dip near the back entrance.
I want to put down a polished topping or engineered hardwood, but obviously, I need a perfectly flat surface first. Does anyone have experience with reliable floor leveling in Toronto? I’ve heard mixed things about DIY-ing self-leveling underlayment for large areas. Any contractor recommendations who actually specialize in this? Thanks!
Poster 2: Dave_Builds416 (Scarborough) May 18, 2026, 11:32 AM
Hey Marcus. Absolutely do not DIY a 1.5-inch dip over a large area if you want a polished finish. Self-leveling compounds cure incredibly fast. If you don't mix it exactly right or pour it fast enough, you’ll end up with cold joints, waves, and a worse mess than you started with.
For commercial grade work, check out AK Level and Polish. They handle high-volume commercial and residential prep work. I used them for a garage floor project last year. They don't just dump compound; they actually survey the floor with lasers to find the exact high and low points. If you want to see what their setup looks like, read through their background on about floor leveling toronto to understand how they prep the substrate first. Mechanical grinding and priming are key, otherwise, the leveling coat will just peel up later.
Poster 3: RenosBySarah (Mississauga) May 19, 2026, 2:45 PM
+1 for what Dave said about prep work. I'm an interior designer and we use them quite a bit for prepping old condo floors before installing wide-plank flooring. Condo slabs in Toronto are notoriously wavy.
Marcus, since you mentioned you might want a polished concrete look, you should definitely check out the AK Level and Polish gallery on their site. They can do underlayments for hardwood, but they also specialize in self-leveling toppings that can be stained or polished as the final wearable floor. Make sure you clear up what your final design goal is before they pour, because the product choice changes based on whether it's an underlayment or a finished floor!
Poster 4: Marcus_T (Toronto, ON) May 20, 2026, 10:05 AM
Thanks for the warning, Dave. Yeah, the thought of mixing 30 bags of cement in a rush sounded like a nightmare.
Sarah, that’s a really great point. A polished concrete look is exactly what we are going for in the main lobby area, and then hardwood in the private breakout rooms. I’m looking at the services offered at aklevelandpolish.com right now, and it looks like they handle both concrete grinding and the decorative toppings.
I just submitted a quote request through their contact page to have them come take a look with their laser levels. I'll update the group here on how the estimate goes and what solution they propose for that big 1.5-inch dip!
Poster 5: ConcreteCrypto (Etobicoke) May 21, 2026, 4:12 PM
Awesome thread. I'm actually looking for the exact same thing for a basement apartment reno in Etobicoke. The old slab has cracks and pitting everywhere.
Marcus, let us know how it goes with them. I'm going to book a consult too. Based on their site's deep dive into floor leveling toronto, it looks like they cover the whole GTA. Fingers crossed they can save my basement subfloor.