I get the frustration with leveling compound—it's messy as hell and can feel like overkill. But honestly, skipping it can bite you later. Had a client once who insisted on just shimming out minor dips, and sure enough, six months later the grout started cracking and tiles loosened up. Ended up costing more to fix than doing it right from the start. Not saying you gotta go crazy every time, but sometimes it's worth the extra hassle upfront to avoid headaches down the road...
Good points on leveling compound—seen similar issues myself. Couple things I'd add from experience:
- Even minor unevenness can mess with large-format tiles, causing lippage that's super noticeable underfoot.
- Ditra mats or uncoupling membranes can help a bit, but they're not a fix-all if the subfloor isn't flat enough.
- Curious though, did you end up using self-leveler for the whole floor or just spot-leveling the worst areas? Wondering how much extra that added to your overall remodel cost...
We ran into something similar last summer—ended up spot-leveling just the worst bits, mostly to save costs. Didn't totally break the bank, but those leveling compounds add up quicker than you'd think...still worth it though, beats stubbed toes on uneven tiles any day.
Yeah, leveling compound definitely sneaks up on you... I remember thinking we'd only need a bag or two, but ended up hauling home way more than planned. Still, you're totally right—worth every penny to avoid tripping over tiles at 2 am. Plus, once it's done, you kinda forget about the extra costs because it just feels so much better underfoot. Good call tackling just the worst spots; smart way to keep the budget in check.
We ran into the same thing with our old place. Thought we'd just patch a few uneven spots, but once we started pulling up tiles, it was clear the whole floor needed leveling. Ended up being an extra $200 or so we hadn't planned on, but honestly, worth it to avoid stubbed toes and cracked grout later. With historic homes especially, there's always something lurking beneath the surface... learned that the hard way more than once. You're right though, once it's done and feels solid, you stop worrying about the extra cash spent.
