How to Level a Plywood Floor Near the Wall

Place the tip of a putty knife at the top of the baseboard that lines the wall near the area of the floor where it slopes. Tap the putty knife gently with a hammer to wedge the putty knife down behind the baseboard. Continue across the baseboard until the baseboard comes free from the wall.

Remove all of the baseboards from the room with the putty knife and hammer. If the area of the floor where the slope occurs has a nearby door as well, remove the parts of the doorframe that touch the floor in the same manner.

Pull up the plywood sheet or sheets that cover the area of the floor where it sits unlevel. Use a hammer to pull out the nails if nails hold the plywood in place, or use a drill to remove screws that hold the plywood in place.

Measure the height and width of the floor joist that requires leveling. Set a joist of the same size on the floor directly next to the uneven joist. Put a level on the new joist to make sure that it sits level on the floor. Use only a joist that sits level.

Trace the line of where the first sloping joist in the floor runs along the new joist, which should create a sloping line on the new joist. Remove the new joist from the floor, and cut the joist along this line with a circular saw.

Lay the cut piece of the new joist on top of the sloping area in the first joist. Set a level on the new section of the joist to ensure that it sits level. Drive nails or screws through the next section of the joist to hold it in place. Fix all joists that slope in this manner.

Lay the plywood back down over the repaired floor joists. Secure the plywood in place with the nails or screws originally used in the flooring. Reattach any baseboards or doorframes removed from the room during the repair with wood glue.