Self Levelling Tips
Discussion
After a nice break from renovations over Christmas, it's time to get cracking again. The next job is the kitchen and the first part of that is to remove some awful tiles and get the floor flat for some new large format tiles to go down.
I've used SLC before but it was a very small room (maybe 5m2). The kitchen at our new place is around 35sqm (7 x 5) and so it's a much bigger undertaking. The floor itself is concrete but there are a few shallow undulations which I'd like to try to flatten out.
So...
1. Can I do the levelling in two sections (make a dam across the room, level one section, let that dry, level the other section)? This feels as though it may make it easier than trying to do it all in one go.
2. I've seen conflicting advice online but for this use case, should I add a little extra water to help it run better?
3. Any other tips/advice/things I ought to be aware of? I'll have a friend helping me but if there are any helpful tips, I will gladly take them.
I'm pretty happy with most DIY but for some reason I have been dreading doing this...
Thanks in advance!
I've used SLC before but it was a very small room (maybe 5m2). The kitchen at our new place is around 35sqm (7 x 5) and so it's a much bigger undertaking. The floor itself is concrete but there are a few shallow undulations which I'd like to try to flatten out.
So...
1. Can I do the levelling in two sections (make a dam across the room, level one section, let that dry, level the other section)? This feels as though it may make it easier than trying to do it all in one go.
2. I've seen conflicting advice online but for this use case, should I add a little extra water to help it run better?
3. Any other tips/advice/things I ought to be aware of? I'll have a friend helping me but if there are any helpful tips, I will gladly take them.
I'm pretty happy with most DIY but for some reason I have been dreading doing this...
Thanks in advance!
1. You can but you’ll get a better finish doing in it one go, unless you have an industrial sander aim for doing it in one.
2. Yes but very little, and add it in small increments, if your using a water based screed make sure you prime it, if it’s latex based don’t add water.
3. A spiky roller is a must for someone who( no offence) is a diy’er. It will get rid of trowel marks and air bubbles and gives that good finish.
Prime your floor with proper primer, don’t use watered down pva. If your tiles are solid.
If you move your arm in an arc motion while spreading it out you’ll have more trowel marks, try keeping it as much of a left and right movement as you can.
2. Yes but very little, and add it in small increments, if your using a water based screed make sure you prime it, if it’s latex based don’t add water.
3. A spiky roller is a must for someone who( no offence) is a diy’er. It will get rid of trowel marks and air bubbles and gives that good finish.
Prime your floor with proper primer, don’t use watered down pva. If your tiles are solid.
If you move your arm in an arc motion while spreading it out you’ll have more trowel marks, try keeping it as much of a left and right movement as you can.
Do it in one go. That area you’re probably looking at 90mins max from start to finish. The trick is working quickly.
Firstly, use a primer on the concrete. I wouldn’t add more water to the mix, it’ll weaken it and if it flows too much away from the corner you start then it’ll be hard to top up that area as needed.
Get all the bags you need opened in advance and have a measuring container marked up with the water quantity so you can fill it quickly. It really is about speed. Have at least 4 extra bags more than you think you need on sale or return, you don’t want to run out.
Firstly, use a primer on the concrete. I wouldn’t add more water to the mix, it’ll weaken it and if it flows too much away from the corner you start then it’ll be hard to top up that area as needed.
Get all the bags you need opened in advance and have a measuring container marked up with the water quantity so you can fill it quickly. It really is about speed. Have at least 4 extra bags more than you think you need on sale or return, you don’t want to run out.
We used the mapei compound from Screwfix. It said 3.8 to 4 litres of water per bag. We used 9 bags for 15 sq m and felt that we should have mixed at nearer 4 litres than 3.8.
Certainly for the last batches which had to fuse with the first, it would have feathered in better.
Paddle mixer , spiked roller and spiked shoes a must, all of which we bought especially.
3 people , one to mix, one to lay, and one to measure out the water.
All done in 30 minutes.
Certainly for the last batches which had to fuse with the first, it would have feathered in better.
Paddle mixer , spiked roller and spiked shoes a must, all of which we bought especially.
3 people , one to mix, one to lay, and one to measure out the water.
All done in 30 minutes.
woodypup59 said:
We used the mapei compound from Screwfix. It said 3.8 to 4 litres of water per bag. We used 9 bags for 15 sq m and felt that we should have mixed at nearer 4 litres than 3.8.
Certainly for the last batches which had to fuse with the first, it would have feathered in better.
Paddle mixer , spiked roller and spiked shoes a must, all of which we bought especially.
3 people , one to mix, one to lay, and one to measure out the water.
All done in 30 minutes.
Here's the best single tip.Certainly for the last batches which had to fuse with the first, it would have feathered in better.
Paddle mixer , spiked roller and spiked shoes a must, all of which we bought especially.
3 people , one to mix, one to lay, and one to measure out the water.
All done in 30 minutes.
Don'y ask me why.
"3 people , one to mix, one to lay, and one to measure out the water."
Go for the bagged stuff that comes with the liquid (I use stopgap green bag) and you will be able to lose a person.
A good paddle mixer, 2 people, 2 big buckets for mixing in plus a couple of more buckets for washing out.
Mix two bags at a time and use a spiked roller.
Get going at 9am and you will be walking on it for tea time.
A good paddle mixer, 2 people, 2 big buckets for mixing in plus a couple of more buckets for washing out.
Mix two bags at a time and use a spiked roller.
Get going at 9am and you will be walking on it for tea time.
We levelled our kitchen floor which was about 7x4.
We used mapping 3240 (3mm to 40mm)
https://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-ultraplan-3240-se...
Though toolstation might have been cheaper? One had a 5 for 4 sale at the time.
I think I read all of the reviews on screwfix - there's some really good tips within them. Adding 500ml of extra water helped.
We set up 4 or 5 plasterers buckets with the water already in ( a tap will take too long once you're going).
Once started, it was a routine of one mixing and one spreading. The tubs are 30kg when full though, so check your help can do it (my wife could no way lift that amount, and i found it hard to pour in a controlled way with my puny middle management upper body strength)
I also had bought the cheapest paddle mixer from amazon -£30ish - it was well worth its weight in chineseium tbh and did all my screed, self levelling and tile adhesive without fault. The perfect tool at the right time - just remember to clean it before it dries.
As we had screeded too I primed the floor with 50/50 water / sbr before slc went down, though only because I had some- would have used proper primer otherwise.
I did get a spiked roller, which was also a tool that worked perfectly. We didn't use a squidgee or mop or trowel - just poured it evenly and rolled it, which did enough to distribute it evenly- maybe we got lucky?
We had divided our floor up into 2 sections, because I was doing the kitchen in stages and had left sink units etc in situ at one end whilst sorting the other end out. I screwed a 2 x 1 batton across the floor with foam draft strip under it - it worked well as a dam, though ultimately there was an ever so slight ripple when the two edges met.
For levelling, I had screwed screws into the floor at intervals and used a level to "level" them all. So it was a case of pouring on the slc until it just covered the screw heads.
It was only later i found out my magnusson spirit level set all disagreed with each other, but it was +/- 2mm which came out in the tiling (just about - tiling the floor was a hateful experience for me)
But the levelling was great - it made such a change so quickly, but is a pricey way to add height to a floor compared with say the sand/cement screed (which of course is only relevant if you're building up from the slab like i was)
I hope this helps
Ian
We used mapping 3240 (3mm to 40mm)
https://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-ultraplan-3240-se...
Though toolstation might have been cheaper? One had a 5 for 4 sale at the time.
I think I read all of the reviews on screwfix - there's some really good tips within them. Adding 500ml of extra water helped.
We set up 4 or 5 plasterers buckets with the water already in ( a tap will take too long once you're going).
Once started, it was a routine of one mixing and one spreading. The tubs are 30kg when full though, so check your help can do it (my wife could no way lift that amount, and i found it hard to pour in a controlled way with my puny middle management upper body strength)
I also had bought the cheapest paddle mixer from amazon -£30ish - it was well worth its weight in chineseium tbh and did all my screed, self levelling and tile adhesive without fault. The perfect tool at the right time - just remember to clean it before it dries.
As we had screeded too I primed the floor with 50/50 water / sbr before slc went down, though only because I had some- would have used proper primer otherwise.
I did get a spiked roller, which was also a tool that worked perfectly. We didn't use a squidgee or mop or trowel - just poured it evenly and rolled it, which did enough to distribute it evenly- maybe we got lucky?
We had divided our floor up into 2 sections, because I was doing the kitchen in stages and had left sink units etc in situ at one end whilst sorting the other end out. I screwed a 2 x 1 batton across the floor with foam draft strip under it - it worked well as a dam, though ultimately there was an ever so slight ripple when the two edges met.
For levelling, I had screwed screws into the floor at intervals and used a level to "level" them all. So it was a case of pouring on the slc until it just covered the screw heads.
It was only later i found out my magnusson spirit level set all disagreed with each other, but it was +/- 2mm which came out in the tiling (just about - tiling the floor was a hateful experience for me)
But the levelling was great - it made such a change so quickly, but is a pricey way to add height to a floor compared with say the sand/cement screed (which of course is only relevant if you're building up from the slab like i was)
I hope this helps
Ian
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