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self leveling concrete
Jon Ison - 20/11/12 at 11:55 AM

Got a few holes to level in new unit we are moving to, nothing deep or massive, max one maybe 1 meter x 0.5 meter wide 4/5mm deep, carpet going over top when done.

whats peeps on here used, just want a quick cheap fix before carpet goes down, its a packing room and works kitchen so no art deco standard finish required.

Mr Whippy - 20/11/12 at 12:19 PM

while it is set very wet use a wood batton to pat the surface till the water has come up and it will level. If you make it slightly proud of the floor you can hire a polishing/grinding machine to get it really really smooth but tbh I think the wood will work fine for under a carpet

Nick DV - 20/11/12 at 01:08 PM

Not a B&Q fan, but just to illustrate, try something like this http://www.diy.com/nav/build/building-materials/building-chemicals/floor_levelling/Sika-Latex-Self-Levelling-18LLC25-25kg-10487625?noCookies=false />

Cheers, Nick

richardR1 - 20/11/12 at 01:13 PM

You want a small bag of Everbuild 708 self levelling compound. Easy to work with, just mix up with water to the ratio on the bag. The most important thing is the preparation, you need to make sure the area is thoroughly swept of dust and dirt etc and then seal with a couple of coats of contractors PVA watered down to seal the surface. The self level will do up to 6mm in a single application. It does pretty much what it says and lays itself but you can use a metal float to help it if necessary in any awkward areas.

FuryRebuild - 20/11/12 at 03:55 PM

if you're thinking of working on carpet, have you thought of the rubber floor tiles that the likes of machine-mart do?

I laid my entire garage in them (stuck down with pink-grip) and it made a hell of a difference:
1) warmer in the winter
2) they are great to sit and kneel on without fatigue
3) things bounce, not break when you drop them.
4) smoother when heaving an engine crane around than my old ridged concrete floor
5) looks professional.

It cost me about £200 to do, and definitely money well spent.

Peteff - 20/11/12 at 06:19 PM

We used to use Cempolay to level floors, it sounds like a lot of the other stuff recommended in other posts. Mix it runny and trowel it out. You can use PVA if you are not in a hurry and the holes are not too deep, it sets like a layer of plastic if you leave it long enough.

JoelP - 20/11/12 at 06:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by richardR1
You want a small bag of Everbuild 708 self levelling compound. Easy to work with, just mix up with water to the ratio on the bag. The most important thing is the preparation, you need to make sure the area is thoroughly swept of dust and dirt etc and then seal with a couple of coats of contractors PVA watered down to seal the surface. The self level will do up to 6mm in a single application. It does pretty much what it says and lays itself but you can use a metal float to help it if necessary in any awkward areas.


Pretty much exactly what i was thinking. Two coats of watered pva, spread with a paint roller if its a big area, then chuck in some self level. Should really be called self smoothing IMHO though, as ive found it needs help and care to end up level, but will definately smooth itself out well.

thefreak - 21/11/12 at 12:10 PM

I'm looking at doing something similar in the garage at home.
It's a new build double garage and the floor is very rippled, as new ones are.
When I moved in, I sealed it and painted it, but I have a feeling I won't be able to apply any self leveling stuff to the floor now as it's been painted.
I'm not too keen on having to remove all the paint before levelling it...!

FuryRebuild - 21/11/12 at 01:35 PM

Go rubber. It's not just for the bedroom. I've a link in this thread above to the tiles I used.