DIY SELF LEVELING CONCRETE FLOORS!! $1 per square foot
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- Опубліковано 25 вер 2024
- You have to see this! How to get professional quality, finished concrete floors in your home using Self Leveling Concrete and this AWESOME
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-Mike Montgomery
MODERN BUILDS
Hi, My name is Mike Montgomery and I'm a MAKER; a designer, builder, and full-time content creator. Accessibility is my focus with Modern Builds, not simply accessibility of designs, but accessibility in materials, information, and projects themselves. I've focused on creating furniture and DIY projects that are simple enough that any beginner maker can accomplish, yet interesting enough that any expert might be inspired. Building and making is becoming less and less of an exclusive hobby and profession. My goal is to reduce that separation even further.
That slurry will form fine cracks overtime, despite having been protected with a sealer. It might not do anything to the floor structurally considering it's a single storey house but it will be visible. Now, if you want to prevent that, lay down a layer of fine mesh (preferably a fibre mesh instead of a metal one as the latter would expand when the concrete sets, creating uneven waves) before pouring in the self-leveler slurry. The mesh will provide tensile strength, preventing any cracks from forming on the floor...
that is a good idea, do you secure the mesh to the floor with any sort of anchor or just lay it on flat with nothing holding it in place?
I've installed more than 1 million sq ft of Ardex K-15 self leveling underlayment in New York city rehab projects. Hat's off to you for thinking of a new way to dispense the mix, although it has some bugs to work out. On big projects we used a concrete pump and gauge rakes set to 1/4 inch to guide the mix where it needs to go. We then went over it lightly with a long handled type of float to break the surface tension and allow it to flow better. Once it cures you are always going to get tiny hairline cracks that are actually mostly a cosmetic issue, and not a structural problem. It should be sealed with a clear water based matte urethane because it will continuously dust off and you will always have it on your feet if you don't. These materials were designed to go under finished flooring, and not to be the actual floor.
Do you mind sharing what sort of concrete pump you used? I have tried searching online for something similar and have only found very large scale industrial equipment.
@@bcarl10101 concrete pumps tend to be big industrial machines. There aren’t many small pumps.
At the end of the video he used a BEHR sealer is that the same as the matte urethane or something different.
would you recommend that product for a DIYer? considering this instead of LVP (i have some really bowed wooden subfloors)
@bcarl10101 Ardex will rent a small pump delivered to your site. If the pour is under 2000' its not worth it at all.
Nice job guys! It looks great. I have a 70,000 sq foot 1927 five story office building. The floors are cement, but poured in small sections which are not level nor flat. Fine for carpet, but we wanted to change to wood (laminate planks). I am just a DIY, not a contractor, but I have done a LOT of these pours (200 to 2000 feet). The first step is we grind down the high spots at the corners and edges of each original pour. Then I like to use this self leveling stuff. It is SIX TIMES the cost of regular cement, but it flows like thick soup. It does NOT in fact self level all that well. Especially if you do it like these guys did, in large pours. The thing is, it sets in a flat amount of TIME, not by drying out (it is a chemical reaction), and that time is just a few minutes. You do not really have time to fuss with it, and if your next bucket is not ready pretty quick, the earlier pour will set before your next pour, and it will not be homogenous (you will end up with dry seams instead of a continuous pour). So, there are a couple of tools we use. One is the beveled cement float (like a push broom for shoving around cement)(A gage rake probably works too). This is used right after you pour a bucket to get it into the corners and edges quickly (time is of the essence). The second tool is the spiked roller (think pinhead on a 18 inch wide paint roller). This is used to QUICKLY smooth it all out and blend the different pours and pop any bubbles (careful not to push it too fast or it will spray cement all over your walls and pants), and do not overdo it, once the cement starts to set, it is game over. The shoes with spikes are cool if you need to walk into it and hit a corner and not ruin your sneakers. Also the cement dust while you are pouring the bags and mixing is very irritating. If doing it outside is not practical (limited time before it sets), set up a place inside (with a heavy drop cloth, it will make a serious mess A CEMENT MESS). I usually have 3-5 people to do it. Have a big trash can of water and a 10 quart bucket with a slot cut horizontally at the 6 quart level so you can quickly grab exactly the right amount of water (the water added needs to be precise). So I have 1 guy on the half inch mixing drill at the bucket, another guy pouring the dry bag into the bucket, and a 3rd guy holding the vacuum with a cyclonic dust extractor (DustDeputy). After the bucket is mixed, a 4th guy will bring it to active room, and pour it out. The final guy then uses the float and pin roller to blend it into the ongoing pour. Have 2 or more buckets in circulation so you can do it assembly line fashion. Note that it sets up and coats the buckets as you go (I can only imagine his trash can thing and spout getting clogged), so having a few extra is nice so you don't get hardened clumps in your pour. Do be sure to wet mop the floor and then put on the primer (like he says, 1 time 50% diluted and then 1 time full strength). The directions say to use a soft push broom to apply, but a cheap paint roller seems to work just as well for me (make it thick, a 3rd coat is not wrong). If you are sloppy with the primer step on an old floor, it will wick out the moisture too fast and in the morning you have a cracked useless mess to chip up and redo. f you don't tape the edges, it will flow right under baseboards or drywall (or cabinets or doors). DO not skimp on taping and sealing where you to NOT want the liquid cement to flow. Caulk cracks in the floor or it may flow through (to the floor below you). Also I can say from experience, this self leveling stuff is rather soft so do not expect it to be a walkable top coat. In fact the manufacturer's website is very clear NOT to leave it as the final surface, it is UNDERLAYMENT, although it is pretty, it is NOT durable, and a thin urethane coating will not make it suddenly durable (note however that there are professional self leveling mixes that ARE certified as a topcoat, but the ones I have found require an authorized installer to buy it).
Dayum... That's a lot of work!
But you've got it down to a science.
Could you not just use ultra fine ag at a really high slump and a bunch of super plasticizer and end up with better results for cheaper?
very good information, thanks for taking the time to type all that out.
This is excellent. I've donethis to a floor with 5 gallon buckets and it was extremely tedious. This set-up is fantastic. I made the mistake of letting part of it dry too much before the next pour, like he did. Really imperative to have the next batch ready to go. Definitely best to have someone mixing while you pour.
This works great as a floor underlayment, but it is going to crack. Cementitious products will lose moisture over the next few weeks and continue to harden and shrink and creep. It's just the properties of products themselves. This is why sidewalks have joints in them and why slab on grades have saw cuts typically 20-25 feet on center to allow cracks to form along that joint.
Over the next few weeks you'll likely see spider cracking. It doesn't mean that it is falling apart, Mike may make it a feature. Hopefully it doesn't delaminate and start popping off, but the bonding agent that Mike laid down should help with that. Like I said, it's primary application is an underlayment for floor so you don't care if it cracks because a wood floor or tile is the main surface. I'd love to see a 1 year follow up on this floor and especially the countertops since I have less faith in those holding up over time.
I can consider myself an expert with knowing concrete, I am a structural engineer so I know a whole lot about concrete. I also sometimes get asked questions about cementitious products like this to help architects spec floor underlayments that will work with their finishes.
If/when it does crack to make it a feature what would you suggest to have like a darker color settle into the cracks ( like grout) and then put Epoxy overlay?
@@Angibbabee I'm not sure, Mike is very creative so I'm sure he will think of something. He did a thing previously where he put gold flakes in the concrete cracks so I'm excited to see what he would do when some cracks form. Also, I wouldn't expect the cracks to be very large, probably just some consistent small spider cracking where you can see it but it doesn't quite open up
This is a self leveling compound, which is significantly different to a self leveling concrete screed.
If it is cementitious in nature it would have plenty of admixtures to prevent the cracking
it is levelling compound which is designed to be self levelling. It's over 40mpa, so it won't crack as long as there wasn't too much water or too thick.
I didn't want to get too technical in my comment where it becomes too long and boring. Concrete and grout are similar being cementitious materials. They both use cement as the "glue" for sand and/or stone. There may be other admixtures used to help prevent cracking but they only go so far, they help reduce the concern if cracking but it does not eliminate it entirely. Concrete and grout will crack eventually, it is just part of the material properties, unless it is under constant compression and does not see bending or significant shear. Spider cracks are going to fork eventually, but I would also say the same thing if he poured a fresh concrete slab here too. The best thing you can do is to mitigate it.
The main concern I would have with using this material as a floor finish is the same concern I have with the "concrete” countertops that he previously made. A thin skim coat just will not last as the finish. Inevitably you're going to drop something on the floor or counter and it will chip off. It's just going to happen when such a thin layer is put down and used as the finished surface, and is irrelevant of the material strength properties.
For concrete alone, the minimum thickness I would specify for a pour is 2" for a topping slab, and even then I would probably want a 3/8" stone and fibermesh used to mitigate cracking due to drying/curling, and shrinkage over time.
I have never seen an architect call for a skim coat like this to be used as a finished floor, and a contractor would also want to stay away from this too because they would probably not warranty the work. Like I said, this would be great as a floor underlayment, but I have big concerns about durability as a finished floor over time.
We in the UK use a large spiked roller like a paint roller but with spikes, it gets the floor level and breaks any lumps up.
Funny video good job
I just called the company that makes this stuff & they said it is only to be used as an underlayment & not for an exposed concrete floor. They said because of pressure points it will crack. I also called a concrete specialist about doing this & he said you need at least 3" of concrete to get to the necessary PSI. 1/4" or co will crack & possibly shatter like glass. I'll be curious to see how yours holds up over time.
Yep... I have used this stuff and it will crack where there is a thin layer (near the edges) when you walk on it, and after cracking, some thin layers may come loose.
There's a special product for doing this kind of floor called Microcrete. This self levelling is only supposed to be used as a base for other flooring.
I love ❤the look of the floor so much!!
@@Lee-xs4dj other flooring, like wood laminate?
Many companies sell product that can be used very well for other things. However if they market it for something and it's not approved by governing bodies they can get sued. For example r13 pink fiberglass insulation is great for stopping smoke coming from a fire place but it's not rated for that use.
I dont understand all the hate. For a two person job I really don’t see the suggested comments where they say it should just be “directly poured on floor” working out. Too many seams with walking back and forth and opening bags etc. I think this was an excellent way to build a tool that saved your back, your time, and a lot of headaches running around trying to prevent a seam from each bag. Great job
Holy moly, this is a perfect video of exactly what not to do!! The seams, the using the wrong material that will end up cracking very soon! this floor will have to be completely redone in just a few years. If you take anything from this video its not to copy him at all.
This isn't what this product is designed for, there are cold joins everywhere which will fracture and crack and there are no expansion joins anywhere. He should really do a update video in a year to see if it has cracked through the doorways, cold joins and see what damage the floor has received from general use
Not to mention this is just a slurry mix not concrete. There are going to be huge issues with this.
I wanna se the entire house after 3 years. As far as i have seen the videos it will start falling apart.
No one seems to know the difference between cement and concrete in the real world.
Yeah.. this house should be condemned. He also took a support beam out and placed a heavy brace in the roof that will likely collapse over time. I wouldn’t live here.
@@neondynamite If you ask me all the newer videos where he fiddles with the structual integrity should be taken offline because if people try this at home there is some serious danger.
Also, seeing how incredibly talented you are, you should also modify the cement container once more, by creating a slanted bottom on the inside of it, so that the wet concrete naturally channels down into the spout, so you don't have to lift the container at the end. Amazing job!
You could just… pour it on the floor from the buckets…
Those buckets are extremely heavy. The wheels make 1-2 people work a bit easier. But yes if you had a crew pouring from buckets makes more sense!
@@pandaexpresso You mean the buckets they used to mix in, and then transfer to the trash bin? Same amount of energy. But this method uses more steps and is not going to let the material self level as well. This is a 1 to 2 person job.
True that.
Didn’t you see how it hardened up 4:45? If your consistently pouring you won’t get overlaps, it’s also faster, practically
If you wanna not do a nice job and easy clean up just pour on floor
This is interesting but what is the plan when someone drops something heavy on it and cracks it in a spot? Chip up a square of it and re-pour? Just use filler in the chip/crack?
likely it will damage easily. this is designed to be used under an actual interior flooring like carpet, tile, LVP, wood. we used this in our basement remodel after framing to level the floors. i wouldnt personally use this as a top coat.
Exactly, it should be used underneath a more durable floor material. Using this as the finished floor itself will not hold up over time for several reasons. The thin layer will start popping off over time, and it'll likely chip off when something is dropped on it
Kinda like tile😮
@@mram7715 Except tile can be singularly replaced. That’s my point…each tile is separate, this is one smooth, continuous pour - if it cracks, you either have to scratch up and re-pour the entire floor, or replace one little area and now have a finish that isn’t smooth, which is the entire allure of this in the first place.
this looks like it worked a lot better than I would have thought. Use a spike roller next time, it would have made a huge difference
Have fun changing out base cabinets
Ya know, Mike just goes out and tries stuff. Every video has comments from tradesmen who are highly skeptical of the processes. I guess, props to Mike for just doing cool stuff and seeing how it turns out
His actual project cost of the level quik rs is $1440 from home depot at $36 per bag. The extra bucket and mixing tools add more to the total.
He could have bought regular thinset for $12 dollars a bag and spent the remainder on italian carrera marble tile if he knew what he was doing.
lol, you are so right. The video looked more like a gay weekend for the boys anyways.
Elaborate please.
No
@@donkzilla2293 Concrete is pretty good at leveling itself but even the best pours can have low lying areas, for those minor imperfections in your floor, using thinset to fill them in will get you level but also save you a lot of money. Then you install your choice of flooring on top, a few bags could easily stretch to fill in the low lying areas of a floor this size - you'd need a 8-ft carpenter's level to ensure you can spot those imperfections over a wide area by placing the level on different areas of the floor, and seeing if it lays flat in all spots. Mark the spots it doesn't and thin set those. I'm doing this currently in my basement.
@@wipwhopdipdhop3673 appreciate it mate! About to get all the supplies and get to work 👍
Sliding in socks on floors is my #1 hobby!
Love ur vids
Every time a new modern builds video drops:
1. Click the thumbnail
2. Reduce volume by 50%
Can you do an update on the floor condition?
I have been wanting to repave my recording studio and I might actually attempt this
Just when I think you can't do anything better you go and outdo yourself. Well done my friend.
Personally I think the result looks rather great! Especially for the price and effort. I’m usually sensitive to messiness but I don’t view the different patterns as messy, they replicate stone to my mind and feel more natural than a perfectly uniform colour would
I think that this is a SCAM.
Like other have said those swirl patterns is where cracks will happen.
@@dennisschickling2249 it is i fell for it they said i needed to pay shipping to receive my prize and its not the original posters channel always check the channel
used the same sealer and yes, freaky slippery. after about 3 months of walking carefully use and multiple vinegar and mrs meyers mops, it's normal smooth. rugs still slip around and need rubber pads tho.
I think that this is a SCAM.
Cool effect. I definitely like it.
Use a decoupling membrane and go into this with the understanding that it will crack. Either treat the cracks as a "design opportunity" or just leave them as character. If you're doing this over a slab you definitely need a decoupling membrane because the existing slab will pull the water out of the skim coat too fast and ruin the whole job. Once again, a decoupling membrane would mitigate this issue as well. They are like little waffles so they give the pour something to grip, which helps prevent cracking too. You could hose down the slab but who wants to do that in an existing house.
That's what the primer does. You would absolutely not but down the decoupling membrane like ditra first.
Would you suggest doing this in a house that is out of level? I house that I just bought is structurally sound. However, foundation level it's not within "tolerance". I'm thinking about using this cement to level the flooring.
I used the Sika brand stuff as an underfloor for my office corner. The floor was really uneven and this helped to even my floor, but its not perfectly self-leveling on really uneven flooring. You're better off troweling it and spreading it manually to get a flat surface. I can see the transition from each pour so you won't get a consistent color. I found several uneven areas once it was done and filled the low areas with some floor patch in the flooring aisle at Home Depot. I put some vinyl planks over the floor and it looks okay. If I wanted a perfectly flat floor I should have put plywood under the vinyl planks. My only regret is not insulating my floor because it gets really cold in the winter since its directly on a slab of concrete.
Same thing happen to me.
If you want a flat floor you have to get a concrete grinder to take down the high spots first, then level flow. Plywood is not a fix for an uneven floor as it will still be uneven and/or gaps between the plywood and concrete subfloor lol.
@@jonvon2044 let me clarify. Instead of grinding down the high spots, I filled the low spots with floor patch to level the floor. The purpose of the plywood would not be to level the floor. Since my situation is slab concrete that has pre-existing cracks, the vinyl planks are separating where the slabs cracks exist. There are no control joints in this slab so the concrete moves at the cracks. The plywood would prevent the planks from shifting since they wouldn't be connected to the shifting cracked slab.
@@ChavezDIY Oh okay I get you. Well before you spend all that money on plywood try using something like “Mapgaurd” by Mapei. Its a crack suppressant membrane that you apply down the length of the crack (like you’re rolling out the red carpet) this membrane will stretch with the subfloor instead of the flooring and is much more cost affective and less labor intensive at the same time 👍
@@jonvon2044 thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind if I decide to redo the floor.
Hey Mike. It's been almost a year. Any issues with cracking?
Wouldn't direct contact with porous material(wood shelves, wood kitchen cabinets, and drywall) cause moisture to be pulled out of the concrete? Or, future wicking of moisture between the two surfaces?
That's why you're supposed to use a spike roller to adjatate the concrete to make sure it blends
Could you get the same results by just pouring the buckets on the floor without building the trash can pourer?
its much slower.. and the mixes sit for a while if they're not immediately on-hand
Yes, He added an extra step just to make a trending youtube video.
Hey just a thought. What do you think about adding a slanted platform at the bottom of the trash can so that it funnels into the pipe eliminating the waste at the bottle 👍🏾 great build tho looks like it made the process a lot easier great job looks fun too -bwash
Biggest problem you made, is that the leveler you used isn’t rated as a wear surface. You need to use something like Mapei M20 plus or their Ultratop
does this even matter if its just for foot traffic and is sealed?
@@Gulag_bog 4 people sitting on a couch is like 1000 lbs, I doubt this will sustain the point loads and will likely crack and pieces will pop off in certain locations overtime due to the thickness
Cool idea. Floating two rooms at work right now but on lunch . Going To put engineered prefinished flooring 5/8 × 6 3/4 riva floors is the brand .
This was SUPER PRO mike! You're the OG for dope projects!
Absolutely great video ! I was actually looking for a similar diy video for my driveway but this was great nonetheless
shoutout to billy madison shaking the kids face when you were mixing the concrete! Stay here! As Looooooong as you can!
@modern builds ardex sells a nice spiked roller to hit those edges when pouring and lets blend everything and hit any dry lumps!
In 1976 when I was 9, there was a thing called the immaculate contraption. I am now looking for the plans for that device!
Looks cool but is missing joints to prevent excess cracking. Another thing you can do on top of existing concrete is semco you don’t have to add joints and they have colors that look like concrete
Good lord. You made this job WAY harder than it should have been. Pour the product on the floor, put on your spiked shoes, and roll with a 36" pin roller. 33 bags is a 1.5 hour job for 1 guy. And yes, I do this at least twice a month. The know nothing comments on this video are incredible.
In between pours when the first starts to dry and the next pour runs up next to it like that, use a spray bottle of water where they meet and they two pours will mix together perfect
That came out really good! I wasn’t expecting that cool looking pattern
on moderrrrrn bewuuilds !!!
Thponthord by thkwere-thpayth.
LOL self cracking floors for the distressed look. Great idea!
You know, they make a special type of mixer for this sort of application. It is basically a 55 gallon drum held in a steel frame with a gimbal and a heavy duty mixer built in. This way you can mix several bags at once and the entire drum rotates to pour out the cement as needed. It is sooo much easier and faster than mixing in five gallon buckets. The cheapest versions cost around $1500, but you can usually find a place to rent one for $30 - $40 dollars a day.
In CA there is a company called CONCRETE RENTALS and they rent one called the "HIPPO - Mixer" $150 for three days or $300 for a week. There are far cheaper rental options but CA...
Wow! I may never do this, even though I'd like to on my basement floor, but still...WOW! Super Cool
in theory could this be done and then laminate wood flooring be put down over top?
I think if/when I attempt to do this, I’d also use a spiked roller to blend the seams, as well as pouring into the wet cement instead of pouring onto dry cement
I wonder if the primer he used is meant to seal the underfloor so it doesn't rob moisture from the curing wet batch
The primer is for adhesion. Spike roller not needed, just gently drag a rake (like for raking leaves) across the surface for blending, mixing. Works perfctly.
@@phillipgrandison2384 primer stops moisture from leaving the leveller and entering the concrete below. this is how it prevents cracks. spike roller is the best tool for a DIY pour
...........No Plan survives First Impact! Brilliant!
Disclaimer : don't try this at home. Especially not if you're thinking of putting down glue down vinyl. You will have so much extra prep work flattening out all those nice twirls he made _ and sorely regret each little lump you didn't fix or missed after a few months.
I've installed many glue down and adhesive backed vinyl floors. Using self leveling thinset is a must for a smooth, flat end product. But, it needs to be mixed properly. For example, most people dont realize you want to add a latex additive to the mix so it doesnt dry into a powdery mess.
I am very concerned this will crack.
It will
@@BluezCinema yeah it seems very thin
It won’t
Hello Mike, I just finished doing my Sunroom with my wife and her girlfriend. We had a lot of fun doing it. It came out awesome in my old house. My question to you is after you put the sealer on and lived with it were you happy with the sealer. I thought I'd wait several days before I put the sealer down. The contraption worked great I went with 11/2 inch pipe as Ben recommended.
Damn, and I was about to pay somebody 8k to do the same sq footage for me. Thanks a bunch!
I love building "contraptions" woot! Awesome
Saw the video before bed and told myself sleep after this video
Woww😍 I'll make for sure som concrete projects on my channel in future🤩
Hi I have expansion gaps in the concrete in my basement. Do I need to fill those before doing the self level concrete? If so what would I fill it with?
Ben and you killed this. The device is clever maybe just needs a few tweaks. One bag at a time will never come out as smooth. DIY should be inventive and fun. Things go wrong but that’s how you learn and improve. It’s just a floor if you don’t like it you can clever it and self leveling concrete is the perfect base.
great idea . thanks . in Canada the company lafarge has this delivered in a truck . cheaper and no hand mixing
Can you mix the bags inside the trash can?
That's what I was thinking. I have done lots of this in big sqft- age. Mix in the big can and save time and back strain. But this stuff was never made for a finished flooring. Not a good idea for long lasting
He said he only made one mistake 😂
Great video, enthusiasm and tips. I am going to do a 10x10 shed this weekend.
next time, would you recommend using the gritty non slip sand additive to the sealer coat? How about now, wondering your thoughts are a year later... is it too slippery or did that go away with wear?
Can this work if floors are hardwood? I've been wondering if concrete can be applied over hard wood floors and finnish it with tiles or will there be cracks after a few weeks?
I think a cement-look ceramic tile large format would have been the way to go, you also could have had floor heating
Watching you with that contraption gave me a good laugh. Why not use a squeegee or something to distribute the self leveler?
It's better to make a piece of crap so idiots follow this procedure and mess up their or someone else's home
YES. It's called a Gauge Rake. Marshalltown makes a great one.
Looks great
You could add a light aggregate to the clear to limit slipping
What's with the double triple six hand sign ?
How this dude has a channel called modern builds when he uses a basic product so improperly is beyond me.
How long after completing the project did you apply the sealer?
Back in 2000 I did a 23,000 Sq ft floor with ardex K-15 and really could have used this. Two guys on mixers, two on squeegees and one using a floor dolly. It was a very long Sunday, 17 hours! But it was double time at $26/hr!
Self leveler almost always cracks after a few years. Updates on this project yearly would be awesome
I did this DIY pour two times and for the second one we already understood we have to invite few family members to mix with multiple buckets and drills to achieve good pouring times. Mixing of my material was supposed to take 4 minutes and the initial drying time was 20 minutes, so with only one bucket mixing you would pour the 5th bucket on a solidified material. This way I believe it has to be maximum 30 minute job always. What is your experience?
The slide was impressive!!!
I really like the swirl pattern. Can you tell me how durable this floor is? How is Ben’s floor holding up? Interested to see future updates.
Video been out 2 weeks.
He already needs to install new flooring.
This is not how to do this.
Some of the self leveling floor mixtures are gypsum based last I saw. Which is what they make sheetrock out of. Not very durable. They at that time was meant to correct floor imperfections so you could lay tile on them.
Myself if I was going to do it. I'd use a real concrete. Maybe mix in some pretty stones and or some broken glass. Then grind the top off. This way you don't have that sealer preventing a actual bond to the old concrete also. It then is one solid piece. I don't see a floor like this one lasting long
The house I bought had 44' of drain line replace as a condition of purchase and the previous owners didn't level the floor in the kitchen and hallway when sections of the slab repoured. They then threw ceramic tiles down which began cracking right away. Temporarily used about 30 tubes of Fix a Floor and at least the tiles hold in place. Eventually all must come up; the slab underneath probably looks like the moon.
That was really cool. I could see myself doing that some day.
Floors look awesome mike!!!!
noticed that you didn't put a straight edge to demonstrate the flatness... how did you gauge that you hit your desired depth?
Wish I saw this a few years ago before doing our condo.
That is a great looking floor. I love the Granite look to the texture.
Put the strainer screen on the opening of the trash can for pouring. That way, you can avoid clumps clogging the pipe. Think of it like drinking a Slurpy through a straw: chunks would get stuck at the pipe, limiting the flow.
The best action come at 9:58... 🤣
I'm curious if I did this if it would be suitable to lay floor tile on, or if a better bet would be laminate planks. I would rather lay the tile honestly but I wouldn't want loose tile later. I know laminate floor will sit atop foam and won't be bothered by cracking or too-thin material
Why didn’t you mix it in the trash can and eliminate the 5 gallon bucket?
Im going to self level my garage floor by myself so I don’t have toe extra hands and was curious if there was a reason
It's actually quicker to just pour it directly on the floor 🤣
If you want your floor to look museum like, do not leave it like that. Now that the floor is leveled, go ahead and microcement the floor. You'll thank me later
I like it.
As a Contractor (but not a Concrete Contractor I must admit) I have issue with some of the comments in the thread. Self leveling products shouldn't crack due to just the curing process. Possibly spider cracks if you don't keep the top surface moist enough for the conditions. No control joints necessary and, with the thickness being so minimal, they would be almost impossible to install anyhow.
BUT, the existing cracks/control joints (of the original slab) will transfer through over time. How soon is just dependent on the movement of the original slab. The self leveling product isn't flexible so there is virtually no way to keep this from happening. At least as far as I know. If I am wrong, please let me know how to correct this as I would love to have the answer.
As far as delamination goes....a better connection between the original slab and the overlay would be to mechanically abrade the slab (grinding). A disclaimer - I have done that and it is a PITA if you don't have the professional equipment. Believe me, I know because I didn't when I did an Epoxy flake in my parents garage for a gift!
Recommend taking doors off hinges before hand?
I’ll admit, it came out really good 👍
Can you do this over wooden subfloors ?
This product is not designed to be a trafficable flooring surface. It’s a substrate that needs a flooring product installed on the top like carpet or LVT.
Did we leave the shelves in place and pour around them…?
Vous n'avez pas utilisé un rouleau débulleur pour éviter le risque de bulles dans votre chappe?
genuine question - how come you didn't use a spiked roller?
Very cool idea to make short work of pouring and spreading! I have a question about expansion gaps. Did you leave any gaps for expansion? I understand that there will be some shrinkage as the concrete cures, but I wonder if leaving an extra gap is still necessary.
It’s self leveler. You don’t need to do anything other than mix a large batch and pour it directly to the floor.
@@human_behavior23 the spout contraption makes it a bit easier to control where you pour and how much you pour in any one spot, I guess?
@@human_behavior23 It sounds like you know of a better way to pour a large amount of self leveler, but you didn't share any helpful details... I imagine if you're pouring from the 5 gallon buckets then you'll either spend a bunch of time raking the leveler around since it doesnt actually spread itself OR you'd be meticulously pouring evenly around the entire area 40 times while carrying the 50 pound buckets. Perhaps the video would seem more useful if it explained how much work this job would be without the trashcan contraption.
@@ChrisWachtmanI've done it with 5 gallon buckets. His contraption would definitely have been very helpful.
Would love some updates over time on these.
I’m curious if you considered adding as many bags u can to the hopper and then you have a longer pour? I’m seriously considering doing this in our house in south Florida.