I have been installing concrete microcement overlays for about 20 years and I can tell you that self levelers are without a doubt the one that takes the most experience and skill to pull off properly. Everyone thinks you can just dump and leave it like in this video. If for yourself and you dont care, then fine but for a paying customer this will never fly. Those pour lines end up being ridges and youll get discoloration from pour to pour especially if your water content isnt the exact same from mix to mix. You HAVE to use a gauge rake to pull it all even and then quickly smooth out with a trowel or magic trowel/squeegee to tie in your pour line and have to work FAST. Every load must be mixed the exact same amount of water or youll get color shifts from each bucket. Self levelers will also develop a bunch of tiny micro-cracks, no matter how well you prime and even if you use low water content.
I agree with Mojo jojo. In fact on larger projects we used a specialized machine that mixes and pumps the self levelling product while our guy used the gauge rakes and long handled trowel to break the surface tension and prevent ridges.
Nice video. I used LevelQuik RS and the matching primer. It was my first time and I had a similar experience. After 12 bags I learned quite a lot: The recipe on the bag makes a dry mix that doesn't flow enough to actually level. Especially in dry California. I talked to a pro tile-layer who uses the same everyday and he uses a way way wetter consistency (like 20% more water), and no problems. I'm usually skeptical of people who say "I never read the bag, always done it this way, my daddy taught me, blah blah", but he was right, even just a little more water made everything better. I could take my time mixing without worrying about it being too dry by the time I poured. And the lower viscosity made it flow so so so much better. I'm not one to deviate from manufacturer instructions, but since you had success with a wetter mix, I wanted to back your video up with my similar experience. Last thing people should know is that it doesn't fair-out like caulk or wall compound does. You can only spread it so thin before it looses its cohesiveness and you're just rolling tiny balls of grit around. It's best if you put it on thick, all the way up to vertical walls. It's not so great for skimming over a shallow low spot. If you're covering it afterward you might not care about surface finish, but it will tend to break up and turn to dust where it's very thin. Your mileage may vary! If someone disagrees with my method, that's fine, mix how you would like to! I'm just sharing what worked for me. That's what DIY UA-cam is all about!
Looking for a self leveler that emulsifies well when you mix. Willing to spend a little more on the right product. I plan to self level a floor and then put stain or a wash over it so need a self-leveling product that is good for that
It is very important to read directions. I used this as a complete beginner and had no issues. It worked perfectly, with one pour. I could tell on your first pour that not enough water had been added. It's supposed to be runny so that it will seek its own level, like water does. Also, it's not meant to be the finished floor so it may not hold up over time.
@@UnsettlingDwarfbefore or after the leveler? May sound like a dumb question but in the instance we are watching this video the OG concrete was not properly sealed to begin with 😅
Try putting the premeasured amount of water in the bucket first.... then slowly add the required amount of self-level mix to the water as you're mixing. Also use a spiked paint roller on a pole. Either after pouring the entire floor or as you are pouring ....Run it back and forth across the entire floor will help pop out air bubbles as well as blending the different batches of mix together so you'll get a more consistent, level and even final smooth finish.
I have installed more than 2 million sq. ft of self levelling cementitious underlayment for rehabbing commercial buildings and a few residential projects. We usually shot blasted the floors with a Blastrac machine to mechanically etch the floor and to remove surface contaminants. We applied a latex bonding agent to the concrete to adhere the topping to the concrete substrate. Temperature is very critical for these materials, and we used ice cold water on hot days to slow down the material from flash setting. Our most commonly installed product was Ardex K-15 in foot traffic areas and Ardex K-500 where there was wheeled traffic.
@@StonemanRocks At one time I was the largest user of Ardex in the country. I installed it all over New York City to rehab buildings. 80% of all construction in NYC is rehab of existing buildings.
@@jamesmorrison7847 Very impressive! I would have loved to work with you! Im sure I would have learned a lot of good nuggets of knowledge! My resume might not be quite as accomplished ,however, I think I could carry on a conversation with you over a cup of coffee about this topic! My experience is well rounded with a lot of commercial tenant development and new construction as well, movies, restaurants, hospitals, post offices ,custom homes , tract homes etc. not to mention probably 1000 shower/ bath remodels! I have used a lot of different self levelers in all kinds of different senarios. Ardex is by far the best!
Sounds like Ardex is the best product as far as ease of use. I'm going to spend a little bit more to avoid the clumping and too much fast drying for me to keep up with
Have you ever thought about consulting a pro, or even the manufacturer before putting out bad info like this? You could have had such a better time and better results by having a 5 minute call with someone who does this everyday. For anyone watching this: 1. NEVER alter the water amount, just change products based on your environment. 2. Spending $100 on the right barrel, mixing drill, spreader, and smoother will result in better installation and results. 3. Although it’s self leveling, it needs to be smoothed or agitated using a spike roller to break the surface tension. This is a must. 4. This product is not meant as a wear layer, there are other products that can hold up to surface wear. Also, applying a penetrating sealer will not change the look, and protect against staining.
You can too add xtra water and it can work for a wear surface too! You just need to buy the good stuff with a high compressive strength and do the right prep on the existing surface! Im thinking you are a well intentioned keyboard cowboy but that you have limited or no flooring exp! No one calls a trowel a “spreader“ ! And what the hell is a “smoother” lol! Plus $100 isnt going to buy a drill that will stand up to the rigors of tile /stone installations overtime not where I live anyway!
It’s on the bag and would have taken 2 mins of googling for them to find the right answer. I’m still perplexed that they are fine spreading bad information for other home owners. Especially with something that is such a pain to fix later.
Experts are after perfection and perfection is costly.. he was after the imperfections, hence why he said he doesn't mind stains and he liked the patterns he got. Giving him the old rustic look..
It's always a good idea to make sure there's water in the bucket first...then poor the bag in thirds I to the bucket, while mixing and adding water. Round 2...you knocked it out of the PARK!! NICE!!
It as a trial and error extravaganza. The end was expert result. Thank you for your articulated clear explanation. Now I can move on with trial and error in my journey.
This surface will not wear nicely. SLC will not last uncovered. It just isn’t like real concrete, it will start to abrade and sand will come out of it. At that point it will wear very fast. Maybe if you’re always barefoot on it… I would look into at least a surface hardener which doesn’t change the look but might keep this together longer.
On self leveling concrete, you do it backwards. Usually we pour concrete powder first before water. In self leveling we should put water in the bucket first then the concrete powder based on what it says in the packaging. In this way youll be able to eliminate the unmixed chunks in your bucket when you pour it down. But hey this is a really nice content. Kudos to you. You earned my subs. 4 thumbs up
You need to rake (special rake with 1/8" - 1/4" gap with floor) the surface while pouring. This would have gotten rid of both the bubbles as well as the color variation.
I assume the rake and or squeegee would have to be used fairly quickly after the poor. If you do it at the very end wouldn't it start to dry and there would be Spike holes?
I am not a mason but I have always been told and read that you cannot adhere new concrete to old even if you use a bonding adhesive. So what I would like to know is if pouring such a thin layer of concrete, will it adhere and whats keeping it from cracking if you drop something on it?
Previous scene. Oh cool he put shoes back on.... Next scene with no shoes and feet covered in concrete. Why???? Did you start mixing the bucket and decide to kick off your shoes?
its great to watch your videos, as you explain things. You may not get the results all watchers would like, but the process is key. Way to go! Doing a overlay is not a easy job for one person, yet you somehow managed to pull it off. 2-3 people needed..One mix, one to use a magic trowel/squeegee to mix the line patterns you are getting, and if you want to color it, someone to sprinkle the color powder. There are so many companies making overlays from super cheap to stupid expensive. I have tried about 6 brands to make samples, and they vary in 3 groups...some are just like this, one color putty mix, and some are more like a gray concrete that dries with some concrete characteristics in shades.
Great job. I'm looking into refinishing my garage and I'm not sure what's the best thing to do. It's very unlevel and has cracked a lot. So I'm debating to either bust it up and just pour an entire new floor or use that poly foam that lifts and levels out your concrete floor. But I will have to do all the repairs myself.
Been working with self levelling for 30 years clean buckets are essential if not more water is needed don’t try too do more than you can cover larger areas larger buckets are best even better have a hand mixing cleaning while you go 👍
I'd love to see more progress on your remodel :). Also, I like that you show where you failed, but then took what you learned to make something really cool.
For future furniture components give high strength grout a try. Its considerably stronger, may cost you far less & once you get the timing down you get a sense of when you can remove pieces from forms yet stil work the surfaces for say burnishing, carving, detailing etc. A very experienced boss told me about that when explaining how he cast all of these specialized pcs for a winery's venting system using custom cast pcs, it was very trick.
For all you DIY'rs, removing the trim is just one thing to remember. Depending on how much leveler you require, and then put your tile, wood, or what ever down ... dont forget that the floor just got taller and your door may now NOT fit. If you fall into that trap, please do yourself a favor and dont hang a hollow inside door that you may have to trim some from the bottom. Spend the extra few bucks and buy solid doors you can trim down if necessary.
Oh man - I felt those stress levels at the start! End result looks great and will pocket that advice of pouring into a second bucket to test before pouring!!
Shouldn't there be some sort of border tape on the sides, that keeps the concrete from binding to the walls? That way sound transmission to the walls is prohibited.
Will the primer etch into painted concrete? Hydronic floor but the builder used a regular concrete instead of gypsum so the floor isn't super flat. They carpeted the floor but I'm thinking vinyl panels. If it wasn't painted then I'd go with regular ceramic or stone tile for faster heat transfer.
Nice job and that’s exactly what it looks when a wave washes up and the sand joins together we’ll put and a little extra water makes a big difference and that’s a great idea pour into another bucket to check mix thanks
I've made the same messy mistake while helping some friends w their new house haha I freaked out instead and we tried to rent a concrete grinder 😆 thanks for this video! It made me feel better about the mistake and giving the product another shot on my own floors.
I have a small backyard with unevent brick blocks floor from the previous owner, can I put concrete blocks on the top of the brick floor without taking all the bricks out? I'm thinking to get the flooring molds then fill concrete in (or use your method)?
My floors in my whole house look like that. Ive spent days sanding the concrete!! Do you not need to remove all of that from the concrete first?? Someone help meee
You can't use self leveling this way as the final surface, it's just not strong enough. It will scratch, crumble and dust. You need something on top like boards, tiles, carpet or lino.
I have a garage floor would to do this to but am concerned about how well the finished floor will hold up to the weight of cars driving on it. Thinking of using a fiber-reinforced concrete mix or adding fiber-reinforced additive to self leveling mix. Thoughts or suggestions appreciated.
You need to find a product that the manufacturer recommends for use as an uncovered finish. Self levelers is supposed to be covered by flooring. It isn't strong enough for your garage.
I was watching and thought to myself... how funny would it be to leave the leveling compound bare and keep that as the floor. And then.. I got to the end of the video and am cracking up. Dude..
If you use a good product like ardex or comparable you absolutely could leave it as a finished surface! It will cost 3 times as much for the material however!
Can the self leveler concrete pour be used in outddor basketball court to make it smoother surface? Thanks for answer anyone? I have a basketball court and inwant to use it as tennis court as well
Super excited to see all of the changes to this house as this series progresses! That floor pattern is so organic. Really surprised by how much I like that! 🤩
Cement levelers don’t work on its own,you need to use the big throwell or a cement squiggy to spread it evenly and yes don’t need to mix more then you can handle
I recently resurfaced my garage with this stuff. My findings were similar, where the mix needed more water and I ruined the first could of pours. I ended up misting the wet concrete with water to even out the swirls. It went OK. I need to do another coat with these lessons learned, though.
Even after you added more water you still need more water and you must mix for 2 minutes. Also you do not need to prime when pouring over self leveler it will bond to itself.
I just had a total catastrophe doing self lever in my kitchen. You really need to be ready for anything and have all tools ready. Also don’t poor under your walls like this. Use spray foam to add a border. You need that space for expansion.
Run a 9 inch high speed angle grinder with a segmented diamond tool (floor grinder} over the leveler with the wave pattern, it semi polishes and burnishes the surface and leaves a unique circular pastern then apply a concrete sealer
You should have put the nylon on the knee before you even pour the concrete. It's called a plastic nylon. Is like a little square boxes. You roll it with the glue. You pour it on top but I sit 24 hours and then you do the concrete. There will be supplementing itself. You take a squeegee and it goes right out and then you do the headache. Clear quote, good advice.We do this all the time in manhattan , new york , good education , thank you
Never empty an entire bag into the water because youll alwaysbhet dry clumps. Mix 2/3 of a big and ensure all of the edges are scraped in, then add the final 1/3 once youve got a wet mix. Same when mixing plaster..
I’m gonna use this stuff to level a small part of my basement floor then put subfloor over top. It seems everyone says the mixing directions seem off. Not enough water. Can any pro out there tell me a good mix ratio for this product for a consistent pour and self level. Any help would be appreciated.
@@StonemanRocks south Louisiana climate (humid) barely had to add extra. But my niece in AZ had way different experience..had to add considerably more than I did. We had the same size area to do as well. And we both ended up pretty happy with results..
@@kimlewis5429 good deal glad it worked! The reason for the xtra water isnt so it takes longer to set up, its so that it flows or (self levels) better! What makes this stuff level itself is the shape of the silicon sand! Its more round so it rolls! More water = more space between the sand particles so more room to roll! You gotta watch it though too much water and it weakens it to a point its powdery the next day like any cement containing product, there is a line you can cross with too much water and your product becomes weaker ! Way too much water and its worthless! I live in new mexico so about as dry here as it gets! About like AZ.
@kimlewis5429 how much extra water did your nice use in AZ? I'll probably go with the Ardex brand so maybe this question is moot because this is a Quikrete pour. But I am in the Southern California desert area near Palm Springs
{scratching head} Isn't the adjacent floor Saltillo floor tile? If so, that is typically 1/2 thick tile. IF SO, the concrete is level to the adjacent concrete and not 1/2 lower ...and you made a big mistake. Nevermind what this will do to the base of the sheetrock that absorbed the water in the mix over time.
@@StonemanRocks All these types of materials do not dry... they hydrolize. If they dried, they would be power. Hydrolysis is the process of breaking down the concrete as it reacts with water. In this instance, the water content is high so that the leveling can occur. The water in the mix will absorb into the surrounding material and/or evaporate. The difference between absorption rate and evaporation rate determines the rate of breakdown in the concrete.… too fast, and it cracks… too slow, and it loses cohesion. Here, the difference in the rate of absorption of water into the cellulose in the sheetrock and evaporation in the air (as well as the process of hydrolysis) means that the edges of the leveling material will probably crack over-time. It is not the speed of of evaporation of absorption but the difference between the rates of hydrolysis. That is why preparation of the both surface and leveling material has so many variations that the process becomes based more on experience rather than simply a list of instructions. As a result, most experienced persons typically tape moisture resistant craft paper or plastic to the wall adjoining the floor leveling material.
@@joemoya9743 its not going to crack on the edges ! And by the way mr wizard the way it self levels is partially a function of the amount of water but also do in fact to the shape of the aggregate silica in the product because it is round therefore it rolls when it “flows” ! Without enough water though it stops flowing and you get high spots. Water or not you still have to work it as you pour it with a trowel rake something! Too much water just makes it powder after it dries . I have never seen it crack from too much water! Also there is a chemical reaction that makes it dry not just evaporation ! You can tell as it gets warm to the touch while drying!
@@StonemanRocks The chemical reaction you speak of is called hydrolysis. The rate of hydrolysis over the entire surface determines if it cracks or adheres properly. In this instance, if you want the leveling fluid to adhere or not crack, you want the evaporation of excess water to be the same through out the media. And, that will not happen if the rate of evaporation is slower or faster along the edges that are adjacent to the the sheet rock. How much of impact the the difference in absorption rate is determined by how much of the leveling fluid is touching the sheet rock. If it is very little, then the absorption rate into the sheet rock is also very little. This results in little chance of cracking. However, the video indicated he may have used as much as 1 inch of leveling fluid. And, that increases the chances of having problems along the edges. The good news is that self leveling uses lots of water and cement BINDER such as fluidizing adjuvant (also called superplasticizer designed to bind to latex primer and prevent delamination) and fine granulates (typically a sulfo-aluminous clinker and not silica since it is a quick setting mixture) to prevent shrinkage and cracking. The cement is typically Portland cement that contains Calcium Silicate and the major contributor to any potential cracking. Thus, the need for a cement binder. The key in making self leveling work is the proper amount of mixing of all ingredients applied to a homogeneous surface. And, sheet rock edges make the surface non-homogeneous. All this being said, it appears that he is using leveling fluid for a situation that should not have been done - at all. There was no floor height difference. He is comparing floor surface to foundation surface. He doesn't know the difference between flooring and concrete foundation. And, that is a fundamental problem.
Another thing I’ve seen are those spike shoes made to aerate your yard when you walk. Anyways you can wear them and walk on the concrete and the little holes they make will be filled back up.
Any cracking? I used this product in a hot climate and ended up with cracking. Perhaps I should have misted it with water and covered it with plastic while it cured.
O plus that product sucks and it has no compressive strength! You got to spend the money and buy the good stuff when it comes to self levelers! The more expensive products have more polymers mixed in and are worth every penny in my opinion!
I have been installing concrete microcement overlays for about 20 years and I can tell you that self levelers are without a doubt the one that takes the most experience and skill to pull off properly. Everyone thinks you can just dump and leave it like in this video. If for yourself and you dont care, then fine but for a paying customer this will never fly.
Those pour lines end up being ridges and youll get discoloration from pour to pour especially if your water content isnt the exact same from mix to mix.
You HAVE to use a gauge rake to pull it all even and then quickly smooth out with a trowel or magic trowel/squeegee to tie in your pour line and have to work FAST.
Every load must be mixed the exact same amount of water or youll get color shifts from each bucket.
Self levelers will also develop a bunch of tiny micro-cracks, no matter how well you prime and even if you use low water content.
Absolutely and having a spike roller to agitate and blend pours would have made a massive difference.
Facts
Also if you are getting microcracks are you wetting your surface before you pour? Maybe thats causing it!
I agree with Mojo jojo. In fact on larger projects we used a specialized machine that mixes and pumps the self levelling product while our guy used the gauge rakes and long handled trowel to break the surface tension and prevent ridges.
Another important part is prep work, that floor should of been cleaned with a grinder
this video should honestly be titled "how to mess up every single step of self levelling concrete"
😂
Thank you for showing the mistakes every DIYer is likely to encounter. This was very helpful.
Nice video. I used LevelQuik RS and the matching primer. It was my first time and I had a similar experience. After 12 bags I learned quite a lot:
The recipe on the bag makes a dry mix that doesn't flow enough to actually level. Especially in dry California.
I talked to a pro tile-layer who uses the same everyday and he uses a way way wetter consistency (like 20% more water), and no problems.
I'm usually skeptical of people who say "I never read the bag, always done it this way, my daddy taught me, blah blah", but he was right, even just a little more water made everything better. I could take my time mixing without worrying about it being too dry by the time I poured. And the lower viscosity made it flow so so so much better. I'm not one to deviate from manufacturer instructions, but since you had success with a wetter mix, I wanted to back your video up with my similar experience.
Last thing people should know is that it doesn't fair-out like caulk or wall compound does. You can only spread it so thin before it looses its cohesiveness and you're just rolling tiny balls of grit around. It's best if you put it on thick, all the way up to vertical walls. It's not so great for skimming over a shallow low spot. If you're covering it afterward you might not care about surface finish, but it will tend to break up and turn to dust where it's very thin.
Your mileage may vary! If someone disagrees with my method, that's fine, mix how you would like to! I'm just sharing what worked for me. That's what DIY UA-cam is all about!
Looking for a self leveler that emulsifies well when you mix. Willing to spend a little more on the right product. I plan to self level a floor and then put stain or a wash over it so need a self-leveling product that is good for that
Good that you showed problems that emerge when pouring by yourself. There are too much vids when you see perfectly done things in ideal scenarios
No spiked roller or spiked shoes?
It is very important to read directions. I used this as a complete beginner and had no issues. It worked perfectly, with one pour. I could tell on your first pour that not enough water had been added. It's supposed to be runny so that it will seek its own level, like water does. Also, it's not meant to be the finished floor so it may not hold up over time.
what would you put over it? would Skimstone work? or are you thinking a flooring like tile or planks?
seal the concrete and it is supposed to last longer then the house
@@UnsettlingDwarfbefore or after the leveler? May sound like a dumb question but in the instance we are watching this video the OG concrete was not properly sealed to begin with 😅
Try putting the premeasured amount of water in the bucket first.... then slowly add the required amount of self-level mix to the water as you're mixing. Also use a spiked paint roller on a pole. Either after pouring the entire floor or as you are pouring ....Run it back and forth across the entire floor will help pop out air bubbles as well as blending the different batches of mix together so you'll get a more consistent, level and even final smooth finish.
Learning is a frustrating process!! Good job! Great idea with the two buckets verification part...
Curious. How is the floor holding out? Did it crack or flake like some of these commenters said it would?
thanks for sharing the 'fail' portion.. that is the best lesson :D
I totally agree. That was the best part 👍
you mean the whole video? ....cuz that's the fail portion BTW
I have installed more than 2 million sq. ft of self levelling cementitious underlayment for rehabbing commercial buildings and a few residential projects. We usually shot blasted the floors with a Blastrac machine to mechanically etch the floor and to remove surface contaminants. We applied a latex bonding agent to the concrete to adhere the topping to the concrete substrate. Temperature is very critical for these materials, and we used ice cold water on hot days to slow down the material from flash setting. Our most commonly installed product was Ardex K-15 in foot traffic areas and Ardex K-500 where there was wheeled traffic.
Ardex is the absolute best of any self leveler i have ever used! You could drive a semi over that stuff when its dry!
By wheeled traffic are you talking vehicles i assume?
@@StonemanRocks At one time I was the largest user of Ardex in the country. I installed it all over New York City to rehab buildings. 80% of all construction in NYC is rehab of existing buildings.
@@jamesmorrison7847 Very impressive! I would have loved to work with you! Im sure I would have learned a lot of good nuggets of knowledge! My resume might not be quite as accomplished ,however, I think I could carry on a conversation with you over a cup of coffee about this topic! My experience is well rounded with a lot of commercial tenant development and new construction as well, movies, restaurants, hospitals, post offices ,custom homes , tract homes etc. not to mention probably 1000 shower/ bath remodels! I have used a lot of different self levelers in all kinds of different senarios. Ardex is by far the best!
Sounds like Ardex is the best product as far as ease of use. I'm going to spend a little bit more to avoid the clumping and too much fast drying for me to keep up with
Have you ever thought about consulting a pro, or even the manufacturer before putting out bad info like this? You could have had such a better time and better results by having a 5 minute call with someone who does this everyday.
For anyone watching this:
1. NEVER alter the water amount, just change products based on your environment.
2. Spending $100 on the right barrel, mixing drill, spreader, and smoother will result in better installation and results.
3. Although it’s self leveling, it needs to be smoothed or agitated using a spike roller to break the surface tension. This is a must.
4. This product is not meant as a wear layer, there are other products that can hold up to surface wear. Also, applying a penetrating sealer will not change the look, and protect against staining.
You can too add xtra water and it can work for a wear surface too! You just need to buy the good stuff with a high compressive strength and do the right prep on the existing surface! Im thinking you are a well intentioned keyboard cowboy but that you have limited or no flooring exp! No one calls a trowel a “spreader“ ! And what the hell is a “smoother” lol! Plus $100 isnt going to buy a drill that will stand up to the rigors of tile /stone installations overtime not where I live anyway!
I take that back my smoothers name is Dave!
It’s on the bag and would have taken 2 mins of googling for them to find the right answer. I’m still perplexed that they are fine spreading bad information for other home owners. Especially with something that is such a pain to fix later.
Experts are after perfection and perfection is costly.. he was after the imperfections, hence why he said he doesn't mind stains and he liked the patterns he got. Giving him the old rustic look..
It's always a good idea to make sure there's water in the bucket first...then poor the bag in thirds I to the bucket, while mixing and adding water. Round 2...you knocked it out of the PARK!! NICE!!
Thanks for sharing your learnings so that some of us can avoid the same mistakes. The two bucket tip is ace.
Why no skim coat roller rake? Handy. How many buckets did it take?
It as a trial and error extravaganza. The end was expert result. Thank you for your articulated clear explanation. Now I can move on with trial and error in my journey.
This surface will not wear nicely. SLC will not last uncovered. It just isn’t like real concrete, it will start to abrade and sand will come out of it. At that point it will wear very fast. Maybe if you’re always barefoot on it…
I would look into at least a surface hardener which doesn’t change the look but might keep this together longer.
Yeah, SLC suuuuucks for this kind of application.
He could do an epoxy topcoat though, right?
@@mileshh515 should work yes
Or do a skim coat of ardex! Cheaper by far than epoxy!
Wonder if it'd be good to do one quick read and then one coat of Ardex. I am not laying anything over that except stain or equivalent
On self leveling concrete, you do it backwards. Usually we pour concrete powder first before water. In self leveling we should put water in the bucket first then the concrete powder based on what it says in the packaging. In this way youll be able to eliminate the unmixed chunks in your bucket when you pour it down. But hey this is a really nice content. Kudos to you. You earned my subs. 4 thumbs up
You need to rake (special rake with 1/8" - 1/4" gap with floor) the surface while pouring. This would have gotten rid of both the bubbles as well as the color variation.
A trowel works too!
No you use a trowel and spike roller to roll the bubbles out at the end
@@davidshore4811u dont use no damn trowl!
I assume the rake and or squeegee would have to be used fairly quickly after the poor. If you do it at the very end wouldn't it start to dry and there would be Spike holes?
Do you have to do it bare feet when you apply the adhesive?
How come you don't use spike roller to spread and get rid off the bubble
Why would you want the concrete flooring flush with the tile instead of actually putting down tile, wood or carpet?
I am not a mason but I have always been told and read that you cannot adhere new concrete to old even if you use a bonding adhesive. So what I would like to know is if pouring such a thin layer of concrete, will it adhere and whats keeping it from cracking if you drop something on it?
Previous scene. Oh cool he put shoes back on.... Next scene with no shoes and feet covered in concrete. Why???? Did you start mixing the bucket and decide to kick off your shoes?
Odd video lol
its great to watch your videos, as you explain things. You may not get the results all watchers would like, but the process is key. Way to go!
Doing a overlay is not a easy job for one person, yet you somehow managed to pull it off. 2-3 people needed..One mix, one to use a magic trowel/squeegee to mix the line patterns you are getting, and if you want to color it, someone to sprinkle the color powder. There are so many companies making overlays from super cheap to stupid expensive. I have tried about 6 brands to make samples, and they vary in 3 groups...some are just like this, one color putty mix, and some are more like a gray concrete that dries with some concrete characteristics in shades.
Nice video, very informative. It's important to learn from mistakes, thank you for sharing!
Great job. I'm looking into refinishing my garage and I'm not sure what's the best thing to do. It's very unlevel and has cracked a lot. So I'm debating to either bust it up and just pour an entire new floor or use that poly foam that lifts and levels out your concrete floor. But I will have to do all the repairs myself.
Been working with self levelling for 30 years clean buckets are essential if not more water is needed don’t try too do more than you can cover larger areas larger buckets are best even better have a hand mixing cleaning while you go 👍
I'd love to see more progress on your remodel :). Also, I like that you show where you failed, but then took what you learned to make something really cool.
Would it be better to use more water and just wait longer for the dry time?
Great video. Warts and all. This gives me the confidence to do the same!
For future furniture components give high strength grout a try. Its considerably stronger, may cost you far less & once you get the timing down you get a sense of when you can remove pieces from forms yet stil work the surfaces for say burnishing, carving, detailing etc. A very experienced boss told me about that when explaining how he cast all of these specialized pcs for a winery's venting system using custom cast pcs, it was very trick.
Great video. Thank you for showing us your mistakes and workarounds.
They make matte concrete sealers with no gloss that will prevent things from soaking in.
For all you DIY'rs, removing the trim is just one thing to remember. Depending on how much leveler you require, and then put your tile, wood, or what ever down ... dont forget that the floor just got taller and your door may now NOT fit.
If you fall into that trap, please do yourself a favor and dont hang a hollow inside door that you may have to trim some from the bottom. Spend the extra few bucks and buy solid doors you can trim down if necessary.
may i asking what is the white stuff between cement and wood board (vedio time 8:53) thx for shareing
1 year later, how is holding on ? did it flake or anything similar ?
Great video and information 🙏🏽
How did a Self-Leveling mix end up uneven?
Oh man - I felt those stress levels at the start! End result looks great and will pocket that advice of pouring into a second bucket to test before pouring!!
I wanna do this. But I worry if I don’t do it right and have to repeat. How heavy is that. Will I have to reinforce my joists
Shouldn't there be some sort of border tape on the sides, that keeps the concrete from binding to the walls? That way sound transmission to the walls is prohibited.
Huh?
I never thought of that. Good catch. 👍
Yes, wondering the same thing what kind of caulk or foam can I use at the baseboards to prevent bleeding Beyond the Wall?
You need to move it around as you pour it to break the surface tension for a more smooth even finish
good tip!
Yes you do!
hi can you share thename of the material you used thank you great video
Nice Save Ben, hope your feet are ok.
Will the primer etch into painted concrete? Hydronic floor but the builder used a regular concrete instead of gypsum so the floor isn't super flat. They carpeted the floor but I'm thinking vinyl panels. If it wasn't painted then I'd go with regular ceramic or stone tile for faster heat transfer.
You were missing a very important tool , Its a roller that has spikes .That roller will take the bubbles out and blend the cement together.
Hey Ben. Have you had any issues with cracking issues since?
Nice job and that’s exactly what it looks when a wave washes up and the sand joins together we’ll put and a little extra water makes a big difference and that’s a great idea pour into another bucket to check mix thanks
I've made the same messy mistake while helping some friends w their new house haha I freaked out instead and we tried to rent a concrete grinder 😆 thanks for this video! It made me feel better about the mistake and giving the product another shot on my own floors.
Did it work on your floor?
I have a small backyard with unevent brick blocks floor from the previous owner, can I put concrete blocks on the top of the brick floor without taking all the bricks out? I'm thinking to get the flooring molds then fill concrete in (or use your method)?
Hello there, I’m a new subscriber! Can you tell me how many self-leveling bags in total you’ve used in that area? Thank you
My floors in my whole house look like that. Ive spent days sanding the concrete!! Do you not need to remove all of that from the concrete first?? Someone help meee
You mentioned your video sponsor Extra. I am interested and wanted to check out but could not find the link in description field.. please provide.
Can you use this method to fix cracked outdoor concrete patio?
You can't use self leveling this way as the final surface, it's just not strong enough. It will scratch, crumble and dust. You need something on top like boards, tiles, carpet or lino.
What if I use drylic wet look?
Instarnac is bullet proof.
I think you can if it's got fibres in it and is thick enough.
If you want to finish floor can you use a layer of Ardex over it? Or maybe Ardex for the entire project if starting with a really clean sanded floor
what kind of clear coat would you have put on the concrete? And also make sure it stay on?
I have a garage floor would to do this to but am concerned about how well the finished floor will hold up to the weight of cars driving on it. Thinking of using a fiber-reinforced concrete mix or adding fiber-reinforced additive to self leveling mix. Thoughts or suggestions appreciated.
You need to find a product that the manufacturer recommends for use as an uncovered finish. Self levelers is supposed to be covered by flooring. It isn't strong enough for your garage.
Great tips about the mixing, dry spots, and lumps.
I was watching and thought to myself... how funny would it be to leave the leveling compound bare and keep that as the floor. And then.. I got to the end of the video and am cracking up. Dude..
If you use a good product like ardex or comparable you absolutely could leave it as a finished surface! It will cost 3 times as much for the material however!
You could use it as a finish floor and acid stain it
Yay Ardex...would be worth every penny
So satisfying 💪🏽🇺🇸
A week later you returned to count how many cracks were visible right?
Great video. I really appreciate you showing the mistakes as well as the victory.
Can the self leveler concrete pour be used in outddor basketball court to make it smoother surface? Thanks for answer anyone? I have a basketball court and inwant to use it as tennis court as well
Super excited to see all of the changes to this house as this series progresses! That floor pattern is so organic. Really surprised by how much I like that! 🤩
Did I see that right did he self level the concrete upto the tile in the hallway
Cement levelers don’t work on its own,you need to use the big throwell or a cement squiggy to spread it evenly and yes don’t need to mix more then you can handle
Great tips! I was expecting a smoother finish though.
Shouldn't you remove the bottom inch or so of drywall too?
I recently resurfaced my garage with this stuff. My findings were similar, where the mix needed more water and I ruined the first could of pours. I ended up misting the wet concrete with water to even out the swirls. It went OK. I need to do another coat with these lessons learned, though.
How’s it holding up in your garage? I looking to do this in my garage but curious if it holds up to parking in it
@@NoName-be5ir It's held up well. No spalling or immediate signs of wear.
Even after you added more water you still need more water and you must mix for 2 minutes. Also you do not need to prime when pouring over self leveler it will bond to itself.
can you use a stamp roller
over it once it almost dry
No agitation of the floor leveller after spreading it. That wouldve taken care of the bubbles + make it even more level.
How thick should a concrete overlay over a wooden base be?
I just had a total catastrophe doing self lever in my kitchen. You really need to be ready for anything and have all tools ready. Also don’t poor under your walls like this. Use spray foam to add a border. You need that space for expansion.
What product do you recommend to seal at the baseboards to prevent bleeding under the wall?
How much water per bag did you use?
This is crazy how the video showed up in my feed. I was talking to my wife about this and Viola
Thank you so much your video helped me alot
Will this work on a patio?
Run a 9 inch high speed angle grinder with a segmented diamond tool (floor grinder} over the leveler with the wave pattern, it semi polishes and burnishes the surface and leaves a unique circular pastern then apply a concrete sealer
7:55 fruniture? not furniture?
You should have put the nylon on the knee before you even pour the concrete. It's called a plastic nylon. Is like a little square boxes. You roll it with the glue. You pour it on top but I sit 24 hours and then you do the concrete. There will be supplementing itself. You take a squeegee and it goes right out and then you do the headache. Clear quote, good advice.We do this all the time in manhattan , new york , good education , thank you
I feel bad for the chump that you flip this house to, this looks like 🔥🗑️. Also the gypsum wall board probably soaked up a lot of moisture.
Keyboard experts everywhere ! 😂😂😂😂
Never empty an entire bag into the water because youll alwaysbhet dry clumps. Mix 2/3 of a big and ensure all of the edges are scraped in, then add the final 1/3 once youve got a wet mix. Same when mixing plaster..
I’m gonna use this stuff to level a small part of my basement floor then put subfloor over top. It seems everyone says the mixing directions seem off. Not enough water. Can any pro out there tell me a good mix ratio for this product for a consistent pour and self level. Any help would be appreciated.
U want it like a thick milkshake
Need to think this through as many basements, garage floors and even open bathroom designs are purposely not even to direct water.
Nice job. The issue I always have with the self leveling is that you do add more water than you think. You really want it to flow.
Not too much though or you will weaken it and it will turn to dust!
@@StonemanRocks south Louisiana climate (humid) barely had to add extra. But my niece in AZ had way different experience..had to add considerably more than I did. We had the same size area to do as well. And we both ended up pretty happy with results..
@@kimlewis5429 good deal glad it worked! The reason for the xtra water isnt so it takes longer to set up, its so that it flows or (self levels) better! What makes this stuff level itself is the shape of the silicon sand! Its more round so it rolls! More water = more space between the sand particles so more room to roll! You gotta watch it though too much water and it weakens it to a point its powdery the next day like any cement containing product, there is a line you can cross with too much water and your product becomes weaker ! Way too much water and its worthless! I live in new mexico so about as dry here as it gets! About like AZ.
@@StonemanRocks all great info! Thanks for sharing!
@kimlewis5429 how much extra water did your nice use in AZ? I'll probably go with the Ardex brand so maybe this question is moot because this is a Quikrete pour. But I am in the Southern California desert area near Palm Springs
How long before you can walk on it
Can we use this method on cement plastered floor
What you mean by cement plastered floor exactly?
{scratching head} Isn't the adjacent floor Saltillo floor tile? If so, that is typically 1/2 thick tile. IF SO, the concrete is level to the adjacent concrete and not 1/2 lower ...and you made a big mistake. Nevermind what this will do to the base of the sheetrock that absorbed the water in the mix over time.
Nah it dries so fast it wont hurt the sheetrock!
@@StonemanRocks All these types of materials do not dry... they hydrolize. If they dried, they would be power. Hydrolysis is the process of breaking down the concrete as it reacts with water. In this instance, the water content is high so that the leveling can occur. The water in the mix will absorb into the surrounding material and/or evaporate. The difference between absorption rate and evaporation rate determines the rate of breakdown in the concrete.… too fast, and it cracks… too slow, and it loses cohesion. Here, the difference in the rate of absorption of water into the cellulose in the sheetrock and evaporation in the air (as well as the process of hydrolysis) means that the edges of the leveling material will probably crack over-time. It is not the speed of of evaporation of absorption but the difference between the rates of hydrolysis. That is why preparation of the both surface and leveling material has so many variations that the process becomes based more on experience rather than simply a list of instructions. As a result, most experienced persons typically tape moisture resistant craft paper or plastic to the wall adjoining the floor leveling material.
@@joemoya9743 you havent used much self leveler have you!
@@joemoya9743 its not going to crack on the edges ! And by the way mr wizard the way it self levels is partially a function of the amount of water but also do in fact to the shape of the aggregate silica in the product because it is round therefore it rolls when it “flows” ! Without enough water though it stops flowing and you get high spots. Water or not you still have to work it as you pour it with a trowel rake something! Too much water just makes it powder after it dries . I have never seen it crack from too much water! Also there is a chemical reaction that makes it dry not just evaporation ! You can tell as it gets warm to the touch while drying!
@@StonemanRocks The chemical reaction you speak of is called hydrolysis. The rate of hydrolysis over the entire surface determines if it cracks or adheres properly. In this instance, if you want the leveling fluid to adhere or not crack, you want the evaporation of excess water to be the same through out the media. And, that will not happen if the rate of evaporation is slower or faster along the edges that are adjacent to the the sheet rock.
How much of impact the the difference in absorption rate is determined by how much of the leveling fluid is touching the sheet rock. If it is very little, then the absorption rate into the sheet rock is also very little. This results in little chance of cracking. However, the video indicated he may have used as much as 1 inch of leveling fluid. And, that increases the chances of having problems along the edges.
The good news is that self leveling uses lots of water and cement BINDER such as fluidizing adjuvant (also called superplasticizer designed to bind to latex primer and prevent delamination) and fine granulates (typically a sulfo-aluminous clinker and not silica since it is a quick setting mixture) to prevent shrinkage and cracking. The cement is typically Portland cement that contains Calcium Silicate and the major contributor to any potential cracking. Thus, the need for a cement binder.
The key in making self leveling work is the proper amount of mixing of all ingredients applied to a homogeneous surface. And, sheet rock edges make the surface non-homogeneous.
All this being said, it appears that he is using leveling fluid for a situation that should not have been done - at all. There was no floor height difference. He is comparing floor surface to foundation surface. He doesn't know the difference between flooring and concrete foundation. And, that is a fundamental problem.
Helpful advisr, thanks
Nice video. Glad you figured out the process after a hiccup. Mahalo for sharing! : )
Another thing I’ve seen are those spike shoes made to aerate your yard when you walk. Anyways you can wear them and walk on the concrete and the little holes they make will be filled back up.
will try!
Golf shoes work too !
THIS VIDEO WAS SO HELPFUL! THANK YOU!!!
How thick can you pour self leveling
Any cracking? I used this product in a hot climate and ended up with cracking. Perhaps I should have misted it with water and covered it with plastic while it cured.
Yup 7:33
Did you mist your concrete first? If not thats prob why! Esp if it was a really hot day!
O plus that product sucks and it has no compressive strength! You got to spend the money and buy the good stuff when it comes to self levelers! The more expensive products have more polymers mixed in and are worth every penny in my opinion!
@@StonemanRocksI'm seeing that Ardex is good...I will be using mine as a finished floor..add stain and then sealer
Would love to see the final result
It’s best to have one person spinning the paddle as you slowly pour in the bag.
good tip!
Lol @ bucket tips by Joe!
I never imagined leaving self leveling cement uncovered.