levelling concrete floor

hazybubbles

We have just had a new kitchen fitted in a room with a concrete floor. The fitters were supposed to level the floor before installing it as one end is a good couple of inches lower than the other but they didn't bother and just installed the cabinets anyway! The cabinets are all straight and aligned to the higher end of the kitchen but obviously the floor needs to be sorted before we can put any kind of covering down.

How easy is this going to be to fix? Taking everything out again isnt really an option. Is levelling the floor something I could attempt myself or should I get someone in to do it?

phill99

Not a complex job, and can be done if you are feeling up to it. You certainly don't need to take all the units out. I've levelled a few floors with the units remaining.

First remove all the plinths (if they have been fitted).

You need to buy 'self levelling compound' from your local builders merchants. Ideally buy a levelling compound that contains latex as this will reduce any cracking. Give them the dimensions and they will work out how many bags you need.

You will need to buy a plaster mixer attachment for your drill (about £4.00) Again the builders merchants will have one. You will also need a big Yellow Mixing Bucket. (The kind of thing that builders use for a whole range of things on site. (Again BM will have them).

Ideally you need 2 people to do this job.

Follow the instructions on the bag. Water in first, slowly pour in the dry compound powder and mix slowly with the plaster mixing attachment in your drill (electric, not battery). Make sure it is on a slow seting or you will cover everything with grey powder! It should be mixed to the consistency of double cream - test by dipping your finger in. (Don't lick finger, though!), this is wheer you need two people - one to mix and one to pour the compound in.

Once mixed pour the liquid compound on the floor, starting at the point furthest away from the door! As it is self levelling, it will do exactly that - level itself. You wont need to trowle it. You may beed occasionally help it into corners etc with a plasterers float.

Repeat as necesary until the whole floor is done. You can normally walk on it after about 6 hours.

andyhop

hazybubbles wrote: »

We have just had a new kitchen fitted in a room with a concrete floor. The fitters were supposed to level the floor before installing it as one end is a good couple of inches lower than the other but they didn't bother and just installed the cabinets anyway! The cabinets are all straight and aligned to the higher end of the kitchen but obviously the floor needs to be sorted before we can put any kind of covering down.

How easy is this going to be to fix? Taking everything out again isnt really an option. Is levelling the floor something I could attempt myself or should I get someone in to do it?

As the floor is concrete you do not need a flexible compound so you can buy without latex

How big is the room and how much out of level is it?

Some SLC will do 50mm in one hit, Others will only do 10mm per go. Something like Weberflex can do 50mm per go and is about the cheapest at £11 per bag- enough to do 5sqm at 4mm thickness

andyhop

Spiked roller will also get the floor silky smooth ready for floor coverings

olias

Surely if you do this with the cabinets in place, then when you come to change the kitchen in the future you will have all the cabinet legs cemented into the floor? or am I missing something?

Olias

hardpressed

I need to get my floor levelled, don't think I can manage to do it my self, is it a job for a builder or a flooring man?

Ximian

Levelling a floor isn't too difficult. I am currently levelling a room and it has been a bit challenging since the floor has sunk in the middle of the room by as much as 40mm. I just finished the job today and I used Wickes deep base levelling compound and it has cost more than I anticipated, wish I had seen the Weber Flex product that andyhop mentioned above as I could have saved some cash.
It all depends on the state of the floor that you would like to level. If the existing floor is concrete, the floor will need to be prepared first with a PVA solution (I used 1 part PVA:4 parts water), then it's pretty much a case of mixing the self levelling compound and spreading it evenly.

It will need some gentle guiding with a trowel into the corners and other areas. The most important tips I can give is make sure you lay the compound quickly and in one application (if possible). Self levelling compound dries quick and if you do this on your own it's going to be slightly difficult to mix and spread and you might get slight bumps or lips where the fresh compound meets compound that has already started to dry. I highly recommend a whisk that you can attach to a drill for mixing, since time is important, the quicker you can mix and lay, the better.

Paul_the_Painter

I've been on the Amtico (sales) training course and spent an hour or 2 with the floor prep class. Interesting it was.

We are just about the only country to use latex screed

Most screed is laid incorrectly

A little while ago now (about 2 years) their reccomendation was.
To use foam/scraps of wood to protect doorways etc(building a sort of dam)

Work out how many bags of screed you need.

Use EXACTLY how much water it says on the bag (you will end up with a wetter mixture than you expect)

Use complete bags only - otherwise your proportions WILL be wrong

Pour screed into the room, pushing it into the corners, then using a spiked roller.

Leave it to dry

The results I saw were very convincing - being a few hundered millilitres out produced typical faults seen on many screeded floors (cracking/floaty scum etc)

hazybubbles

olias wrote: »

Surely if you do this with the cabinets in place, then when you come to change the kitchen in the future you will have all the cabinet legs cemented into the floor? or am I missing something?

Olias

this was something I was worried about too!

phill99

You don't put levelling compound under the units. You just go up to the front legs. And how often do you refit your kitchen?