QA

How To Use Self Leveler

Can you use self leveler on plywood?

If you’ve got a plywood subfloor, like many buildings do, you can leave it in place and apply self-leveling concrete directly on top of it. You can also use self-leveling concrete on plywood as an underlayment for other types of floor coverings, such as carpet or tile.

When should I use self-leveling concrete?

Self-leveling concrete can be useful when cracking, pitting and splitting can’t be fixed using traditional concrete patching compounds. It can also be used to smooth uneven or flat spots on concrete surfaces that aren’t severe enough to warrant mudjacking or total concrete replacement.

Do I need to prime floor before self-levelling?

Wood floors need to be primed before covering them with self leveler. The floor will be covered with water-saturated leveler, which will cause the wood to swell. It will shrink back down when it dries, which could cause cracks in the underlayment and tiles above. The primer prevents the wood from absorbing water.

Will Self leveling concrete crack?

It will cost you but, as always, you get what you pay for. A DIY self-levelling cement job might look good for a few months, maybe even a couple years. But if it’s not done properly, eventually it can start to crack. If your floors move or bounce, that cement can crack, too.

Can I use self leveler on OSB?

LevelQuik® Advance™ SLU is a high flow, high strength, fiber reinforced calcium aluminate cement based, self-leveling underlayment that eliminates the need for reinforcing lath over plywood and OSB on interior wood framed subfloors.

How thick can you lay self-leveling compound?

Larsen’s Self Levelling Compound is a more traditional levelling compound. Suitable for use on most common subfloors such as sand/cement screeds or concrete. It has high flow properties making it ideal for smoothing. It can be laid up to 6mm in depth.

How much does a 50 lb bag of self leveler cover?

Coverage: One 50 Lb. bag will cover approximately 40 Sq. Ft. at 1/8 In.

Can you walk on self-leveling compound?

Let the Concrete Leveller Dry Most concrete floor levelling compounds dry quickly, so they can be walked on after just 4 hours, drying fully after 24 hours. You can then install other types of flooring on top of concrete flooring after this stage.

Do you need to seal concrete before using floor Levelling compound?

It is recommended that the concrete surface is primed with a primer before applying the leveling compound. This is meant not only to improve adhesion with the leveling compound but also to serve to seal the concrete slab beneath.

How much water does a self leveler need?

Use approximately 5 quarts (4.7 L) of clean potable water per 50 lb (22.6 kg) bag of either product. Adjust water as needed to achieve a self-leveling consistency. Higher water contents can cause separation, reduction of strength and shrinkage of the cured resurfacer.

How thin can you go with self-leveling concrete?

Concrete typically needs to be a few inches thick but self leveler can be as thin as 1/16 inch. Crack resistant even when poured in thin layers.

How long before you can walk on self leveling cement?

Do not walk on the resurfaced floor until it has fully gained sufficient strength. This is approximately 1 to 2 days for the Normal Set product or 2 to 4 hours for the Fast Set product, depending on surrounding conditions. No special curing steps are required.

How long before you can walk on self-leveling compound?

It’s suitable for foot traffic in 30 minutes and ready to tile onto in 45 minutes. Sealed coverings such as vinyl can be laid on top of the surface just 90 minutes after application.

What happens if you don’t prime before self-leveling?

Self-leveling underlayments require the use of a primer prior to installation (like the TEC Multipurpose Primer). Failure to use product recommended primer may result in installation failure. Primer retains the moisture within the self-leveling underlayment to allow proper curing.

Do I need to PVA before self-levelling?

No to the PVA, but wet the floor first before using the self leveling compound, be warned it’s not self leveling you have to trowel it level.

Does self-leveling compound need primer?

All of the self leveling cements require that you buy bottles of primer as well to coat your floor with prior to pouring the concrete. It is a rule but it’s only applicable if you’re pouring cement onto cement. If you have a non porous surface as your base primer isn’t crucial.

Can you pour self-leveling concrete over existing concrete?

You can level an existing concrete floor with a leveling layer of new concrete, but you must prepare the old concrete floor first. Neglecting to prepare the old surface will prevent the new concrete from adhering correctly, resulting in a weak bond between the two layers.

How long do you leave self-leveling compound to dry?

Normal-drying compounds For normal-drying self-levelling compounds, a general rule for estimating the drying time is one day per mm of thickness.

What happens if you add too much water to self-leveling concrete?

When excess water is used in cement-based mortars, grouts, levelers or patches, it increases spacing between the molecules of the mixture and stops the fingers from interlocking tightly, weakening the cement. This can lead to shrinkage cracks, along with decreased flexural and tensile strengths.

Can self-leveling compound be used on particle board?

if a lot of movement is expected then a more flexible compound should be used. by “floor leveller” I presume you mean a self leveling compound. no water based compound should be applied directly to “chipboard” as any consequential swelling causes a break down of the compound bond.