Floor Leveling: Why It Makes Sense to Have It Done by a Professional
Concrete floors can over time settle unevenly, causing a few noticeable bumps or dips in the surface. They can also develop cracks where moisture can seep in and eventually cause an even bigger degradation of the floor surface. Of course, these cracks, bumps and dips on the floor have to be repaired if you want to preserve the long-term value of your home or building. Then again, these cracks, bumps and dips also have to go even if you just want to enhance the appearance of your floor by having it tiled, marbled, carpeted or covered in expensive hardwood. After all, you would be needing a level surface to work on where you can install your final floor covering or finishing.
Leveling concrete floors using self-leveling concrete is not a difficult job, but only if you have the proper tools and you know the proper techniques for getting it done correctly. Otherwise, you could just aggravate the unevenness of your floor surface. Self-leveling concrete, despite the name, won’t level itself out unless helped. It has to be poured carefully to cover the entire floor at a depth of not more than ¼ inch. It also needs to be carefully mixed to the right consistency and the right viscosity before pouring. Take note that if you pour too fast, bubbles may form and harden in the mixture. Once poured, you can use a gauge rake to spread the quick drying concrete evenly, then a steel smoother, trowel or squeegee to break any tension on the surface and to fill in the depressions or marks left by the rake tines. Remember that you only have about 10 to 20 minutes to mix, pour and spread out evenly the quick-drying self- leveling compound on the floor surface.
Another very important thing to keep in mind if you want to do the job yourself is that self-leveling concrete will not really provide stability to the sub-floor beneath. If there are any obviously low spots and deep cracks in the sub-floor, they have to be filled-in first with a concrete repair mix before applying the self-leveling compound. Also, the concrete sub-floor have to be smooth, spotlessly clean and free of grease, oil, concrete or wood dust and chips or any other solid debris and it has to be thoroughly dried before finally pouring in the self-leveling compound. Otherwise, you could eventually end up with a floor that not only have bumps, dips and cracks but also more problematic crater holes.
If you want to avoid the risk of having to pay more because you need to rectify a botched-up DIY project, you can just hire a professional to get the job done right the first time around. At Garpy, we delve into all the details discussed above. We begin by cleaning the surface with a vacuum and a light sponging. Next, we apply a primer based on the porous nature of the surface. Once the primer is dry and the surface ready, we proportionately mix and pour out the self-leveling compound, keeping in mind the highs and lows in the surface. Our process is completed with required finishing touches like troweling the edges. We have been in the business long enough to understand that nothing sells like quality and efficiency. And all our projects are bonded and insured to keep you from stress and worries while the project is underway.
