just got a new house and i want to sort the garage before i have to move the car in there.
the floor is concrete. its quite dusty but also its not flat (its level but not smooth)
i was looking at latex self leveling stuff from wickes b&q etc but is this any good and is it just a case of mix it up, throw it on the floor and
spread it out?
is it the best way to do it and can i do it cheaper?
i know i could do it cheaper cementing it but it will probably end up worse than it is now.
garage is 5M * 2.5M
Latex self levelling compound is great and will do the trick in some respects.
However, it's not as simple as just pouring it on the floor. You need to run a float trowel over it as you apply it to get it roughly level.
Take care when mixing it, not to get too much air into it, otherwise it will be frothy, and the little bubbles will burst as it sets, leaving you with
lots of tiny pock marks.
You also need to be very careful when mixing it, too thick and it won't self level, too thin and it'll run out the doors!
Finally, you'll need to sand it back a bit when finished and then chuck some paint over it (it's not a finished surface, so will need
protecting from stains, solvents etc).
Oh, and you can probably save yourself quite a bit of cash on the materials if you avoid the big DIY sheds and order from a flooring company.
HTH
Mike
yeah i was expecting to have to spread it.
it will be painted with epoxy floor paint so that side is fine.
im going to block off the door with a batten so is it better to mix it up wetter?
also, where is the bect place to get it?
Thanks
I'm not sure that you could put the latex stuff on thick enough to level a concrete floor that hasn't been topped. When I used to level my
floor in the house before laying wood floor, it said that it shouldn't be more than 4mm thick.
It would be better to get it topped with sand & cement, would probably not work out much more expensive than doing it yourself with self leveling
as that is expensive.
[Edited on 8/9/09 by andy350z]
Have you got some carpet in the new house that you are going to change? Layer (or even 2) of that on the floor of the garage might take out enough of
the undulations, and makes it much warmer and nicer to work in...
Chris
Sorry, was totally in work mode then.
TBH, I'd be looking at putting some rubber flooring down. I've got these tiles laid in mine:-
Passenger Side
which are brilliant. They absorb noise, are easily wiped down, anything you drop tends to stop quickly rather than rolling away. Then there is the
comfort factor of kneeling on the rubber, rather than the concrete.
Mike
Having just done mine, i used b&q's own leveling compound, i used 2 x 25g bags to do an area a little bit bigger than yours at about 4-5 mm
depth.
The instructions say 5L water per 25Kg but its not enough. use about 5.75 L per 25Kg and it will flow smoothly.
You will probably still need to flatten the trowel ridges out before 2 coats of paint.
Its not as hard as a proper screed but you need more depth to put a screed down.
Roger
ive looked at those before but think i would need to level it first anyway due to the ridges.
where did you get them from and how much?
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
Sorry, was totally in work mode then.
TBH, I'd be looking at putting some rubber flooring down. I've got these tiles laid in mine:-
Passenger Side
which are brilliant. They absorb noise, are easily wiped down, anything you drop tends to stop quickly rather than rolling away. Then there is the comfort factor of kneeling on the rubber, rather than the concrete.
Mike
thats the one i was looking at as its cheapest.
two bags were enough? i worked it out as 3.5 bags minimum to do the garage at that depth.
how much did you have to trowel it? any tips?
quote:
Originally posted by rgrs
Having just done mine, i used b&q's own leveling compound, i used 2 x 25g bags to do an area a little bit bigger than yours at about 4-5 mm depth.
The instructions say 5L water per 25Kg but its not enough. use about 5.75 L per 25Kg and it will flow smoothly.
You will probably still need to flatten the trowel ridges out before 2 coats of paint.
Its not as hard as a proper screed but you need more depth to put a screed down.
Roger
Don't use a latex levelling Compound! Mine is still crumbling after several years and an epoxy paint on top. Just not up to the job in a garage (even parking a car on it, it rips up when the car is later moved).
The secret to using a self levelling compound is--
Make sure that you remove all loose material first.Hoover the floor.Mix up the compound as instructed. Pour a weak solution of diluted PVA wash prior
to applying the compound.Apply the compound ,spreading with a STEEL trowel.Dont overtrowel.If you get it right,you wont need to sand it down prior to
painting.
Ive used this system on Industrial floors with great results
my other thaught was using wood.
what about something like this
linky
it will be painted with epoxy / pu paint anyway so wont absorb anything, is it doable? alsmo means your not stood on a hard concrete floor.
maybe pup a membrane under it but screw it into the floor?
[Edited on 8/9/09 by dan__wright]
Some where I got a post about this company that supplies this sort of stuff. It was roof sealer .....
http://www.polycoteuk.com/home.asp?nid=418&pid=1
[Edited on 8-9-09 by mangogrooveworkshop]
feck thats expensive!
quote:
Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop
Some where I got a post about this company that supplies this sort of stuff. It was roof sealer .....
http://www.polycoteuk.com/home.asp?nid=418&pid=1
[Edited on 8-9-09 by mangogrooveworkshop]
quote:
Originally posted by dan__wright
my other thaught was using wood.
what about something like this linky
it will be painted with epoxy / pu paint anyway so wont absorb anything, is it doable? alsmo means your not stood on a hard concrete floor.
maybe pup a membrane under it but screw it into the floor?
quote:
Originally posted by dan__wright
quote:
Originally posted by dan__wright
my other thaught was using wood.
what about something like this linky
it will be painted with epoxy / pu paint anyway so wont absorb anything, is it doable? alsmo means your not stood on a hard concrete floor.
maybe pup a membrane under it but screw it into the floor?
any thought on this?
Latex levelling in my experience, works well, but not for any length of time. It's been a great 'bodge' for setting up the chassis and
car, it certainly floats out level. You can't drag a decent jack across it, move an engine hoist, or basically impact the surface at all.
It's NOT durable. Hot A048's and (especially) slicks just tore it off in chunks.
Eventually I dug up the floor (a pit appeared at the same time...... funny that - and yes, before any of the nannies start up, I did check angle
compliance from the footings), and poured a level concrete floor. Polished with a rotary float. In fact, so polished that floor paint won't
stick to it.
quote:
Originally posted by Guinness
TBH, I'd be looking at putting some rubber flooring down. I've got these tiles laid in mine:-
which are brilliant. They absorb noise, are easily wiped down, anything you drop tends to stop quickly rather than rolling away. Then there is the comfort factor of kneeling on the rubber, rather than the concrete.