dhutch
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 09:41 AM |
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Tidying up a old garage floor? - Self levaling skims?
Any one used a self levelling cement top on a somewhat aged garage slab?
I've acquired a garage with the current house which is a steel frame, steel clad affair, build on a concrete pad. Currently the floor is uneven,
with a few joins, and as far as I can tell doesn't contain any damp-proof membrane so anything left on it gets damp underneath.
I don't have the time/money/inclination anything superb but in my mind a half decent 1/2inch skim of waterproof self levelling concrete followed
up with two coats of garage floor paint would make the whole place far more manageable in terms of keeping the floor clean and using crawler boards,
trolley jacks, etc.
So I'm wondering if anyone else has done similar or is in the trade and can comment on this proposal.
My main fear is failure to adhere, leading to the new surface lifting off the old. Current surface is largely clean, with a few oil/paint patches.
Dont mine attacking it a little to provide a key if thats going to help.
Obviously if the slabs shift slightly there something will give, but i can accept formation of odd cracks but now whole scale breakup of the topping,
particularly as i'll be putting wieght on it from trolley jacks and axle stands, etc.
Daniel
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Confused but excited.
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 09:51 AM |
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I've just done the floor in my sister-in-law's concrete shed floor (she wants to use it as a utility room) thatw as pretty much in cack
condition same as yours.
All I did was clean the floor with brush then vac, brush coat wit a PVA/water mix 1:1, then next day floated a coat of runny 3:1 cement. Let it dry
for a couple of days, then painted with two coats of Screwfix floor paint.
Job done in the best Locost tradition.
[Edited on 22/8/11 by Confused but excited.]
Tell them about the bent treacle edges!
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TheGiantTribble
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 10:36 AM |
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Used self levaling in the conservatory, it had several different patchs of concrete none of which were leval.
Worked a treat and the Mrs was very happy, all good.
What I would say is don't try and be clever, mix exactly as it says on the back of the bag...don't try and be clever and go 'gosh
that's to runny to be any good lets add some more powder' it is meant to be that runny.
Think we can all guess how I know this
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Litemoth
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 11:03 AM |
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I think i'd tackle it in the following way:
* Hire and use a 'Scrabbler' to open up the existing surface and remove any loose bits. Clean floor down well afterwards
* Apply an SBR 'slurry' mix - this ensures bonding and waterproofing
* Render the floor with an SBR render - toughens the thin added layer and ensures bonding to the slurry layer.
The render mix can be a wettish mix - easily levelled with a float and darby (or a straight edge)
SBR is available in most builders merchants....
see:
LINKY
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bi22le
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 11:18 AM |
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Is this the same as screeding?
I did my kitchen recently, never done concrete or screeding before, certainly not my trade.
My advice is as above. Make sure it is really runny, nothing short of liquid. I used a Whikes liquid latex stuff and it worked a treat.
Other advice. Dont work it too much, let it settle itself. Certainly stread it about but if you keep working it it wont be even (I did this and have
slight up hill ness to the edges of the kitchen walls).
Use a large piece of wood baton to push it around, then just trust physics and gravity. I was very impressed with my finish. THe floor before hand was
many different cancrete bits, uneven and corse \ fine mixed.
Good luck, its a fun job with easy good quality results.
HTH
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
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jase380
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 02:11 PM |
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Got sick of painting mine so i got some cheap lino and put that down.... wont make it level but it looks ok !!
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bigfoot4616
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 06:18 PM |
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any self levelling i've used has had a max thickness of 10mm and isn't suitable as a top coat. i don't think it would last long in a
garage using jacks etc. on it. IMO you are wasting your time and money trying to do a quick fix
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dhutch
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 09:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Litemoth
I think i'd tackle it in the following way:
* Hire and use a 'Scrabbler' to open up the existing surface and remove any loose bits. Clean floor down well afterwards
* Apply an SBR 'slurry' mix - this ensures bonding and waterproofing
* Render the floor with an SBR render - toughens the thin added layer and ensures bonding to the slurry layer.
The render mix can be a wettish mix - easily levelled with a float and darby (or a straight edge)
SBR is available in most builders merchants....
see:
LINKY
Doesnt sound stupid. Im not against half a weekend and £100 at it if it will last 5 years.
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dhutch
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 09:27 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by bigfoot4616
any self levelling i've used has had a max thickness of 10mm and isn't suitable as a top coat. i don't think it would last long in a
garage using jacks etc. on it. IMO you are wasting your time and money trying to do a quick fix
I hear what your saying, and its why im asking about it, mainly as i dont want to make it worse.
However given that im not expecting to live here all my life and that a full job would be to take down the whole garage, take up five tonnes of
concreate, and start again making a new 20ft square slab with a proper DPM, and painting that anything will be some form of half way house.
Daniel
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NigeEss
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| posted on 22/8/11 at 10:47 PM |
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Try a latex based levelling compound, if you add sand to it can be used up to 20mm thick.
Had good results with it. Last job was to create an easily hosed down outside area for a pigsty.
Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so.................Douglas Adams.
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bigfoot4616
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| posted on 23/8/11 at 06:18 PM |
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just had a look through the ultra products that i use. looks like this might work for you
http://www.ultra-floor.co.uk/product.jsp?productID=23
never used it so not sure how good it is but generally there stuff is ok
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dhutch
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| posted on 25/8/11 at 03:20 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by bigfoot4616
just had a look through the ultra products that i use. looks like this might work for you
http://www.ultra-floor.co.uk/product.jsp?productID=23
never used it so not sure how good it is but generally there stuff is ok
Looks fairly promissing.
Datasheet quotes a compressive stenght of 35.0 N/mm2
If a kitcar weights 550kg, with a 65/35 spilt, on earth, i make that 3500newtons to lift the front end.
Divide that by 35 is 100mm2, two 20mm wide front wheels on a trolley jack, gives a 2.5mm long contact patch.
Thats not a million miles off is it really. Now i just need to wait till im home and can find out how much its cost....
Daniel
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