Procedure To Level A Concrete Floor
Concrete Floor is a type of floor that is formed of a fine concrete mixture containing gravel or crushed stone in order to provide a rough surface. Over time, the floor can become uneven due to moisture and cracking. In order to repair and level the concrete floor, the user needs to follow the below-given steps:
- Clear The Floor:
The first step will be to remove everything placed on a concrete floor such as furniture, appliances, carpet, etc. If there are any baseboards in the room, the user needs to remove them as well because, in the leveling process, the floor height will increase as well. The baseboards can be removed from the walls with the help of a scraper or metal putty knife. - Clean The Floor:
The next step after that will be to clean the entire floor first by scraping debris from the floor followed by vacuuming it. The metal scraper can be used to remove loose debris from the floor such as chipping concrete, tile, or old linoleum. The vacuum recommended for the process is shop-vac because a regular vacuum can get damaged with heavy debris and too much cement. - Fill In Large Cracks & Holes:
After that, the user needs to fill in large cracks and holes present on the concrete floor by filling them up with concrete filler and sealer. In order to fill in the holes and cracks, the user needs to stick the nozzle of concrete filler bottle inside the crack and fill in the entire crack by squeezing filler from the bottle. Also, the user can press the filler inside the crack with a trowel. After that, the user needs to wait until the filler dries inside the crack before proceeding forward. - Mark High & Low Spots:
The next step after that will be to mark down high and low spots on the concrete floor with chalk. The high spots can be marked with X sign and the low spots can be marked with O sign or any other sign which the user can remember. It has been recommended by the experts to sweep over the concrete floor with a carpenter’s level in order to determine the missed deviations. - Grind Down High Spots:
After that, the user needs to grind down high spots from the entire concrete floor by using a grinder. Before starting this step, it has been recommended by the experts to wear a face mask and eye protection because the dust coming out of the grinder can be very harmful. Once ready with the protected gear, the user needs to start grinder and place it over each high spots one by one in order to grind them down. After the user grinds down all high spots, he needs to vacuum floor again with shop-vac. - Apply Concrete Leveler Primer:
The next step after that will be to apply a concrete leveler primer over the entire floor by using a soft -bristle push broom. The user needs to spread the primer by applying downward pressure on to the broom during work. The user needs to make sure that he applies the primer with an even coat without leaving any puddles behind. The user can also apply the primer on to the concrete floor with a long-handled paint roller but for that, he needs to fill the paint tray with primer first. Once the entire concrete floor is primed, it should be allowed to dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding to the next step. - Prepare Concrete Leveler Compound:
Once the concrete leveler primer dries, the user needs to prepare a concrete leveler compound by mixing water & a bag of concrete leveler in a 5-gallon bucket. The water should be mixed as per the instructions on the label and for thorough mixing, use a mixing paddle drill until the compound is even consistency. The user need not to mix more than one bag of concrete leveler at a time because it sets within 15-30 minutes. - Spread Concrete Leveler Compound On The Floor:
Once the mixture is ready, the user needs to pour it on the concrete floor followed by spreading it up with a long-handled squeegee. The user needs to make sure that he coats the floor evenly by pushing and pulling the concrete compound over the floor with a squeegee. Apart from that, it is necessary for the user to reach out each corner and edges of the floor. - Let The Compound Dry:
The last step in the process will be to let the concrete leveler compound on the floor dry completely as per the manufacturer's instructions. Most of the compounds dry within 4 hours to be walked on and gets fully dry within 24 hours. The drying time also depends upon the humidity and temperature of the room.