😬 3 Things YOU NEED to know before! 😬 SELF LEVELING concrete! How to do it yourself or pay SOMEBODY

[@mbconversions600]

I have done quite a bit of work with self levelling compound and have on occasions done 30 X 25kg bags settings on my own with a glass flat finish . It definitely takes the know how to do a floor of this size though the key to the success is most definitely preparation preparation preparation! Here's the method I have used and has never let me down , I have seen the mistakes that can be made and how badly it can go and these are the steps I use for a big floor , I choose to work by myself on all of these steps to prevent any dirt/Dust moving around or being walked in and out of the space and the only time someone else helps is if needed to help pour the bags in the mix , make sure they are clean and have clean shoes and stay out of the room if possible . If any dirt gets walked onto the PVA it will result in the levelling compound bubbling and leave a poor finish . - sweep and hoover the floor - hoover the floor again 3 times - once you think the floor is spotless and dustfree , hoover it again 2X more times . This is your best friend for a good finish. - if self levelling onto concrete use a PVA at a strength of 4 parts water 1 part PVA 24hours Prior to pour. - if self levelling onto a smooth surface like old quarry tiles etc I use a plasterers pregrit followed by a PVA coat as above to give it a better key Before pouring - I mix up the levelling compound in a new 100liter black round dustbin 5 bags per mix . The bin at this point weighs about 120kg so this is hard graft manoeuvring it around and care must be taken . - prepare your water and bags for ALL mixes before mixing anything. If I know I have 25 bags to mix I will set them around the room in lines of 5. All bags are to be sat up straight, rip the tops off all the bags and line them up along with a bucket of your required water amount per 5 bags. So at this point you have 5 sets of 5 bags at different points of the room with 5 buckets of water. All the bags are open completely at the top so as you are moving around the room mixing you only have to lift the bag and pour into the bin, saves a lot of time and stops any rushing when mixing as that is when you will make a mistake for sure . The floor must be freshly PVA'd for the second time and start mixing as it goes tacky. By this time you should have your lowest points of the room worked out which is where you will pour 1st and also your exit trail out of the room needs to be thought about. - when mixing be careful not too over mix and to mix correctly ( easier said than done , but this is what works for me ) When pouring the levelling compound in, I have just the head of the mixer on full blast in the water and pour the powder directly onto the mixer head, throw at least 3 bags in this way before plunging down into the bin. The last 2 bags again keep the mixer head towards the top of the mix before plunging down to the bottom. This whole mixing process should only take 2-3minutes max until you get a thick creamy consistency as opposed to a watery mix. If your mix takes 5min+ you've failed and overmixed and it will go off quicker resulting in lines in your pour, or a full bin of solid leveller which can happen very quickly. -Pour as much out of the bin tipping it forward and moving left and right , - I trowel the self levelling compound into the corners with care and run the 16" plasterers trowel back and forth as if I were flattening a freshly plastered skim coat . I repeat this process moving back out of the room so not too stand on any of the floor. When troweling it you shouldn't be scraping the concrete you are just trying to level the compound ontop so long smooth gentle sweeps across does a better job. Half way through I go over it back and forward with a spiked roller . Continue untill you get out of the room and you should have a perfectly level floor that is as smooth as glass. A couple of points to be ware of, This size levelling will need at least 2-3 men if doing in temps above 16° c But can be done by 1 person during the colder months . When using 3 people, 1 mixing 1 trowelling and 1 pouring/spike rolling. I wouldn't risk doing more than 5mixes in one floor pour so you will have to either seperate sections and infill once dry or multiply the number of bins/people used.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Great explanation deserves to be pinned to the top

[@mbconversions600]

@@TheCrazyRomanian awesome

[@raybahadur6555]

Thankyou for your advice, can I ask a question, I'm underfloor heating my ground-floor, half is concrete and have is timber floor. On my timber floor I have 23mm floorboards all screwed down and ont top of that I have glued and screwed down a 6mm ply and onto of that I will be put pro plus plastic panels which are 15mm depth. The manufacturers are saying just put 18mm self level compound on top of that and that will be ok. I'm worried about screening a timber floor. Also the company thats going too screed it they said it won't be bang on level is that the case or should I insist it has too be bang on level

[@lauraperez2875]

Sr you should make a video cause that sounds perfect lol

[@joesanchez7920]

Van this be done on wood floors? Thanks

[@victorvek5227]

(A) rent a mixer (B) use an industrial floor squeegee to spread the product uniformly (C) some areas will require more than 1 layer (D) use spikes on your footwear! (E) invest in a porcupine roller to break surface tension as product is curing Pouring one bucket at a time and relying on gravity alone is a user error. Tools make everything go easier.

[@anthonypierre2094]

It's pretty simple 😆 all he needed was the squeegee. Also if your doing tile over this it the spots won't affect the tiles or even hard wood floors.

[@brendanpotash]

THANK YOU for pointing out the downside of leveling larger areas DYI. I’ve placed concrete floors in a few dozen residences and this clearly describes the specific technical limitations. Small batch mixing of concrete gives wildly INCONSISTENT RESULTS. An electric concrete mixer is the only way to mix enough volume to get a level floor. A Bull Trowel on a pole and a Float Trowel are needed as well. You are very kind to have made the effort to make and post this truthful information.

[@stronghumantraining]

I love the honesty with this video! I’m so tired of “DIY” put on everything, and then it turns out bad because it wasn’t as easy as they made it seem.

[@Lolatyou332]

Except a lot of the time is is as easy as it is made to be, the problem is that usually only dumb people do it, fail at it, then blame it on the product or that the process isn't 'easy' enough. Like bro, this is literally just pouring some concrete onto the ground and pushing it around for a couple of minutes, how difficult can it be?

[@alexanderkapsiotis8050]

@@Lolatyou332 the preparation is the neat/tricky part. Not the pouring.

[@unrelentingchemistry6877]

We need more people like you just keeping it real

[@319isthename]

‘Perfection is not necessarily necessary’… thanks, that’s my lesson for today

[@jiml5837]

I totally agree, and it is even more challenging if you pour over plywood subfloor that pulls moisture from the mix. A tip is to use the coldest water you can, as that gives more time and better flowing.

[@monk1100]

So a winter job

[@gredystar8333]

Uuuh. If your plywood is absorbing a lot of moisture from your mix, it means it isn't properly primed. You NEED to use a primer designed for use in plywood and follow the manufacturer's instructions on how much to use.

[@jiml5837]

@@gredystar8333 I did use the primer that was recommended by the manufacturer but maybe I needed 2 coats? The mistake I think that hurt me was turning both taps on to speed up filling the plastic garbage pail I was using to mix as the luke warm water caused the cure time to be quicker. Maybe it is the insulative properties of the plywood as opposed to cement which pulls heat out and slows the cure time?

[@brad7141]

remember he said you need 3 of your "Best" friends. I used 3 of my normal friends and they didn't mix well.. now i got a floor with 3 large lumps in the middle.

[@eclipseflooringdaz1656]

😂😂😂😂

[@dangerboy808]

Haha nice

[@vanquish0719]

Critical points. We need to all highlight "best".

[@marcusgamerpro6629]

lol

[@Cybertruck1000]

Need smaller friends next time

[@TimKollat]

I've been concrete resurfacing for 20 years and self levelers take a certain know how/skill all of their own...you need to be fast fast...fast! You need someone mixing, another pouring and spreading..if you just pour out of bucket and don't gauge rake and spread it, back roll with spike roller,, it will look just like this. It has to be spread evenly with gauge rake then quickly smoothed..all within roughly 5 min of pouring from bucket. (When the bag says you have 20 min working time, that is a joke) Pour lines will happen if mix sits on floor for more than 5 min or so before next pour is placed...gotta be fast

[@Odo-so8pj]

The dude didn't measure out properly. He poured it then sat looking at it. While his mate was looking at him instead of mixing the next lot and getting raking. With no masks either

[@Odo-so8pj]

Saying that I might end up doing it my self my floor is all over the place and we can't get workmen in as there's a huge shortage of professionals.

[@breakoutentertainmenthq8192]

@@Odo-so8pj this guy took the word "self leveling" literally, if he look up any video people are always raking it to help the material spread around. I honestly think he didn't do enough research upon using the product

[@mousecat9398]

it looked like pish water...i pump the stuff day in day out and hippo mix and lay, we do finshed polished 10-15mm 0verlays and like you say its a skill you need to be fast and acurate...

[@bradleyb.425]

Squeegee ONLY the very top level. Do NOT attempt to dredge up anything from below the surface because self-leveller dries faster under the surface and has already partially solidified. If you attempt to squeegee below the surface you'll bring up solidifying chunks that you can't address until after it dries.

[@AytuncMatrac]

We need more dudes like this. Great work.

[@cmasters007]

I did it by my self and it came out perfect. first time i did it. 33 five gallon buckets.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

thats the trick

[@martinlaurel2262]

We use a team of four, using 55 galon barel as mixing bucket than pump it with small sewage pump with speed controller to a 1" reinforced hose than spill it to floor. 1 person job to spill, 1 to rake it so fast to prevent bubble , 1 to dump SL concrete to mixer and 1 to mix to good consistency. Prep is the most excruating job, and time consuming one. For primer as good bonding agent using PVA 1:4-5 depend on ambient temp and humidity. Average daily we can cover 1000-1200 sqm. Replacing hose every 8000-10k sqm.

[@jamesroyce4455]

Complicated? get a garden hose or a bucket of water, make puddles on slab(LOW SPOTS). wait 5 minutes. take crayon draw around edges of puddles or low spots. break open a bag of floor leveler. I like Feather-lite: make a mix, with a flat trowel, inside each crayon area or low spot add water with a sponge little at a time, like a milk shake not like water!!!! feather to edge. of mark. if you have deep spots you want to fill: Drywall screws or nails are great leveling points. pour to desired height of nail or screws. 😎

[@dionng77]

You're the boss!

[@simonflint5303]

Thanks for this video - the tips were super in warning me of the pitfalls. I completely agree with several comments that you made - 1) You need an assistant to mix the product speedily, preferably two assistants for large quantities. 2) Indeed, self levelling concrete/cement is generally not a 'finished surface' because the individual buckets poured have variations in colour and cloudiness, so it will generally always require some kind of finish to make it look pretty and also 3) There will likely be small air bubbles that have to be filled afterwards with a suitable product. NOW HAVING AGREED WITH YOU... I also have to add that this is a very simple DIY process in my opinion. I used DINGO SELF LEVELLING CEMENT and it was absolutely fantastic and easy to use. The polymers in any self levelling cement also make it stick to a surface very very well compared to unenhanced cement/concrete.

[@MAGAMAN]

For a small area, it's really easy. Mix with a little more water than recommended (good tips in the comments on the HD web site). Mix for the recommended time and then pour. Immediately move the mixture around with something to break the tension and move the liquid into the corners. I basically moved it all around a bit with a float to break the surface tension. That was all. After it dried, I put a level on it and it was flat. I was able to find a couple sport that were maybe 1/16th of an inch out of level, which is not going to be a problem in any situation.

[@georgedrenes8143]

Thank you so much for the reality check regarding this job. I'm in the process of finishing my rough basement and, due to a water event, I now have a level problem that I need to address. Still thinking about how to correct it so I can eventually put down some electric radiant heat under LVP flooring.

[@lockpickingvlad]

I totally agree with you. Try using spike roller to spread the mixture after it’s poured

[@thompsonhandymanservices6088]

The guy standing there watching you pour the concrete should have been mixing another bucket or two or three buckets. Then you blame the manufacturer? It's just not being applied properly...IJS

[@gerardoytu1]

You can do a second layer, even a third layer. That will get rid of most of these problems.

[@KTRACHO9000]

Saying and showing the truth is always the best way to help each other’s, thank you for share your experience with us!

[@melissamarie4358]

You dont just pour and go... you still have to spread it manually

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Self leveling you just pour and go...

[@melissamarie4358]

@@TheCrazyRomanian see how well that worked out 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[@aldozilli1293]

Why didn't you use a cement mixer?

[@Jutilaje]

@@TheCrazyRomanian you really don't though. Lol. I've poured 50+ floors with self leveling compound. You're right that the bigger the mix, the easier it is - we used a 30 gallon barrel with 3 bags per barrel and 2 guys to flip it over onto the floor, but then you've got to spread it with a concrete rake (kinda like a squeegee) into all the corners/etc, and more importantly (the reason why you got all the splotches) is that you need to mix the pour together at the edges. We typically blended at LEAST 2-3ft into the edge in each direction between pours, but even better is if you mix large areas together, raking it back and forth. So if your pour results in a 10ft square, you'd pour 2 10ft square, so you end up with a 10x20 rectangle and then mix from the middle of the 2 pours 5-7 ft in each direction. Then add another pour to the side of that and mix 5-7ft in each direction. Etc. And even if your batches aren't perfectly homogenous, after you mix it all together as you're spreading it, you'll end up with a homogenous mixture that looks like glass/a lake of self leveling compound. The self-leveling part is really more about what it does AFTER you've poured it, spread it out, mixed it together well and then walk away. You push it into all the corners/etc manually with a concrete rake, and then as it cures it all levels to a perfectly level surface.

[@RhysH212]

@CMTeamCobra that needle roller isn't the same as a squeegee or a roller neither does it do the same job.

[@lukejamesellerby]

Just done the same thing, same results Buggered now really as i was planning on floor titles

[@jimmy25snyder]

Your video is accurate from my experience. Honesty on social media is refreshing. Professionals do this type of work regularly building knowledge and experience which is required to make a level and smooth floor. After self-leveling nearly 1000 sq ft myself (not a pro), I'm going back by hand to grind out bumps and fill gaps in between buckets before installing a finished floor. Should have hired a pro. Yes, I'm doing the flooring myself, but LVP looks pretty straight forward.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Pros do it sometimes worse

[@TheLinkMedic]

I'm a flooring guy been doing it for 20 years, let me tell you getting it "level" over a big area is rather pointless, as long as everything if FLAT with no dips anywhere you're pretty much good to go.

[@bmcpheat]

From my experience laying floors there are no self leveling screeds only self smothing screeds. You have to work the material on the ground. If you identify your low points beforehand you can pour the material into the low areas first. Different depths will result in different surface textures as the fillers drop leaving a more liquid surface.

[@Odo-so8pj]

He poured then sat and looked at it 😂

[@lherrera2886]

I really appreciate your honesty. I was beating myself up about how I did it since I was doing it by myself. It was very hard work. You guys did great. Thanks for posting.🥰

[@teoiancu6269]

Tocmai am avut un semi eşec ieri cu self leveler 😅 Învățăm din greseli si reparam. Salutari din celalalt capat al statului Nevada. Multumiri pt video 👊🏻

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Așa se învață .. acuma știu păcat că deja e gata terminat

[@xshadow105]

Absolutely right. I messed up my 3 buckets because I couldn't pour them early enough and they set in and became completely wasted. I tried mixing them again with a lot of push and pull of my mixer and got back pain. I pour one bucket which wasnt mixed well and wasn't able to self level. If I kept pouring, it would be a greated mess so I decided to pickup the compound and put back in the bucket while other 2 buckets were already set and wasted. I am happy that I saved myself from a greater loss and finally decided to install titles for leveling my garage floor. Tiling is a lot easier and gives more control while time is on your side unlike self leveling compound. I like this video as it's explaining the absolute reality to save people from damaging their time, money and health.

[@LeonardSchmiege]

The smoke came out of my drill while mixing. As everyone knows motors run on smoke and when it comes out it fails. So by the time I got the other drill set up it was setting up. Also done during a heat wave. I tried to water down and continue, very stupid. Should have aborted instead spent the next 8 hours removing the failure. No one mentions the option of aborting if it goes wrong. I highly recommend considering a point of no return, like when pilots on runway on take off, there is a point where you can still abort and start over without cleaning up a huge failure.

[@CarlosTorres-yz3mo]

Thank you so much for this video. It helps to hear someone give their REAL experience.

[@LewisThatch]

If the floor is really uneven and with humps and bumps u need to use a lazer and tripod or glue down packers to the lazer line

[@ckingoner6675]

I am a commercial vinyl layer and I can tell you. You need to use a quality selflevelling compound to get an even pour. Also I've been in the industry for 15years and have only used 3 buckets of mix at a time getting some1 to mix buckets firstly mixing up all 3 buckets and then start pouring. While 1 bucket is poured and empty that bucket is quickly mixed while the person pouring is trowelling the first pour to smooth it and then pouring the next blending the next pour to the first pour with a trowel minimise edges of pours, and creates a more better flow of the lvls in the floors. There is definitely a nack or skill involved its not a matter of mix pour and leave. Otherwise you will definitely get high spots and low spots.

[@tabandken8562]

You should have masked off sections that 1-2 bags would cover. Before doing any job like this one involving heavy items and mixing, watch many videos. This is a valuable video in that it shows why masking off is important. Thank you.

[@aodstratford]

Thanks for your honest experience - it helps with all my planning. This will help me to do a better job. Thanks.

[@vehicles.expert4906]

Very good video! Thank you for taking time to post the ‘true-real life’ experience.

[@threecatsdancing]

Thanks so much for pointing out the difficult parts. We're getting ready to level the bathroom floor and those are issues we didn't consider. We even have a huge barrel we can use to mix the compound but we didn't think of it.

[@thompsonhandymanservices6088]

Soooo...you just poured it and left it? 😭 It has nothing to do with the size of the bucket. Many mistakes were made here. Good video though.

[@Mark.Cleworth]

Interesting video. Now I can understand why I had difficulty getting a tiler for my 5 X 4 metre room. There is a raised piece in the floor between the living room and hall. Around 18 inches square. I'm going to try and level it out with the angle grinder before the tiler does his job.

[@engineerau49]

Self leveling is for first coating. Please add top coating on top of it. to look better

[@danesworld6360]

I love thee honesty all these other guys in these videos say ohhh it’s so easy or they just make it look easy

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

The hidden side of the truth

[@KA0S-247]

great post... I was about to do this myself.. and am now re-thinking my approach room size is 5m x 4m need a 5-8mm level pour to perfectly level the floor for a drop in polypipe underfloor heating system. Great share.

[@johnihayward2584]

I’ve seen lads on site making the barrel out of a dustbin with a tap fixed to the bottom and sat on a caster dolly to move it around, worked well and better than the ones you buy because you control the flow of the liquid. Cost about £60 and a couple of hours knocking it up.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Good tip

[@pinkfloydcamel]

Thank you, I'm soon to begin remodeling my garage and this is the part I'm most incertain about. This definitely helps me ask the right question and have the right concerns.

[@meganwang9344]

Your advise help me a lot, that make me rethinking not to do it by myself. Thak you so much, save my time and money

[@MatSmithLondon]

We did the mixing work perfectly - everything laid out before, all bags cut and ready to pour, all water measured out. Mixing 330kg in 12 mins: happy with that. But then when I poured it and pulled the screed around the room, something went wrong. I knew where all the low point were. Used a spiked roller as well. I didn’t find out until afterwards but the centre of the room was low and there are whole sections that are higher. The tolerance is 5mm and I’m really upset. I used a float on a pole, but wish I’d used the long 72 inch float to get it bang flat. We used screed tripods and I hoped they would help but actually they just prevented me from using the extra long float. So gutted. Not sure how to resolve it now.

[@AMindInOverdrive]

I worked for a day last week helping a friend pour self-levelling compound in a basement suite. Boy was it hard work. A lot of preparation. We had 2 large barrels of water plus multiple buckets filled and ready, then 3 bags together at multiple locations and we used a bin to mix in. 3 bags per bucket of water. We just needed to keep working fast once we started and my friend was super-stressed until it was all finished. (the bags cost CAD$50 each so you don't want to waste them) Kinda stressful but we got it done in a little over 30mins once we started mixing. If I was doing a lot of this type of work, i'd definitely consider buying a machine or at least one of those bins on wheels. If you're doing it DIY you better have some help. Those bags of compound are 50lbs each and you use a lot of them

[@kenthoward6798]

Brother, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING IT REAL!!

[@briant9764]

i asked 3 of my best friends they said we arn't friends anymore

[@KTRACHO9000]

🤦🏽‍♂️😜🤣🤣🤣

[@charliecook7031]

My tile guys best friends never showed up lmaooo

[@jermangonzalez4444]

And always check cover holes and put wood or something to hold leveler where u want to stop

[@77davidmak]

I have a wood floor business, and I have been leveling floors for years with 5 gallon buck. You will never level any floor without using some sort of reference point.

[@garymorgan7082]

Great video. I’m doing a project about half that size. I think I’m ok with the cm variation from one end of the room to the other because I’m putting down LVP. I must say though, this is very useful information. Just knowing what I’m in for to get the floor level enough for the flirting I’m putting down. I’m not a perfectionist so it’s all good, but you’re right, no other codes let you of this type of mistake. Thanks!

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Glad it helped

[@ian9toes]

I can testify it is much harder than the pros make it look. It isn’t made from magical molecule that seeks a perfect level. The only thing making it self level is gravity and it’s water content. And given there’s a lot more than just water in the mix it doesn’t self level any where near as easy as water.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Very true

[@saras4928]

An absolute truth. I just finished mine and it was thick (followed instructions 4litres water per 20kg compound), the spike roller wouldn't spread it I had to grab some other tool on a stick to spread. Then I couldn't reach to the starting point to spike roll it so had to step into the compound, my flip flops got stuck in it and it was just an absolute disaster, I almost broke my back trying to spread it. 20min working time is a lie, it started to set at 2mins and there's nothing I can do now. I'll wait and see in the morning and worst scenario I'll have to do it again. An absolute shambles. I followed a KZbin video that looked super professional and easy.

[@Cybertruck1000]

@@saras4928You could at least of had spiked flip flops....

[@lylewheeler8915]

you need to rake product as you pour it and it will all blend in

[@Richie5480]

Mix each one in a 5 gallon bucket, then pour it into large trash can with bottom drain, to pour it on the floors.

[@ChugZ-101]

Couple things that stand out from watching video. No need to rent mixer..., big mixer with paddle and buckets are enough. Levels should be shot in b4 pour and spike shoes and roller a must. Simple movement with trowel of material will allow for it to travel. Think of liquid as little rolling balls..., that need to be pushed back and fourth by a trowel to set itself. Start from deepest point on floor that has been shot in. Alot of that discoloration is from the bubbles of different mix of water and material not escaping.

[@pargoe5174]

Use a gage rake and a spiked roller

[@OHCAM5]

But in all the videos you saw you didn't notice they spread it out evenly over the entire floor. They don't just pour and leave it.

[@lo-guns9454]

nice to have an honest review for a chnge

[@GGeorge5677]

Thanks for the video. The leveler looks a little bit too wet. Also the flooring outside the pour area is getting leveler on it. We know it’s not the easiest thing to do. But consistency is key in your mixes. I’m not commenting to be a jerk. Just speaking on what I viewed.

[@TfanTfan-rr9vd]

Thanks I tried to do myself was a disaster...I mixed way too long and it came out like a slurpee and didn't move lol

[@stephenboothby7446]

Can you tell me what you used to scrape it up? Doing mine soon and sure I'll end up fluffing it up.

[@c_b8s4]

Some things are better left to the pros. Coming from a concrete professional, this is one of them. As you can see there are a lot of variables to think of. Not to mention that is a lot of square footage for even two professionals with the proper tools. Home Depot and KZbin can cost you a lot of money by making it look easy.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Now with the experience I have, I would try it again with a barrel

[@paulusmaximus8284]

Thanks for bringing the reality to my life! For keeping it real!

[@JoeRockstar]

lol man. So imagine my surprise when I am getting ready to lay in some vinyl plank floors and I see the title of this video, and it is not until after I watch it that I realize why the guy in the video is so familiar. So you do more than just dirt bikes lol.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Yeah, this is my other channel

[@Odo-so8pj]

Yep they also watch buckets of premix concrete dry in patches without a primer.

[@willruelle9799]

i agree it is a lot harder than it looks. I used 2 bags from menards one day and then 2 bags from home depot the next day. working by myself. i followed mixing instructions to the letter. Neither mix was as liquid as i expected. I now have some humps i have to file, san or grind down. Maybe i should have use a four foot squeegee to move it.

[@tortie777]

Operator error. It's easy if you spread the material around a little bit. Every video I reviewed other than yours showed some form of screeding. You need to move the product around to combine pours. While "self leveling" might be a bit of a misnomer because it needs some help, someone who has never done this before with an average IQ can get a decent outcome. It's great that you give a different perspective, but you may scare some people off from giving it a shot. Finally, it takes some effort, but I would not say it's back breaking work. I did 22 50lb bags with my wife mixing - hardly broke a sweat. Common sense and the right tools are all you need.

[@ilovethenfl510]

True but although your project went smooth not every job/concrete is the same . self leveling can definitely get complicating if your doing a big job or got some difficult concrete

[@jarekmroz3267]

Me and my son have done 24 sqm and no issues. the key thing we learned was - two persons do separate dedicated tasks - one is mixing and second one is pouring and working the mixture - right tools - big tall plasterers bucket to mix, good mixer and spiked roller. roller wad esential so we don't have diffrences between the buckets

[@shayne202]

the water mix was different. the light colour is over watered. one of the buckets you poured was way to runny. need a pull thru gauge and a spikey roller. you can see these buckets were dumped and left. using a pull thru gauge will blend the mix and a spikey roller will smooth the transistions between mixes. this size room can easily be done with single mix buckets.

[@George-gb2zn]

Lol 😂 never in my life seen it done this way !! There is specific instructions on each bag . With the water ratio and dry time . Luckily it was not for a client !! . You are supposed to use a brute 44 gallon drum to mix to bags at a time . The floor fully primed and your squeegee at the right high. As you spread it . Someone should be mixing the other batch . A roller is used to erase the lines . This products are sold at amazon (underlayment tools )

[@bubbalo3388]

Yeah with a 10 minute work time, there is no room for error. Especially for someone who has never done it before. You mess up then you will have whole new headache of a problem trying to remove it.

[@2AA11Day]

Appreciate this. I was about to try to tackle a room about the size of the one you showed. Definately need to give this some more thought.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Make a big batch and pour fast, it will level nice... I wish I knew it before I've done it

[@TheJetty2007]

THIS GUY IS 100 % CORRECT!!!

[@biketothetop]

Nice video to help understand the risks and uncertainties.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Sure is.. A crap shute

[@biketothetop]

@@TheCrazyRomanian looks like result is good enough.

[@bestfloors5084]

To much water init and should always prime the floor 20kg screed bags 4.5 to 5litre of water if your using latex same amount got say its bad screeding my friend

[@melvinespinal1]

well i think you missed video from good youtubers because all the videos i have watch they all clearly said that self leveling compound is not self you need to help it spread it thru the whole room . in your case it looks like you threw the leveling compound and just wait it for it to do its job on its own

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

This compound is self leveling, emphasize on self, if you want to spread it around by hand, or "help" it it will never be level. I made mistakes in how I set it, but if all mixed in a big barrel and let loose it would have been a lot more smooth...

[@str8kronic]

You need a spreader. It self levels meaning you don't need to add more to low spots or take away from high spots like you would with, let's say, thinset....but you need a wide straight edge tool to spread it evenly throughout the floor. With that said, it's still very hard to do it right, and very expensive if you mess up, so I suggest no DIY for this

[@georgeharvey3062]

Thank you. I’m going to be very careful while I’m doing this myself. Seems like I need some friends to help.

[@ccipres922]

Good stuff bro! Very detailed video! A lot of ”DIY” KZbin videos just SHOW how to DIY stuff and only explain the PROS but not the CONS.

[@pimpampumdc6101]

the first problem you had there was that you added way to much water and you did nt work the compound! that's why the you see the patches

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

I did exactly what they wrote on the instructions of the back of the bag

[@slaugh77ify]

Good job

[@eddnhaila3895]

thanks for your thorough explanation.

[@Cryptochinodotsol]

I just watch the video right before this one where a guy had a 55 gal plastic trash can that was on Wheels and he added a piece of wood to raise it up and he cut a hole out to put a PVC pipe in it with a spicket and he mixed everything in the 55 gallon drum and he just trickled it all over the floor genius

[@jfssparky]

I was going to do this then looked at the cost. 30 bags, primer, and getting it mixed and poured without it setting up. I used wood and premixed costed me around $250. The pour $800 to $900. And I could keep up

[@ericalfred2875]

Very, very good advise Sir. I did this with one other person bag at the time and did not get good results. After laying LVP when finished I still had low spots where floor planks would not locked in securely. Now I'm faced with a second application after removing 3/4 on the floor.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Nuts ., I made it work but I can feel it where it didn't level properly

[@jurnagin]

If you see the price you will use regular concrete mix and just use a bull float to smooth it

[@sweetiemcgee]

thanks very much for speaking the truth.

[@devduguay2814]

My kitchen floor is all sloped everywhere ~250Sq ft, I was able to get it down to where it's "ok" after like 2 weeks of work, even had to grind out 2 high spots I created by mistake(10hours of work) , also needing to raise joists, and Install new loaded walls. But perfection is basically impossible sometimes, I still have some 1/4inch slopes in maybe 4 small areas. I'll be installing concrete subfloor on top, so everything should workout with all the thinset etc. The biggest problem sometimes is where the new tile needs to meet an existing floor to make sure both are level without needing to rip out all thefloors from your house, literally.

[@MrBeaner125]

You need a squeegee or trowel to spread it out its self leveling but it dries too fast to just let it sit. You need a better mixer and buy better material best around is the mapei. A bit of bonding adhesive rolled on before and into the mix helps too

[@bryanpiereson8083]

thank you! I wondered if it was too good to be true.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Yeah it's not as good as they make it sound ...

[@Mark_Chandler]

the tough part is this stuff sets up fast....use cold water, ice cube cold and add a little more water than recommended.

[@garnhamr]

that needs taking up and starting again imo. No primer used so it might break off from the concrete after a while.

[@erichsh58]

I keep reading this stuff starts to set in ten minutes and you have to mix each bucket for two minutes. That means, at best, if I have to use 20 bags on one floor then the first few buckets will be well on their way to hardening before I can get around to pouring the last few. I don't see how that would work!

[@Jddjdurjf]

You would be working in one direction. The far end will be setting once you're worked away from it. It doesn't get poured and set all at once. Hard to explain but you'll see.

[@dejayajay]

You need to use height gauges, either adjustable tripods, os screws into the floor. Then you can check levels as you work across the room.

[@MrDogilvie]

Did you use primer? If not the concrete underneath may have sucked the moisture out of your mix causing it to set early and not level properly.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Yes cleaned , dusted and primed the day before

[@Leonitus485]

It is easy. Your problem was taking “self leveling” to literally. You still need to manipulate the compound with a squeegee. Also you poured a bucket and watched it “self level” when you should of been mixing your next bucket instead of watching it flow. With self leveling compound you need to have all your water pre measured for every batch and all your bags cut open so that you waste zero time in between pours. Not hard at all fellas just have to be quick and squeegee “manipulate” your compound then let it self level.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

yes i thought will level like a pool

[@nrobertsaus]

Thanks man, appreciate the heads up. I wonder if the technique of filling the lowest point first would have given you better results.

[@c_b8s4]

Unfortunately no. Even on a flat surface it will only spread out so far. Also you cannot feather into nothing. It is meant to cover an entire floor, not just patch certain areas. You will always have a slightly rolled over Edge that will require patching later, unless you cover from wall to wall. Best way is to start at one end of the room covering wall to wall. He outlines a few of the issues, but the biggest one is not mixing exactly as the manufacturer States. You must mix one bag to the proper amount of water. The only other way would be to weigh everything out exactly. Professionals won't even do that. He didn't have enough material either. The entire floor should have been coated.

[@ckingoner6675]

I agree the guidelines specified by the bags of selflevelling are a professional guide but the amount of water used for each pour does vary depending on temperatures of the room and so forth and how thick you need mixes in areas you need to build up and what not. But ultimately the guide is the recommendation. And you need to adjust the amount of water according to your job. Sounds confusing without showing

[@djenk12345]

It looks like you use to much water but it might say that on the pack ?

[@zakirulalam9430]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@siyadabdisalamabdikarim9199]

Thanks alot for sharing the video. I think you have been leaving some silt residue in the bucket that accumulated, if not then that brand should exit the market.

[@bibur104]

Ty Ty Ty. Proved my point to spouse with this video!

[@OmegaMetalic]

Get a small cheap cement mixer and a wheelbarrow

[@jneale7715]

Just a bad job really. You must squeegee or trowel to get the sand even and go to the bottom of the slurry. As you said you need to keep mixing quicker, or have slightly bigger buckets would have been better.

[@TheCrazyRomanian]

Yeah, I've used a pinned roller off camera and a squeegy but not having the mixture ready in time caused the issue

[@gusemery5475]

@@TheCrazyRomanian they got these things called wheelbarrows now

[@vygintaskirda2658]

Guy is correct (i did it alone first time ever no expierence) i mixed everything in hudge tub at the same time and poured with big bucket alone. It settles fast. I used spiked roler to even out poors and before i was done spiked roler started leaving drying spikes that did not disappear. i did 2 rooms. First room with recipe provided by manufacturer it felt too thick and had hard time leveling it end up with 5mm difrence and it had a crack in a middle. Second room i added 10% more watter it was alot easier to work better of like 3milimeter difference but it micro cracked everywhere(i assume because of watter?) my advice. DONT DO IT ALONE. buy expesive leveler that was kept in dry and WARM condition and had no cold. Use spiked rolers. Place markers in multiple places in a middle of room to know how much to poor (just woden toothpicks glued to the floor it helps alot.) Why first room cracked i still dont know i assume its because its cheapest product.