How to Install a Concrete Floor - The Process & Materials Used

Concrete floor installation requires a particular method. In this video, John explains how to install a concrete floor plus the process and materials we use for the installation.
This method applies if you are replacing a wooden floor, for example, or installing a new concrete floor because you have red ash.
The first part of the process is to dig down to the desired level, allowing enough room for the layers needed in the concrete floor construction.
The first layer of the floor consists of hardcore or Type 1 MOT aggregate. This is crushed material up to 40mm in size and usually made from granite or limestone.
The hardcore then needs to be flattened and compressed using a wacker plate.
A thin layer of sand (usually 50mm/2 inches thick) is then laid on top of the hardcore. This prevents the damp proof membrane (DPM) being penetrated by the hardcore.
The third layer of the sub-base is a layer of DPM. The membrane is made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This fairly tough plastic prevents damp occurring through capillary action.
Then comes a layer of insulation. The thickness of which is usually determined via the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations.
Referred to in the video by John as 'SAP calc's,' they are used to
establish an energy cost based on the construction of the home.
In this particular concrete floor installation, we have used 100mm insulation.
Next comes another layer of DPM if it is deemed necessary.
And finally the concrete slab itself.
In the video, John shows the concrete being poured into the prepared area. It would then need to be levelled and left to dry or 'cure'.
This concrete floor was installed because the building which we were renovating was found to have red ash. It was, therefore, necessary to remove it before building work could continue.
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[@tufailkhan6268]

Hi, how many inches of hardcore do you put in? Can you tell me the calculations please? How many inches hardcore, how many inches of concrete and how many inches sand?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi there. The hardcore is used to get you to the desired floor height - because using concrete would be too expensive. So the amount of hardcore you need depends on the height of the floor you require. In a typical scenario, we would have a 150mm concrete slab, 125mm insulation, 50mm sand blinding and the rest hardcore (depending on the depth you need). Hope that helps, Tufail. Thank you for watching and for your question, we truly appreciate it 😊👌

[@telstar4772]

I`ve a quick question John, I`ve got a utility on the back of my house that is a great size for the washing machine and outside loo. Its only a single brick unfortunately, I`m thinking of putting in a new floor and thermal boarding the walls. I`m going to paint the outside with Stormdry, do you think that will be ok ?

[@HYPEBuilding]

hello mate, storm dry will improve it but it is always better to install a stud wall to create a cavity.

[@leesheard9758]

Could you offer me some advice on this please ?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi Lee. Thanks for watching our video. If you send your question to [e-mail] we'll certainly do our best 👍

[@saqibaslam1]

Hi guys great content what is the material up against the wall 3:39 I understand the floor insulation but what I mean is what your pointing at looks like a piece of wood ?

[@StefanEldridge-Gatti]

That looks like 25 or 50mm insulation board to me. Same brand as the 100mm stuff on the floor.

[@vinylspinner87]

Hey. How thick would you make the hardcore and how do you know how much you'll need for a certain job? Is it a matter of knowing the square meter size of whole area and thickness to determine how much hardcore and sand you'll need. Trying to figure out best way to replace my house floor and install underfloor heating. Only thing is i have a rsj in the middle of the house. How would i prop the beam up whilst the concreting goes down? Im confused as to how it will be supported while the floor is having the concrete layed..i understand how to hold it up with the props during the work stage but what do i do when they start to get in the way at the laying concrete stage? Could i lay engineering blocks on the hardcore layer and use a prop on top of that and leave the block in place and just concrete around it? Hope my question makes sense

[@durhamplastering7064]

Whats the square meter price for this please

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hello mate, the square metre price is different for each region, so I can't give a definite price. Best ask a local contractor in your area.

[@robb7177]

Interesting, two layers of DPM ? Plus rigid insulation if taped would be a third form of DPM , plus concrete if it has moisture control additive. (4 th and final layer of DPM .

[@hellomoto5021]

If this was on the ground floor in a victorian house with a suspended timber floor and you converted it into a concrete floor at a lower level, would this cause moisture and damp issues in the future?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi there. Thanks for your question. In short, no it wouldn't. The damp proof course and the risers prevent damp. There is only an issue when the concrete slab is higher than the damp course of the walls - which causes bridging. Hope that helps. Thank you for watching our video 🙂👍

[@jackmartin14]

If its an old Victoria House with single skin rubble stone wall, in wont have a damp course between the stones/bricks? What would prevent the moisture traveling then to the wall under the DPC and then up the wall (with no DPM).

[@davehumphrey8672]

Thanks for all your content, I'm converting my garage DIY and these are invaluable. What would you suggest for raising a 3x3m floor that is 75mm at thin end and 110 at thickest? Building officer wants 50mm PIR insulation on top of DPM. Concrete or just screed? Don't want to use timber frame and weyrock as rest of house is concrete founds. I'm a bit stuck, would like to know what you'd do? #Keeptickling!

[@HYPEBuilding]

Thank you so much for watching and your kind words, Dave. It's great to know that the content is helping people 😊👍 If you're just trying to level the floor and it's only 35mm out, it might be an idea to use a fibre reinforced self-levelling compound as it's quite straightforward. You can use screed or concrete if you're happy an confident enough to do so, but self levelling is easier. Hope that helps, mate.

[@hassantoufayli3234]

Hello sir, Could I have an advice from you please? Basically I’m levelling the garage floor with the kitchen floor however I have only got 130mm difference between garage floor and kitchen floor so my question is how do I got about making sure there’s enough insulation the 130mm but also ensuring I have enough screed thickness on top of the insulation so the screed doesn’t crack? Much appreciated in advance 😀

[@HYPEBuilding]

When you building up an existing floor garage, building control have a caveat that allows them to improve then rather than enforce new regulations. So they will advice what thickness of installation, baring in mind you still need a certain amount f space for screed. However their is another option to get more instillation, in that their is to not put a scree floor but to put a timber floating floor instead.

[@sohaila617]

Great video mate. I have a clay underneath my suslended timber floor and wanting to replace the timber floor with concrete. How can we ensure that this method would be suitable for clay? Secondly, how would moisture escape from indoors after concrete floor has been installed? Thanks in advance.

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi there. Thanks for your question. It doesn't matter what the sub-base consists of because the MOT/hardcore guarantees a solid base. Moisture will evaporate as you let the concrete floor dry naturally. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation during the drying process. Hope that helps. Thank you for watching our video - much appreciated 👍

[@clivegranger5284]

Hi guys just come across your great video whilst converting my garage. Im looking at the best way to wrap the DPM around the internal brick pillars ....nobody seems to post about this problem of external corners.

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi Clive. Thanks for watching. We're not too sure what you mean about wrapping the DPM around the internal brick pillars. If you want to send us some photos of what you're referring to, we'll do our best to help. Our email address is [e-mail] 👍

[@daveturner343]

Thanks for the video mate. Would you be able to use more insulation to build upto the hight needed? So for instance use 300mm of insulation rather than 100. Cheers

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi Dave. Thanks for your question. Yes, you can certainly use thicker insulation - provided that your concrete slab is of an adequate thickness and fit for purpose. Many thanks for watching our video - we truly appreciate it 🙂👍

[@FootballDoneRight1]

Hi, just had a question. Why would someone need to dig up and redo concrete their floor concrete?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Theirs's a few reason , for example maybe someone wants to insulate the concrete floor, which saves money on energy bills.

[@bollingerfrance4120]

Can i do the same with dry pour for a kitchen floor ?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi there. Thanks for watching our video. It's probably a good idea to get clarification from a Building Inspector with this one to make absolutely sure 👍

[@FiftySixish]

Does a slab like this need reinforcement bars in? Thanks, your videos are super helpful

[@HYPEBuilding]

Thanks for watching and for your kind words, Guy - we truly appreciate it. And it's great to know our videos are helping people out 😀👌 Depending on the size of the slab, you can put steel in to prevent cracking 👍

[@Buzz_Club]

Hi Fella. Thanks for the video 👍 I've got a few of questions that id be really grateful if you answered: If its a large area what sort of overlap do you have on the DPM and do you need to seal between the overlap? Did you concrete to the top of the upstand and use that as level if so does the dpm come slightly above the insulation upstand so it would protrude into the wall tanking? (Like sovereign slurry) I dont need to insulate as its a basement room so can i, MOT, sand, dmp, concrete?(so only one layer of dpm? If so whats the minimum thickness of concrete i need to use? (I need to keep height to a minimum? Thanks pal. The video was a big help.

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi Joe. Thanks for tuning in and for your questions. As you can appreciate, it's very difficult to give an exact solution without seeing the project first-hand. However, here's what we would say: For a larger area, you would overlap the DPM by around 300mm and create what we call a double welted fold between the sheets. We didn't concrete to the top of the upstand. Instead we used a laser to create a level and then concreted to that level. You can do it the other way, but you have to be careful not to go over the upstand. It's difficult to advise on where the DPM should end because it depends what you're using on the walls. Building Control may still require insulation so it might be best to check beforehand. We would recommend a concrete thickness of 150mm, but again, it's difficult to advise without seeing the basement. Hope that's helped a little, mate. Best of luck with your project 👍

[@Buzz_Club]

Hi mate. Thanks for the info and for getting back to me, much appreciated.👍 I've just had a browse through all your other videos, theres so many i will find useful so thanks for uploading them! Nice one. Joe

[@HYPEBuilding]

@@Buzz_Club Thanks for your kind words, Joe. Our aim with the videos is to be as helpful as possible (without taking ourselves too seriously 😄) so it's great to hear that they're proving useful 👍

[@purp1euk]

Hi thanks for uploading a clear, straightforward video on this. If converting an existing ground floor cavity, how do you deal with water pipes, wiring etc. already in the cavity?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi there. many thanks for watching and for your great feedback - much appreciated 🙂👌 To make sure pipes and wiring etc. remain accessible, you would use service ducts. Hope that helps.

[@perryray5674]

If I'm doing a bathroom ground floor do the pipes go on top of the top DPM before laying the concrete? Do you not need steel wire in the floor? Also with it been an old building can the concrete push out the walls I read it can if exposed to the wrong chemicals?

[@zaur1377]

Great video. I am planning to replace an old timber floor with a concrete one. There are gas pipes and numerous cables currently running under the floor. Is it safe or advisable to pour concrete directly on top of these utility lines? What precautions or steps should be taken to ensure the integrity and safety of the pipes and cables during this process? Thanks Specifically, is it safe or advisable to pour concrete directly on top of utility lines, such as gas pipes?

[@owlyboy6059]

Hi. I was wondering if you can help me. I've been researching for ages about how to convert my single brick stand alone garage but I'm getting overwhelmed by all the information and I'm struggling to put my plan into action. I think I might need to add a dpm and a layer of concrete as the are some dark patches on the floor. There also appears to be some moisture/soil around all the edges of the floor at the bottom of the walls. I've bought some wood from wickes and some rock wool insulation and plasterboard to try and insulate the walls and I have a bit of loft insulation I was planning on fastening to the roof beams with cardboard and leaving an air gap. I think I need to add a dpm to the walls as well and make sure to leave an air gap but im worried that even after all my work its not going to be suitable for what I want. I just want to create a dry area to store some clothes that I sell on ebay for as cheap as possible as money is tight at the moment. I dont know if you'd be interested in taking a look at the job and possibly giving me a quote. Love the videos and the tickle stick always makes me lol. Best wishes

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hi there. We sent you a DM message via facebook 😊👍

[@owlyboy6059]

What kind of insulation board is that to take all the weight of the concrete on top of it plus people walking on it?

[@HYPEBuilding]

Hello there. Thanks for your question. We use Celotex or Kingspan insulation, which comes in various thicknesses. In this particular concrete floor installation, we have used 100mm insulation. The thickness you need is determined via the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations. These calculations are used to establish an energy cost based on the construction of the home. Of course, the underlying hardcore (MOT) also plays a crucial role in the strength of the floor. Hope that helps. Thanks again for watching our videos 😀👌