NOT How to Lay a SELF-LEVELLING CONCRETE Floor | Country House Renovation

[@pyxosthaumatikos]

Well done for admitting to yourselves that it hadn't worked! I'm still very bad at that.

[@qoriquentegallegos8397]

English is not my first language and it was imposdible to understand with the echo in the room. Had to use subtitles.

[@joannesmith7889]

Love your Keep Calm and Carry On attitude 😊

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

No point crying over spilled milk! 😿😻

[@CozyCafeMusic-td6hd]

Oh no! What a nightmare. It looked like it went down so well, too. Keep going guys. Buena suerte 💪

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you. It looked good… until it wasn’t 🙈🤣

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Oooohhhh no, what a nightmare but you seem to be taking it in your stride hahaha 😅 I don’t know how anyone could have predicted that! Excited that it is forcing you into tiling the kitchen though, tiles everywhere! 🎉

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hahaha. Tiles for everyone 🎉 We might employ you and Mauro to come and lay them for us! You know, as you’re both experts now!

[@gainmaster1]

Removing all tiles is a good call, check subfloor condition. Fix any loose or broken concrete. Prime floor with 2 or 3 coats of primer. make sure fully dry. Get expansion foam for room border. Mix self leveler slightly wet if temp very hot. Use a spiked roller to get rid of any air. Draw a line on wall all the way around to help you with low spots. Be good to see finished floor :)

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks for all the info. We’d heard about using cork around the edge to stop the cracking, too, similar to foam. We’ve already taken up the tiles (😬 half room ok, half a bit damaged) and we’re thinking of putting a thin screed layer over the top of that subfloor to level it, rather than self-levelling. So we can control it a bit better, with a bit more time. What do you think? Any advice?

[@tomhat1981]

Lift the tiles. This will help compensate for the weight of the new screed and ensure better bonding . Also cutting out risk of any lose moving tiles.. Lift, repair, hoover , wash and then use a good primer to seal.. Apply screed following instructions. After that if you decide to lay new tile, lay a decoupling matt and use a good quality flexible adhesive.. You will have to assess how much movement is in the floors as flexible adhesive and all these components have their tolerances.. Enjoy the videos all the best going forward..

[@nicolassales8679]

PRIMER, sorry to shout! I am an approved Karndean installer and have been prepping floors for far too long! The subfloor is fine you just need the correct primer. It is essential as it bonds the self levelling to the subfloor. There are a couple of self levelling compounds that don’t need a primer, Ardex do one for example. Also I assume the room is not on the ground floor? If it is then moisture content is critical to subfloor prep. Ask the self levelling manufacturer which primer to use. Hope this helps.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes, you’re right. Primer was definitely the biggest mistake!!! 🙈

[@mrs.jillaroo6907]

Oh guys... I really feel for you 😮 we've dealt with uneven floor.. in terms of choosing your tiles, don't go too big or too long as the difference in height (level) will make it more difficult. You can buy these little lifters to add to your tiles, as you fit them and it really works. you remove them once the tiles have set. Harriett & Mauro used them so they can recommend them for you. We ended up using concrete leveler in the worst areas instead of the whole room. Not ideal, but we couldn't afford the whole area. Always prime. Lol whenever we go tgru something that is "not always" needed or "it can work whithout it" - yeah nar. Always get that extra thing or do that extra step.. I know you'll find a way to make it work.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you for sharing your experience too! Definitely makes us feel much less alone in all this renovation chaos ☺️ Let’s see what’s hiding beneath those tiles….. 👀

[@fortague]

Bonsoir, an interesting dilemma 🤔, that levelling screed came up really easy, It never stuck to the sub floor, I would, score the tiles with a grinder, cover the floor with a quality primer for " carrelage or parquet" then use "Weber flex" this has movement built in and fibres to stop cracking and can be poured thick, it's not cheap but it's the best ! If you're taking up the tiles then obviously prime and if screeding then add fibres to the mix and an agent to allow for flex, Why not lay an oak floor on top or the vinyl planks ? These are very good, totally waterproof and hard wearing, I would glue them down with a trowled adhesive after priming, Hope this helps, Bon courage ! x

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks for your comment. We can’t really lay anything on top because it will create a lip/step where the hallway meets into another room.. but we’re rethinking what to do next. Thanks for suggestions, we’ll have a look at the other products

[@fortague]

Have you looked at the "quickstep" vinyl flooring planks ? Only 5mm thick, totally waterproof, just brilliant, good range of designs, I would glue them down with a "Bostick" or similar adhesive using a small notched trowel. It's just an idea, you get the wood or stone look without the thickness, as for the step, sometimes it's better to define a raised area so it becomes less of a trip hazard, I've found from years of building work for customers that making things stand out makes them disappear in a weird way, Also I use steel angle screwed down with pan head screws as a cover over the lip, this stands out, it's hard wearing and lasts forever, plus it looks cool ! Have a lovely weekend guys, lots of good wishes from Mark in the Pays De la Loire 👍 fitting​@@SmithsdaleFarm

[@Bokkenseur]

i did the same thing in my 6th floor apartment on moving wooden beams (in fact the self leveling was specifically done to counter the sagging of said beams after 40 years of use) and i used a very rough primer beforehand and then used that a sub floor for my wooden floor. It worked perfectly and 5 years in is all good and level still. Primer is definitely the problem. Concrete that thin is always gonna be brittle the problem here is for sure that it never adhered to the tiles. If it did those cracks wouldn't really be a huge issue per se. But yeah, i also wanted a cement floor but that's not a good idea on top of wooden beams. I went for tiles in the bathroom and wood in the living space and it's been great!

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes I think our biggest problem was not using a primer! We’d read that you didn’t need to for tiles, but we have since read other conflicting info.. sooo.. we’ll definitely be using one next time!! 😅

[@kathleencollings7021]

I feel your pain! My husband said to make sure you use flexible adhesive if you decide to re- tile, which will help with the movement.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you! Yes, one of our friends who has done a lot of professional tiling said that to us too! Honestly we didn’t even know a “flexible” adhesive existed, but makes total sense!

[@talesfromthecaveside]

Hi guys we know your pain. We had a similar problem with the self levelling compound but only in a small area thankfully, it too was down to subsurface movement. There is a more flexible compound available but it is more expensive. In our kitchen/diner we ended up laying a concrete floor (badly, lol) and fixed the level afterwards with self levelling only in the areas it needed. In our upstairs bedroom, because the floor had a dip in the middle like yours (ours was a difference of over 10cm in places) we ended up building a floating floor- think a wooden deck suspended from the walls, but that wouldn't work in your case, because a bedroom is really light traffic with very little weight. The previous owners solution was to have a bed of sand to fill in the dip and make it level then tile over the top, which worked well, but the tiles were terrible. The original floor is over vaulted beams, like yours, and is made up of canes and gypsum.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks so much for the message. Makes us feel less alone in all of this 💚 Interesting about building out a new floating floor as a solution. You’re right, not possible in this case, but an interesting one to bear in mind for possible future needs. When you poured the self levelling in just a few areas (to fix the uneven surface) did you have any issues with it meeting up to the other concrete you just left bare? Did it just level out in line with it nicely or leave a little bump or anything?

[@talesfromthecaveside]

@@SmithsdaleFarm It left a little dip, kind of like the edge of a lava flow, if you know what I mean. We just bridged it with tile adhesive. On tile adhesive, if you are going to use porcelain tiles make sure you get the cement that is for them, it can also be used for ceramic tiles but not the other way around. Hope that helps.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

So helpful. Thank you!

[@AnneHeyns]

I don't know much from other videos i watched they always spray the cement wet after a few hours to let it set slower and then it won't crack from drying too soon.☺

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes we’ve seen that too…. But then we thought, how do you get to the back when you can’t stand on it?! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤔

[@AnneHeyns]

@@SmithsdaleFarm no idea myself...maybe a hose with a moist spraying gadget?☺

[@EnchantedEarthSounds]

Like ninemoonplanet said, it will not adhere to tiles, you will need to use and bond primer to be able to put any cement like stuff on this

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Yes in hindsight we definitely should have used a primer. We’d read that we didn’t need to for tiles, but have since read other conflicting things that say you do… so we should have just used one! 😫

[@solf2769]

Make vinyl laminate flooring, because it resists water. You do not need to remove clinker tiles in this case. Use primer and then liquid filler in this place where you have removed tiles.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Unfortunately we don’t like the feel of laminate really, and it probably wouldn’t really suit the house.. but yes we will definitely be using a primer with a leveller!

[@mariesalway91]

maybe get in touch with Nick from Project Portugal, his field of experience, block layer etc

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thanks for the advice ☺️

[@belibosch]

Oh jo😢 bueno poco a poco, las obras no salen siempre bien 😅 y sobre todo que de errores se aprende 😊

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Síííííi ¡Esto! Si no hacemos con nuestros manos, como podemos aprender? 😀

[@alexsilva-vn7jc]

I applaud your attitude! Own the fail, smile, rethink, regroup, move forward! Shit happens, mistakes will be made! Check out Wicanders Hydrocork flooring, it could be an interesting option. Very uncomplicated to lay, although you would still have to do some levelling I presume.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you. Just got to carry on haven’t you?! 🙃 Thanks for the tip, we’ll have a look 👍🏻

[@ninemoonplanet]

That cement came up way to easily, on the other hand, it came off easily. I don't think it was the mix or temperature, but the substrate didn't adhere to the cement. I noticed even the little bit of grout on the tiles didn't adhere either. That flooring may have some sort of sealer or something like that and it repelled the cement. Unfortunately you may save time, money and effort either removing all the tiles, or the tiles that are worn/chipped/cracked. If it works out the bad tiles are generally in one area you could "design" something to work.

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Looking back we definitely should have just used a primer. We’d read about the product, that you didn’t need to use one for tiles, but have also since seen conflicting info… sooo… 🤷🏻‍♀️ But hindsight is everything! Haha. Looks like we’ll pull up all the tiles and go from there…

[@ninemoonplanet]

If you pull all the tiles you may find you don't need cement or a major subfloor. Once you have 75% of the tiles up, take a long look at what is there. It may just require a filler of some kind to level out the lumps and bumps.

[@mlluisamercaderpuig6162]

😮❤

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

💚

[@Taliesin800]

Have you considered laying a wooden floor?

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Hi! Yes we do like wooden floors (typical in UK) but they are not very common here in Spain - we think its because of the termites and wood worm. So in the end we went with something a bit more in keeping with here.

[@Neverforget133]

Your mistake started with not adding the correct primer to the floor first that's why it delamination.....if you look on the back of the bag it will tell you exactly how much water to add per bag and how long you need to mix it this is absolutely critical especially the water measures you need a stipple roller to roller it out after you pour it always over lap each section

[@Neverforget133]

Also all the way around the edges of the room you need to add an expansion foam comes on a roll blue colour this gives separation between the floor and the wall this allowing for movement

[@Neverforget133]

The reason it's brittle is because you didn't add the absolute correct amount of water it's normal around 4.3 litres per bag it tells you on the back amd most important it will say mix for 2 minutes not 1 minutes 30 but 2 minutes if you follow the rules on the bag it will all be ok

[@SmithsdaleFarm]

Thank you for all the comments! Really helpful. We have also seen you can use cork around the edge of the room, similar to the foam. We’d followed the instructions (it stated 3.8-4.3L so we did 4) but maybe it needed the 4.3 because of the higher temperature. I think you’re right that the biggest issue was not using a primer. We’d read that for tiles we didn’t need to, but then have also read since other conflicting info… so, it was just down to inexperience really 🤷🏻‍♀️ But at least we’ve now learned a lot.