Self Leveling Floor Tips for Beginners

See self leveling floor tips, specifically how to self level bathroom floors. If you're doing a bathroom remodel and need help, join our Platinum Membership and make your project easier at www.homerepairtutor.com/ 👍🏼
#selfleveling #bathroomfloor #homerepairtutor
0:00 Self leveling floor tips
0:20 How to use an angle grinder to remove thin-set mortar
1:23 How to use Ardex Feather Finish over wood subfloor
2:23 How to use Great Stuff expanding foam to seal bathroom floors
2:54 How to apply Ardex P51 primer to the wood subfloor
3:28 How to use silicone caulk to seal wood subfloor
4:23 How to mix self leveling underlayment
5:16 How to pour self leveler
These supplies were used in our video:
Fein WSG7-115 Angle Grinder
Ridgid Double Row Diamond Cup Wheel
Ironclad Gloves
Silica Dust Respirator
Fein Dust Shroud
Ironclad Gloves
Ardex Feather Finish
Drill
Small Mixing Paddle
Ardex P51 Primer
Great Stuff Expanding Foam
Silicone
Newborn GTD-930 Caulking Gun
Sill Seal
Stapler
Ardex K22F Self-Leveler
X01 Mixer (Collomix)
Dust Ex (Collowmix)
AQIX Water Dosing Device
Spiked Roller
Some product links may be Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Want our newest DIY videos? Subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell to see every upload. We upload new videos every Saturday.
Disclaimer:
Videos produced by Home Repair Tutor are provided for informational, educational, & entertainment purposes only. Some of these projects, materials, and techniques may not be appropriate for all ages or skill levels. Home Repair Tutor does not make any claims of the safety of the projects, techniques, or resources listed on this site and will not take responsibility of what you do with the information provided by this site. Viewers must be aware by doing DIY projects on their homes they are doing it at their own risk and Home Repair Tutor cannot be held liable if they cause any damage to their homes. Home Repair Tutor cannot claim liability with all applicable laws, rules, codes and regulations for a project.

[@123Goldhunter11]

I watched a lot of videos but when I saw the screws you drilled for height then it all made sense. No one else did that. Thanks.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@gonzo1977]

Same here. Good thinking there.

[@robertgonzalez7745]

@@HomeRepairTutor question about this. You covered all the joints and screws so that the self leveler is contained to the bathroom, but then drilled through it to mark the height needed. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of sealing the screws?

[@HomeRepairTutor]

@@robertgonzalez7745 great question, I’d only use screws that don’t penetrate the subfloor but even if that happened wouldn’t be concerned as the screw is filling the hole. You could also use spacers and hot glue then to the floor 👍🏼

[@chevyhighrider]

No one except Sal kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWWadalumJWWd5I

[@yodaguy6956]

Awesome video. For future vids I'd recommend using the blue can spray foam designed for doors and windows, it has a lot less expansion than the regular foam. Newbies watching this could easily over apply the regular foam and have much more cleanup

[@robinshane4661]

Oh yeah, that helped. When we did our first floor, thankfully only a fireplace hearth, ours was WAAAAY to thick. Explains a lot. Thank you for helping out.

[@Ranger42]

This was the most helpful instructional videos, in regards to self-leveling, I’ve yet to see. Thank you!

[@Schnacks_Beat_Lab]

Agreed. Watched about 10 so far and this one is so much better than any of those by far! 👍🏼 👍🏼

[@jimsly1841]

I've been doing this kind of work for years and I want to thank you for this video as I learned a thing or two. Great job.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

thank you, that means a lot to me 🙏🏼🔥🔥

[@glassbazooka1645]

@@HomeRepairTutor i

[@rogar61]

Love the suggestion for using screws as a guide for pouring the right amount of leveler.

[@freightshayker]

Thanks for the reminder on adding screws at different heights in order to double-check

[@mrharlemike28]

Perfection! Thank for all of the detail. It will be my first time applying self leveler and had no idea about all these steps. And I'm totally one of those ppl that thought self leveler 'levels itslelf.' 😅

[@RoyCampanella44]

Great video, Jeff. Love the off-label sill-seal trick. Thanks.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

thanks buddy 👍🏼

[@shahnjordan7890]

Hey mate I’ve been self levelling for years I wouldn’t say I’m a pro at it because it’s kind of the last resort to flood for the customer because it’s so expensive ($30m2) but I have done thousands of square metres of the stuff and I reckon your video is the best out there mate. Well done 👍🏼

[@jkocaja1]

Question. If adding screws to level, do the screws just stay in after it dries because the screws get covered by it? Have you ever used screws?

[@shahnjordan7890]

I’ve never used screws personally but I assume if they’re not completely covered you should screw them out

[@themonkeydrunken]

@@jkocaja1 Yes, if you're using screws to establish your plane you'd leave them in place.

[@themonkeydrunken]

@@shahnjordan7890 No, you wouldn't want to remove those screws -- that could fracture the SLU around them. We just leave them in place. Alternatively, pros often use tripods and of course you lift those away when you're done.

[@eddiem5040]

One the best videos I've see on KZbin on self level. 👌 great job on explaining everything especially PRIMER must be used on any type of floor for a proper bond.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

thank you 🙏🏼

[@BrooksBabies]

Awesome tutorial. One thing, the spiked roller throws the leveling compound in the air, I noticed when it speckled my newly painted wall!

[@trueheritageinspections6354]

Did not know self leveler needed an expansion joint. Excellent video!

[@pcm7315]

Have no plans whatever to do this, but it still looked great watching the transformation.

[@thomaslafronz8445]

This video was great and to the point and definitely helped with my current job attempt. I purchased about $5k worth of epoxy flooring for my home from a company called Leggari and an ground area that used to be outside and now has a custom stone fireplace had a pitch to it for rain/runoff that needed to be leveled. This video helped a ton since this was the first time i've ventured this, so thank you. If I had to give any advice, take as much time as you need to prep and seal up all the perimeter with great stuff and/or caulk or whatever so as mentioned in this video, no self leveling mix will penetrate. Once the prep is sound, don't be afraid to make the mix wet and runny. If its not runny or thin enough it wont roll out as easy. Once your pour it, there's no doctoring it. Runny and thin will allow it to lay out in every crack and low spot. It may take longer to set but will be less work on the back end as far as feathering or grinding, etc.

[@DaruDhillon]

Excellent video and tips! Be careful not to add extra water as it will weaken the self-leveller which can cause cracking. Like you say floor-levellers that are on the runny side are easier to level and smooth out.

[@jlh2119]

Loved the video! Thank you! Question … if after the first application of leveling compound has dried and there are still some low areas, is it ok to do a second application of leveler on top of the first? If so, would a different bonding agent be used (different than the original for plywood in my case?

[@robinsonseff]

Great video. Well explained. Thanks for sharing.

[@dianafield4250]

This is so great and so detailed! I hope I can manage it myself 😂

[@InspiredCraftsman]

Great video, I've had great luck hooking up a dust deputy cyclone to my vacuum while grinding concrete. Keeps my hepa filter much cleaner.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Awesome tip, is that the specific name of that product? Might have to get one 🙌🏼

[@InspiredCraftsman]

@@HomeRepairTutor yep, dust deputy cyclone. Also works great sanding drywall.

[@tedspens]

I like that spiked roller. Great tips, Thanks! :)

[@trendchamberlain8752]

I needed this, Thank you!!

[@jamienoonan1186]

Wow,. incredibly professional job. Well done 👍👍👍

[@robertjames-life4768]

The porcupine roller is a must tool for this. Worth the investment

[@insurubagtr]

You do really clean and solid work thanks for the tutorial feeling more confident i can do this myself !!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@bahbarino4479]

Wow! A lot of work, but seeing many self-leveling project fails, this is by far tops in reassurance of work done right 💪. Would recommend a vacuum wide blade attachment made for wet floor, has thin rubber blade for better water collection, but I use for both that though very effective for removal of finer dust particles as demonstrated in this video..

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Video answered all my stupid questions. Bookmarked this video for future reference. 👍

[@TheGuohua]

"They just think that self-leveler is going to level itself." This is why reading the manual/directions/instructions is always important. You really can't ever assume anything or you're going to have a bad time.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Always read the directions or call the company that makes the leveler to clarify questions. Ardex has one of the best technical support staff for products, I highly recommend using their products because of the support and outstanding product quality

[@michaelmcgee2026]

Yep. Doesn't matter if youve used a product 100x. It only takes one change to the directions to screw up a job. Always.read.directions.

[@slaffkas]

It would be also nice to cover of what can go wrong. As a first timer, I had one corner too high and some unevenness in spots, so I removed extra concrete at the corner and poured the second layer to even everything out.

[@raincityjulia8406]

Good point! In my case, it was way too hot to do the job and the self leveler cured at lightning speed... creating a ton of work for me (I had to grind it all down, as it had formed little mountains all over)

[@user-dz7cg5dt7q]

I used a wallpaper steamer came up so easy

[@rocktakesover]

Love the screw trick

[@AlexanderEresov]

Thanks mate, get good tip btw about dust extractor while mixing self-leveller. I couldn't find it in hw store, but printed some crude but functional substitute on my 3d printer.

[@jackofall8617]

I also just cut an edge of the bucket lid off, drill a hole to fit the shop vac hose and it does a decent job as well

[@VP411Designs]

Awesome helpful video for diyers. Would you need to self level entire 2nd floor? If I am installing new LVL Lux Vinyl Lamanent flooring over the entire 2nd floor, would i need to self leveler over the entire floor using this method? If so then would this not be too heavy weight structurally speaking? Also will this Crack in the future?

[@PhillyFixed]

Right to the point, thanks! Any thoughts on how the K 22 F product compares to Ardex Liquid Backerboard and when would you choose one over the other?

[@ChristianChallis]

Hi there, super informative. thanks a million.

[@giovanigiorgos2955]

That was a great and very detailed video I probably would have cut a few steps but everything you listed was helpful.

[@nmssis]

thanks for sharing this. Question: is there a reason why you did not attach the Sill Seal when you placed the Great Stuff?

[@xochj]

Thank you!

[@thomo74]

Very helpful. Thanks !

[@collomix]

Wow guys, great video! Excellent education and information as always. Love what you said about a dedicated mixing paddle for the job. Thanks for using our products and showing them to the world. Best and KEEP MIXING!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

thank you, both the Dust EX and AQIX are awesome tools, having a good mixer makes a huge difference with mortars and leveler 👍🏼🔥

[@marks4399]

Thanks boss man! Great tips clearly laid out. Here I go!

[@marks4399]

Thank-you. Did the job and it turned out beautiful! 60sqft +/- 1/16" from my set point. Only thing I added was I had 3 people with me mixing & carrying buckets. Done in half an hour. Again great tips!

[@dallashill23]

Thank you so much!!

[@BrittanyGoldman]

This is video is SO helpful. What should be done in the doorway into the bathroom? How do I prep that section to prevent the self leveler from flowing out of the doorway?

[@HomeRepairTutor]

You can add a 2x4 in the doorway and use the same methods that I used against the wall

[@familypethealth]

Well done! thanks for the helpful video. I am using this product to level the bottom of a pit in our floor to recess our pet scales!

[@travhopkins]

Love your videos and all the help you've provided, it's helped me a ton. How do you install the toilet flange now that the subfloor is wider than the flange (when the foam is removed). Thanks!

[@brettpotter9900]

You can put the flange down to the original floor depth, then use a jumbo, or two wax rings when you install the toilet if a regular wax ring isn’t thick enough. I think they make longer bolts too for securing the toilet. Hope that answers your question.

[@its__VP]

Anyone have any insights on how the prep changes if you have a concrete subfloor? I live in a high rise condo and am thinking of installing concrete floor (as opposed to laying new tile).

[@TONYATTA]

Thank you

[@danyeldan2139]

Great video and info but please I have a question I am removing my tub and walls and I want to install walk in shower base and new walls made by flexstone and they recommended to glue the base on wood subfloor and walls but they not recommended using shims for leveling the subfloor and if subfloor is not level do I need to use self leveling or any other way ? or Mortar ? and do I need to add wire mesh if I am using self leveling? please advice

[@mohamadcanada7692]

Very good job .and how long I need to wait to set up my ceramic on that level on floor?

[@vanstromi7810]

I really liked this video. My complaints are that it doesn’t offer any of these steps as alternatives even though doing every step here is overkill and the product name dropping is excessive. You don’t need all the fancy tools for this and they don’t mention a lot of good alternatives to doing this without their fancy tools.

[@mistika72]

Great video! Thanks!

[@carlhughes1467]

If you’re applying LVP over the top of this, do you need an expansion joint in addition to the one made for the self leveler?

[@Participant616]

If installing under floor heating mats, would you pour the self levelling compound onto the mat, or let it dry first and set the mat in tile adhesive?

[@redcloud870]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@georgiosladas3106]

Looks nice and smooth could someone use it as it? Or you have to put above extra tiles or wood?

[@SpainBlood001]

enjoyed the vid. very detailed. ignore the haters 👍🏼

[@jordanwingett]

Great video, but why didn't you staple lath to the subfloor before pouring the levelling compound? Thanks.

[@GoogleIT-qp7mk]

You have some really cool tool setups

[@colcol8288]

So helpful! I have a very large room with lots of seams in the subfloor and slight dips and bumps throughout. How should I decide if I need to use self leveler over the whole room or use floor patch in different areas?

[@Divine189]

Level the room if you want it flat. Patching will require more work/material/skill to create a flat surface.

[@JosephErik83]

I’ve got a basement I’m trying to put LVP down on. Unfortunately, about 30 square feet of it is covered with cement/glue type substance that was used for the old tiles. It is so hard that it broke a grinding tool I rented. Since I can’t remove it, hopefully this will work. Thanks.

[@VOOODOOO37]

wow, you know your shit. I was going to just dump it on but now see there is much more involved.

[@chadsichello4267]

Great video, thanks for showing the full process. Only thing I would recommend is that you don’t need the great stuff AND the silicon around the base of the wall, the silicon alone is adequate. And in order to save on materials if you have the time, e.g. on a large floor area where you have 24 hours between floor prep and putting the leveler down, you can use an latex caulking with silicon in it. It takes longer to dry and seal, but is far cheaper and gets you the same result. If you don’t have the time, use a fast drying caulking with silicon (

[@sgspec2]

Lots of fancy gizmos in this video. All of my dust problems solved with a 10 dollar box fan in the window or with a 20x20 filter taped to it lol! I think he's sponsored by the brands he keeps name dropping even down to the caulk gun haha

[@seekhimwithallyourheartand3358]

Repent to Jesus Christ “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬ J

[@themonkeydrunken]

@@seekhimwithallyourheartand3358 This is irrelevant. Take that crap somewhere else.

[@themonkeydrunken]

You're right -- Alex Plus or whatever's cheapest is good enough for the temporary job of holding the SLU back while it cures.

[@borderlineiq]

@@themonkeydrunken Just keep reporting them to YT. They'll at least have to create new profiles.

[@michaelsa892]

This is the first time seeing the screw trick do you leave the screws in or do you have to remove them before installing the flooring

[@FistandFootMartialArts]

BIG THX!!!

[@balastrade]

Very handy thanks

[@honestjohn6222]

Your a Good Tradesman Mate !

[@matteli1936]

Great job wish my guys were this thorough on jobs lol.

[@HomeRepairTutor]

thank you 🙏🏼

[@mrmomo305]

Excellent

[@breakingchris6889]

Would you use feather finish in a cracked concrete bathroom floor on a lower level? Or would an epoxy or another process be better?

[@CS2architecture]

i really appreciate this very helpful video! I'm only grumbling from the fact that i may have to buy/rent tools that i'll seldomly use just for this project lol (like the squeegee & spiked roller). But that's the reality of DIY.

[@dejayajay]

After the job, sell them in Craig’s or similar.

[@heathertowner5881]

Do you pull the sill seal along the bottom out before tiling?

[@donandnancyboatwright8880]

Wow, amazing job. This has made me realize I can't do this myself.

[@opentrunk]

It made me realize I'm too lazy to do all these steps so I'll just do a half-baked job by not using any of that edge protector and no primer and no nothing except leveler. And i'm guessing it'll be just fine. If not, well, lesson learned.

[@brandobond]

@@opentrunk Was it fine? About to do a job myself and some of the steps taken in the video seem like overkill.

[@opentrunk]

@@brandobond It turns out I'm even lazier than I previously thought and didn't use anything at all except plywood shimmed to make it level. It worked perfectly but I only had a 4' x 3' landing to do.

[@djfunkyg]

This is awesome - thanks! One quick question: I have a control cut running diagonally through the basement bathroom I'm working on and am nearly ready to put down self-leveler. What do I need to do to prep the control cut? I'm planning to mark the two walls where the cut runs and run my tile at that angle and will be putting down a HeatMatrix underlayment down (originally was going to do in-floor heating, but decided not to). Thanks in advance for any advice!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Hey Gary, that’s a unique situation and I’m not familiar with HeatMatrix. So I recommend calling Ardex technical support to clarify your questions. They’re awesome and will do their best to help out

[@seekhimwithallyourheartand3358]

Repent to Jesus Christ “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

[@themonkeydrunken]

@@seekhimwithallyourheartand3358 Dude this isn't the place for this crap.

[@ryanmccue8180]

​@themonkeydrunken it's not crap it's the truth

[@jonc222]

Do you have any recommendations for doing this over heater wires, on plywood? I’m thinking the liquid BackerBoard which does not require lath is a good idea, but I’ve heard it is thick and doesn’t flow well.

[@ArkMedic1]

What if you have 2 rooms that were combined into one, and one of concrete slabs is tad bit higher than the other one? There is a crack where the two slabs meet. Can you put a screw in the crack to make sure both slabs are the same height, and enough to fill in the crack?

[@smateezic]

I have just nick named you Cap'n Badass. Outstanding end product!

[@TheAlpine49]

Fabulous!

[@hazyandfriends9578]

very good video thanks

[@alysonmosby4237]

Excellent video.

[@kylehoyland]

Really well done!

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thank you buddy

[@stevehowell1489]

After you use a self leveler on a plywood sub floor do you have to add a polymer to the mortar still?

[@geza96]

Great video thanks

[@mattyboombatty82]

So.... Every step is super important? Got it 👍

[@framingvagrant]

That ardec is what I use it's perty good I'd say

[@duongphung4845]

Hi, I enjoyed the video. I've seen lots of other videos where they were not able to get a level floor. Is the spiked roller and squeegee enough to get it moving to where you want? Would you recommend that over a screed?

[@HomeRepairTutor]

using a squeegee helps a lot and is in many ways better than the spiked roller. But always buy more leveler than you think you’ll need

[@dejayajay]

After learning the hard way, I will now never do a job without my spiked roller. Squeegee to approximate, then spiked roller.

[@adventureDad1976]

Great video my friend and thank you

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@brennanbednarski5236]

So I have a few questions if it not a bother. For my toilet flange, it sit about 1/4 up, and I have to add that much. Is it okay if the toilet flange is flush with the ground? 2nd, the pink foam role for expansion, how did you finish that part. Did you cut it flush with the ground after everything cured?

[@bendanielson4972]

Will ardex k 15 work the same as ardex k 22?

[@kmart6026]

Wow what a great video

[@marymartindale996]

Great video. Question: Why would the compound go into adjacent rooms? Do you mean that the compound would go through the cracks in the joints of the subfloor and seep into rooms below? Thanks

[@HomeRepairTutor]

Yes, it’s almost as thin as water and will flow easily through any cracks

[@onsetfx996]

Amazing!!

[@TeeEm5]

Great Video!!! Just one question out of genuine curiosity… why did you grind off the tile grout instead of cutting out the underlayment and replacing it? Just seems like so much more work to achieve the same goal. Thank you in advance.

[@SlavaZone]

That's what I ended up doing in my bathroom! Instead of having to remove 20+ year old vinyl adhesive, I just removed the plywood underlayment in a few pieces, and made up the height in more self-leveling 😊 My bathroom was SO uneven for the tiny space, and it was higher than the carpet in the hall, so ripping out the 1/2 inch plywood and leveling to the desired depth was actually the right choice for me!

[@XxXKARLx]

Did you trim the good stuff foam off to apply the silicone? I think you did

[@HeyGirlHey23]

How can I prep for the floor leveler if my current flooring is concrete?

[@rhdtv2002]

It looked pretty level already

[@chubbyBunny94]

Can I do this straight over asbestos floor tiles?

[@dynoesaur]

The screws when you drilled them 🤔 for level screwed it, I mean nailed it 👌

[@dottmanca]

Does it matter what type of finish is in the heght gauge screws?

[@thenurseeducator9068]

Can it be done over slab tiles without removing the tiles.

[@khalidanati8]

This is an awesome video

[@zacharysturbaum3195]

Does the hepa filter get clogged with caked dust when you vacuum the wet area?