Concrete job frightfest...

Kim N
by Kim N
here's an update to my previous posts about our basement floor. These are some photos before we started the demo... unlevel, cracking, crunchy areas, soft skim coat, hollow nearly everywhere (they didn't remove the paint on the slab below the overlay, so it didn't bond). The skim coat they put on was so soft I could scratch words into it with my fingernail!
I should mention that they were planning on sanding this first skim coat down to smooth it out, then put another layer of skimcrete for the final layer and sand it down.
I'll post the demo photos (or should I say archaeological dig with interesting finds) next.
skimcrete xl... didn't work out too well as a skim coat!
major cracks... I hit the junction of cracks with a hammer so that's why it's mashed
I could hear crunching and see the floor move up and down along the cracks as I stepped on them.
Most of the concrete sounded hollow because it didn't bond to the paint covered slab below.
The floor was supposed to be level... not so.
even the skim coat started cracking.
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  • Only occasionally on Hometalk! Awesome discussion...which more clients need to have BEFORE they embark on a project. It's difficult for clients who have used someone often for years with success after success not to trust them on something new. If the contractor says "sure I can do that" most clients will use them. As we've seen here, concrete is one of those specialties where, if it's a big project, go with someone with specific expertise in that area... That's part of what Hometalk is all about...finding good solutions and potentially good contractors for various trades. Glad it's getting resolved Kim and that you are in capable hands!
  • Frank C Frank C on Oct 23, 2011
    Your right Handy, And Concrete, It's better to have the questions and have them answered by someone that KNOWS. I love this place. It's good to be here with people that have the experiance and know how. I do most all of my work myself and that's how I learned. People like all of you.
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