What is used for leveling a concrete floor?

by Erin

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I have a bathroom remodel with an uneven floor. Somebody mentioned something about a self-leveling floor ...some type of material that you pour on the floor and it levels it. Does this really work and what type of material would it be. Thank you so much for your help.

10 answers

Trixie63 on Jul 04, 2015
Hey Erin, it's called self-leveling concrete and can be picked up at any big box home improvement store. You just mix it up, poor it on and using a float, move it as you need. And no it really isn't that easy but most people with some diy skill can do it, especially since it's a bath.

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- Angie Bundy on Jul 04, 2015
  Hi, can this option be used outside over concrete patio?
  
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- B. Enne on Jul 04, 2015
  @Angie Bundy Yes you can, there are different brands for outdoor use. Here's on I don't know if it is any good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg7x5L0EAg0
  
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- Angie Bundy on Jul 05, 2015
  Thanks! I'll check it out!
  
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Trixie63 on Jul 04, 2015
No its indoor use for when you want to lay a wood or cork floor and your floor isn't level.

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- Erin on Jul 04, 2015
  Great. Thanks Trixie😀
  
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Kathy on Jul 05, 2015
It really does work. When we had our kitchen remodel done, in order to use the 12 x 12 tiles on the floor, it had to be level. It was not used when we had wood floors installed.

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- Erin on Jul 05, 2015
  Thanks Kathy.
  
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Lydia on Jul 05, 2015
We used it on our uneven patio floor when we had a sunroom put in so that the tiles would lay even. Well, we paid someone to do it for us. Ha ha!

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Ann Carney on Jul 05, 2015
Yes you can use a self levelling concrete have used it on a kitchen floor marvellous did the job no problem

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Julie Benson-Grant on Jul 05, 2015
You might want to proceed cautiously... sometimes bathroom floors slope for a reason - like to a drain in case you have overflow from a toilet or shower. If I read your question right - that you've recently had a bathroom remodel? - you should call back the person who did it and ask 1) if its on purpose or 2) can it be changed.

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Mama Rose on Jul 05, 2015
There is also a product that is sometimes used to create a floor in basements called a poured floor. I You wouldn't need to put any tile on it. However, I heard it's a bit expensive.

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Shirley Phillips on Jul 05, 2015
Concrete floor leveler sold at any home improvement store

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D & K on Jul 05, 2015
How you proceed depends on what type of flooring you plan to install. If it's some type of laminate or vinyl (planked or otherwise) then by all means yes use a self leveling compound before the floor is installed. If you plan on using tile then don't waste your time or money. A tile layer with no experience can level (smooth out) the flooring using the very thin-set mortar used to install the tile. And, the larger the tile the easier it is to smooth out the floor. Unless the floor has a drain in the center, it's a big misconception that a bathroom floor or subfloor should have a slope in it. You wouldn't and don't want water pooling in your bathroom floor any more than you'd want it pooling in your dining room.

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- Kathy on Jul 06, 2015
  @D & K I'm no expert, but I think you're giving out incorrect information. Our kitchen floor was unlevel by almost 1/2" According to the contractor, it needed to be level before the tile was laid because the large tiles have no give to them. I also think that if you use 1/2" of mortar that eventually it would begin to crack and then deteriorate from normal every day use and then you would have a much larger problem at that point in time.
  
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- D & K on Jul 06, 2015
  @Kathy without attempting to sound condescending, I am an expert. I install 10 to 15 thousand square feet of tile each year for the past 21 years. So let me explain my previous comments. The major difference between self leveling concrete compound, thin set mortar and standard concrete is the difference in the amount of masonry lime. Masonry lime is what makes concrete sticky and allows it to bind to other surfaces, i.e., ceramic tile, brick, etc. Self leveling compound is no more intended to be used nor would it make a good final floor surface than tile thin-set mortar for reasons too numerous to go into here. However, both are used to level an unlevel subfloor where tile is to be installed as the final floor. Thin-set mortar does not crack and deteriorate any more so than self leveling concrete compound. One of the primary differences between self leveling concrete compound and thin set mortar is their application. Self leveling compound goes down and is allowed to cure before any flooring is installed. It can be under any type of floor; wood, laminate, vinyl and yes tile. Thin-set tile mortar on the other hand is applied to small areas at a time, leveled, then the tile immediately installed before it sets so that it binds not only to the floor but to the tile. If voids are discovered under the tile during installation, the tile can be picked right back up and additional thin set added to correct the problem. In your example you indicate your kitchen floor being almost !/2 inch out of level and yes ceramic tile have no give. They're not supposed to nor should they! It's not the tile that supports your weight but the surface the tile are bonded to. I could install a 1mm glass window pane on your floor and you could walk on it for decades and not see any damage. Why, because if it's bonded properly to the sub floor with no voids beneath it, the glass wouldn't give. Voids under tile is the leading cause of tile breakage and cracks. Why, because tile by itself is NOT intended to support weight. Take a piece of writing paper, have someone hold it by the ends in the air and try to stand on it. Take a second piece and lay it on your floor and do they same. Which piece of paper is ripped or has a hole in it? The one without the support underneath! If a contractor told you you had to level a floor that was 1/2 inch out of level before you could install tile, you should have shown that "contractor" the door and found someone that wasn't out to take your money by selling you something you didn't need.
  
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- Jeani Miller Miner on Jul 06, 2015
  If a contractor insists you level the floor before doing a tile install it sounds like someone who is too lazy or unqualified to create a level surface as you install. I'm no expert, but I can butter a tile and use a level to ensure a level install when doing tile or pavers. If you're installing something like sheet vinyl or carpet then absolutely use a self leveling compound first
  
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- Erin on Jul 06, 2015
  @D & K Thanks..it is tile actually. My husband will be doing the work himself..it's a small bathroom. 14 x 7.
  
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- D & K on Jul 06, 2015
  @Erin your husband should have no problem doing this. Depending on the size tile you're using, the larger the tile, the larger the trowel. For instance a 1/4" square notched trowel for tiles generally 12" or less. If the floor is not smooth and unlevel switch to a 3/8" square notched trowel. 12" or larger tile with an uneven floor go to a 1/2" square notched trowel. Tap the tile lightly with something metallic just after you've pressed them into place and listen for a hollow sound. If you hear such simply lift the tile, apply thin-set mortar directly to the back of the tile (it's called buttering as @Jeani Miller Miner mentions) and place the tile back in place. It's not critical if the sub-floor isn't level. as most and almost all are not, however, take a straight edge like a yard stick and lay it across the top of the tile as they're installed to make certain the tile are smooth and the same height as the tile adjacent to it. If it's too low, pull it up using the corner of your trowel and add a little more thin-set underneath. If it's too high simply remove a little thin set and re-install the tile. Just be certain to press each tile into the thin-set to get good contact and good coverage across the back of each tile.
  
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- Erin on Jul 17, 2015
  Thank you so much Dennis for this info.
  
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- Mar2152614 on Apr 12, 2016
  @D & K My basement floor (built 1954) has spalling, and has been painted in small areas then deteriorated, chipped, lifted, etc. The whole floor need refinishing. I don't know how to start, the process, product, etc. It is a huge process, and I will do it alone. I'm a 69 year old lady, not afraid of hard work as long as I know what I'm doing. Thank you for any tips.
  
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LoriKindler on Jul 05, 2015
Keep in mind that just because it says "self leveling" doesn't mean you just pour it on and it will spread out. You need to "swish" it around a bit. Check youtube for videos so you can see what I mean.

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