Basement floor. Trying to do make self-levelling cheaper.

Hi, I'm sorting out tiling my basement floor. The floor is concrete with a concrete upstand all round (i.e. a paddling pool. The concrete isn't very level as being a basement you can't get outside it to level it. Anyway I'd like a level surface to tile on. Current variation is of the order of 0-10mm and it's pretty level on average as they did use a self levelling laser when attempting to float it flat.

To find out how uneven it is I was planning (after priming it) to use water to find the highest point by basically filling it up (water being very self leveling AFAIK!). Having a rough plan of how much filling needs to be done I can then hoover up the water using the wetvac I already have.

The real question is can I use a cheap self-smoothing compound to fill the worst spots until I'm within say 3mm of level, and the use a more expensive latex levelling compound to finish off (and bury the underfloor heating cable in. What I'm concerned about is the interface and bond between the self smoothing and self-levelling compounds.

Any thoughts?

Fash

Reply to
Fash
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If its only 10mm lay it out with strings and a level, and tile using a thick bed of fast setting stuff. down to 3.. at the high spots and 13mm at the low..yes, its expensive, but so is self levelling and so is rediong it when it all cracks apart.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Don't try using cheap ie. Wickes Own Brand self levelling as it's crap. :-)

Work out the high point as best you can and lay the tiles out dry to work out the centre etc Then start tiling from there with a very thin layer of tile cement on the highest tile.

Make up the difference with the cement as it's about the same price as the compound anyway.

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Doesn't look too bad and my floor was miles off level. ;-)

Mark S.

Reply to
Mark S.

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