tidying up newly laid concrete floor

[Mike Harrison]

Just had a concrete floor laid in a garage extension - surface is not mega-flat - maybe 10mm 'ripples', but a fairly smooth surface texture (concrete from Mixamate automatic mixing lorry).

I was thniking about floor paints to reduce dust, but looking on the cans at Selco, they reccommend leaving up to 6 months before painting. Then I noticed floor-levelling compound - would this be a reasonable way to get a better surface reasonably quickly, and can you use it as a final surface (doesn't need to be driven over)? The space is enclosed by walls on 3 1/2 sides so the idea of 'just pour it in and let it dry' is appealing....!

I've seen a few past threads on this but no mention of using over fresh concrete.

[stuart noble]

mega-flat - maybe 10mm

automatic mixing lorry).

at Selco, they reccommend

get a better surface

be driven over)?

in and let it dry' is

The 6 months would apply to the levelling compound too I would think. As it's partly a sealer to prevent rising damp, not a good idea yet, and a pretty expensive way to prevent dust. There are PVA based liquid products that would be effective and a lot easier to apply. "Self-levelling" is not really an accurate description of something that has to be trowelled! "Self-smoothing", yes. So, if you need to flatten the ripples, it would be the way to go. I'd forget the "just pour" notion though.

[Mike Harrison]

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 13:27:11 +0100, "stuart noble" be driven over)?

There is a membrane under the concrete, so the only moisture will be from the concrete itself

9 quid for a 25KG bag (says it covers 11m2) - cheaper than floor paint...

[stuart noble]

the concrete itself Still needs time to dy before the leveller goes down.

The latex screeds I've used were a lot dearer than that.

[David]

In article , Mike Harrison writes

Put a combined, curing, sealing, hardening, dust proofing agent on it like Proseal if you just want to prevent dust and make the floor harder wearing (its the wearing that creates the dust) as its also a curing agent you can put it on green concrete. There are other types of course, pop into your builders merchants.

[Lobster]

better surface

driven over)?

I concur with what Stuart says; and would just add that last time I used the stuff, it said on the bag that the surface should be covered (ie carpeted etc) within quite a short time of it setting and drying - can't recall how long, but in other words, sounds like it shouldn't be used as a final surface.

David

[David]

In article , Lobster writes

If you need a wearing surface buy a wearing surface, don't mistake them with the underlayment materials that are used just for levelling the floor prior to covering with carpet, vinyl etc. The industrial flooring self levellers are the ones to look for that are designed to be the finished surface, Optiroc, Ardex SDT, Cemlevel, Cemtop to name but a few

[Rick Dipper]

maybe 10mm

mixing lorry).

they reccommend

better surface

over)?

let it dry' is

I had never laid a concrete floor before, and got less than 10mm ripples over a 60 m2 floor, that I laid myself. My house is tanked to

2 foot up all the walls, as it has no roof its like a swimming pool, the rain is filling it up, I can see the errors of my concrete from the water levels (or at least could when it was just a little water), so I know how far I am out. I thought I had done a bad job till I read your post. You should sue the guy who laid it.

Rick