Pouring self-leveler on 2nd floor

[GeekBoy]

I need to level my bathroom floor which already has the subfloor and durock on. It's a good inch off. I've used the self-leveling stuff from HD before, but never on the second floor, where if it leaks through the floor, it's bad news. How would you recommend pouring the liquid so that it levels the floor without finding its way beyond through the floor surrounding the toilet waste drain, etc? I was thinking of putting up the drywall and caulking the small gap between wall and floor, then surrounding the toilet waste with some pieces of wood and caulking that too. Once everything is caulked, I'll pour the floor, let it setup, then kick the caulked temporary wood out of the way. Any other suggestions? How do the pros do this? Thanks!

[Robert Allison]

Masking tape, duct tape and whatever is available for "stuffing". We usually use fiberglass insulation to stuff into holes to give some backing to the tape. If you are only going to a maximum depth of 1" at the deep end, that should be sufficient. If you are going with more depth, you may need a bit more than tape.

[GeekBoy]

[Betsy]

I'd worry not about leaking but about the additional weight involved.

[GeekBoy]

The weight is nothing... even four 50lb bags would be 200lbs. evenly distributed across about 20sqft. Big deal? My 300lb father-in-law will eventually sit on the toilet. Now THAT'S a big deal.

[Robert Allison]

You are not trying to get it to "stick" to the walls. You are pouring it to set in place and level the floor. Unless you are worried about earthquakes, you don't have to worry about it getting away from you and sliding out of the room. I have done about 30-35 floors with the tape and haven't had one slip away yet. If you just want to make the job harder on yourself, then by all means, go for it.

[GeekBoy]

Point taken. What about that milky primer stuff? Needed, or marketing jargon? I'm pouring over cement backerboard. Thanks!

[Robert Allison]

Use it. Use it whenever you are bonding to a cementious surface.