Self Leveling Concrete San Diego
Can Self Leveling Concrete Be Used as a Finished Floor?
This durable, concrete-like substance is called self-leveling concrete. It has become a lot more popular in the last few years. The material is often used as an underlayment for tile and vinyl flooring. It’s a good choice for people who are on a tight budget. But can it be used on its own as a floor? Here’s what you need to know.
What Is it?
When you mix self-leveling polished concrete with water, it spreads itself out. It looks and works just like traditional concrete. On the other hand, the material moves much more easily and sets up faster than concrete. When self-leveling concrete is mixed with water, it is pumped or poured and then spread with a gauge rake to ensure it is level. After it spreads out completely, the mixture spreads even more until it evens itself out.
Self-leveling concrete can be ready to use in just 1 to 2 hours, depending on the product. As soon as about 6 hours have passed, it may be ready to use, depending on what flooring material has been put on top of it. Self-leveling concrete is usually used as a base to lay down carpet or tile.
Self-leveling concrete is very different from traditional concrete because it has a lot of polymers, which are unique, glue-like molecules that hold the concrete together. Traditional concrete also needs a lot of water to become soft enough to pour. Self-leveling concrete doesn’t need to be mixed with a lot of water to stay liquid.
While self-leveling concrete is more expensive gallon-for-gallon, it is a versatile substance that can help people avoid tearing down or replacing old concrete. Instead of tearing up old concrete, you can use a half-inch layer of self-leveling concrete to fix the surface and make it look better right away.
When Is it Appropriate?
When traditional concrete patching compounds can’t be used to fix cracks, pits, and splits, self-leveling concrete can help. It can also be used to smooth out uneven or flat spots on concrete surfaces that aren’t bad enough to need mudjacking or replace the whole thing with new concrete.
At the same time, self-leveling concrete can be used as a finished floor. Everyday wear and tear can’t break it. It also looks great with many different types of design. Additives that change the color of paint, decor, or other things can help you make beautiful finishes that match planned or existing paint, decor, or other things, like accent tiles for backsplashes.
It doesn’t matter how it’s used; self-leveling concrete can be a cheap flooring option for people who are on a tight budget. Projects that might otherwise have to tear down a subfloor, floor, or foundation completely are a good example of when this doesn’t need to be done. When it’s good contractor does it, self-leveling concrete can be used to save and improve a floor. As useful as this method can be, there are times when it doesn’t work.
When It Shouldn’t Be Used
Most of the time, self-leveling concrete should only be used for indoor flooring, either as a stand-alone surface or as a base for another flooring. A few applications work both inside and outside (a covered-but-exposed carport or garage floor, for instance). The vast majority of the time, self-leveling concrete won’t work well outside.
If the surface isn’t flat, polymer-mixed, self-leveling concrete will not set well. Self-leveling concrete should not be used in places where heavy machinery or harsh chemicals will be used. Even though self-leveling concrete is very durable, it isn’t as strong as traditional concrete and won’t be able to withstand very rough conditions.
Hiring The Right Professional
Concrete repair is a job that takes a lot of training and experience to do right. The floor and the structure underneath must be safe and strong. You can easily make a small problem worse if you don’t know what you’re doing. DIY concrete repair can make a lot of mess, but it can also hide structural problems and make a failing surface more dangerous. Often, people who try to fix concrete on their end up making things worse and having to pay for a whole new surface when a professional could have fixed the problem with just a few targeted repairs.
Concrete Polishing Solutions has been raising concrete in San Diego for more than two decades. We use the best materials and the most up-to-date techniques to make old concrete look new again and keep it safe and functional without replacing the whole slab. Our cutting-edge equipment allows us to do fast, efficient work that won’t bother the people in the neighborhood. Contact us to find out more about what we can do for you. Contact us today at Concrete Polishing Solutions.