What is Self Levelling Concrete
Getting concrete smooth and flat is difficult and requires great skill. Self Levelling Concrete is a much easier way to create the desired finish.
Don’t be fooled, when we use the term Self Levelling Concrete what we really mean is that a highly fluid Self Levelling Mortar or Self Levelling Cement has been thinly applied to an already laid and cured concrete base.
Imagine you have a glass of water in your hand. If you slowly tip it from side to side the water will remain level. This is because water is very highly fluid.
Self Levelling Concrete also has high levels of fluidity which enable it to become perfectly level.
This high level of fluidity is achieved, not by making the mortar mix very wet, but by the addition of a chemical which decreases the viscosity of the cement – a superfluidifier.
Normally the mortar is sold as a dry powder compound. One example of a Self Levelling Compound is the MAPEI Ultraplan Renovation Screed 3240 Fibre Reinforced Self Levelling Compound.
Why use Self Levelling Concrete
Self Levelling Concrete is usually used to make a pre-existing concrete floor perfectly flat and level.
Quite often concrete floors become damaged with heavy use. The surface can crack, crumble, delaminate and holes will appear over time.
A thin covering with Self Levelling Compound will strengthen the floor and make it ready for further treatment either by the addition of a covering like linoleum or tiles or treatment with the BECOSAN® Treatment.
Advantages of Self Levelling Concrete
There are many advantages of the use of Self Levelling Concrete, namely;
- It doesn’t require the addition of water, which means less mess.
- It creates a highly smooth surface that is also very strong. While this makes it the ideal base for other floorings, the floor is also smooth and strong enough to stand alone as a flooring option.
- It can not only be used for levelling concrete, but can be laid on top of any non-flexible surface, such as ceramic tile, or even plywood.
- It results in a concrete stronger than normal concrete, which means it is ideal for reinforced concrete construction.
- Being hypo-allergenic it is very unlikely to cause allergic reactions.
- It dries extremely fast.
How to use Self Levelling Concrete
Self Levelling Concrete is incredibly easy use.
Firstly, make sure the concrete surface is clean, dry and free from as much dust as possible. Ideally, the floor will be coated with a primer (for example the MAPEI Eco Prim Grip) which will make sure the compound will have maximum adherence to the surface of the concrete.
Mix the Self Levelling Compound with clean water in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Mix until the compound is smooth and free from lumps. It is at this stage that coloured dyes may be added to make the floor more attractive.
Self Levelling Concrete dries extremely quickly so keep stirring the mix until you are ready to pour.
Pour the mix evenly across the surface then, using a Gauge Rake, make sure that the entire floor area is covered and lump free.
Over the next 30 minutes the floor will level itself and begin to harden. Within 4 hours the floor will be ready to walk on.
Making Self Levelling Concrete durable and beautiful with Becosan
Once installed a Self Levelling Concrete floor will be more attractive and harder wearing than a traditional jointed concrete floor.
However, it is still just concrete and particles of concrete can disaggregate and become dust. Also, the surface can absorb liquid and can stain. Both of these problems can be eliminated through the use of the BECOSAN® SYSTEM.
The BECOSAN® SYSTEM begins by polishing the floor to give a gloss finish. Then the concrete Densifier BECOSAN® is applied to the floor. This binds the chemicals in the concrete to leave a harder surface which is resistant to wear and, hence, creates no dust.
After further polishing the concrete sealer BECOSAN® is applied. This makes the floor resistant to liquid spillage which is not absorbed and can be easily mopped up.
A Self Levelling concrete floor treated with the BECOSAN® SYSTEM will last for very many years and will give a surface comparable to any marble floor and at a fraction of the cost.