After some years, concrete floors can become uneven or develop cracks because of excess moisture. This uneven concrete floor might look unattractive, and it is not safe as well. So, it is relatively crucial to level your concrete floor as soon as possible. Whether you plan to balance the uneven concrete floor, replace or put another concrete flooring, you have come to the right place. In this guide, we will talk about the top 9 tips and tricks on how to level your uneven concrete floor.
If you collect the right equipment and make a suitable concrete mix with the right preparation methods, it will be easy for you to self-level the concrete floor by yourself within one or two days. If you want to hire professionals for leveling the concrete floor in your home, then make sure to click here, where they can work on about 2,500 m2 every day and add a thick equalization layer.
Top 9 Tips And Tricks On How To Level A Concrete Floor
Here are the best tips and tricks for leveling a concrete floor by yourself without getting any professional help.
Take Away The Furniture
The first and foremost thing you need to do is take away the furniture, fixtures, and other appliances off the floor. Clear all the materials from the room so that they will be empty. You need to take out the baseboards as the floor’s height will increase after leveling it. With a metal scraper or pointy knife, remove the baseboards from the walls.
Clean And Vacuum The Entire Floor
Take a metal scraper and peel the residue off the floor, such as extra tile, broken concrete, old linoleum, and more. Use a mop to clean the debris from the floor, and you can use the vacuum cleaner to sweep the fine dust and other dirt particles. Do not use the ordinary vacuum machine because the excess cement debris can harm the appliance. Hence, it is best to utilize a shop-vac device, which you can rent for a day from the nearby home improvement stores.
Pour Concrete Filler And Sealer In Big Cracks
If you find long, wide cracks or large gaps on the floor, you need to fill them with cement. Buy a concrete filler bottle and spray it between the holes and cracks. If possible, you can use a cloth to push the filler deep into the crack. After that, leave it for some time so that it can dry.
Highlight The High And Low Areas On The Concrete Floor
Take a marker or chalk to highlight the areas which are too high or too low on the concrete floor. Use two different symbols to mark them, for example, cross mark for high spots and tick mark for lower areas. If you think that you have skipped a few drops, you can brush on the floor using the carpenter’s level tool to see those spots.
Use The Concrete Grinder
Here, you need to use a concrete grinder, so make sure to wear a face mask and an eye protection appliance. Put the disc on the high area where you need to grind the excess cement. Switch on the machine and move it back and forth until the bump is on the same level as the surrounding floor.
Look for the cross mark areas and repeat the above process using the concrete grinder. After that, you can clean away the debris with the shop-vac machine. You can also rent the concrete grinding machine at home improvement shops.
Putting Concrete Leveler Primer
Next, start putting the concrete leveler primer on the floor using a push broom with smooth bristles. Circulate it on the whole surface, and it is best to apply it by exerting pressure beneath so that the concrete will reach the depth of the holes.
If there is a lot of primer at one place, you need to spread it out to other surfaces to have an even floor coating. For that, a long-handled paint roller is a decent alternative. Let the concrete leveler primer dry, which might take about 3 to 24 hours. If you leave it for more than 24 hours, you have to re-apply the concrete leveler primer.
Making The Concrete Leveler
Pour a whole bag of concrete leveler in a 5 gallon (18.9 l) vessel. Check the instructions to know how much water is required for the mix. Use a mixing paddle that has a drill to stir the concrete leveler until it retains proper density.
Avoid mixing two or more bags of concrete leveler at once because you need to pour and spread the mixture within 15 to 30 minutes. If possible, get help from your family or friends so that one can make the mix, while others can circulate the concrete leveler on the floor.
Pour The Concrete Mix On The Floor
You have to release the concrete leveler mix on the floor. After that, use a long-handled squeegee and start spreading out the mixture on the floor. Move the mixture in a circular motion so that the floor can have an even coating.
You must spread the concrete leveler mix throughout the room, including the edges and corners. If you want, you can use a small cloth or a towel to reach those areas.
Dry The Concrete Leveler
After spreading out the concrete leveler mix on the floor, let it dry as per the instructions of the bag. Several concrete leveler compounds will dry between 4 to 24 hours. Plus, wait for about 4 to 16 hours to add any other flooring on the concrete floor. Keep in mind that the drying time of the concrete leveler mix might differ based on humidity and climate.
Final Word
We made this guide so that you can level the concrete floor at your home by yourself when you do not have access to any floor leveling professional services. Follow the above tips, make the right concrete mixture and start leveling the uneven surface.