Build a stronger foundation.
As a contractor, you'll know that the best epoxy resin floors start with strong concrete foundations. If the concrete is too worn, or there's unevenness, or moisture, epoxy systems can, and often will, fail. But don't worry! There's plenty of ways to fix up concrete, such as self-leveling concrete. Uneven concrete surfaces, often caused by irregular ground or installation issues, often lead to significant flooring problems. Concrete leveling is an indispensable skill for any flooring business working with concrete.
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In this guide, we'll dive deep into the significance of mastering concrete leveling. From why it's necessary, to recommended equipment, to step-by-step techniques for installing self-leveling concrete to ensure your flooring projects stand the test of time.
Why Do I Need Level Concrete?
Concrete leveling is more than just a preparatory step&#;it's a foundational requirement. The installation of any system, whether it's polished concrete or epoxy, on uneven concrete sets the stage for system failure. It also poses safety hazards and, as Coxwell Law points out, opens you up to unnecessary liabilities!
The need for level concrete should be obvious. And yet, too many contractors neglect to check their concrete foundations before installing epoxy resin. With self-leveling concrete, it doesn't have to be a hassle.
Safety, Efficiency, and Aesthetic Concerns
An uneven floor is an unsafe floor. Foot and vehicle traffic rely on a consistently leveled floor to travel safely! Not only that, but uneven concrete foundations make a job site unsafe for your contractors, too.
Beyond these practical issues, the visual appeal of the finished floor is always going to suffer when the floor is uneven. Clients should come to your business because you deliver safe, and beautiful, floors. Don't let them down!
What Do I Need To Level Concrete?
To effectively level concrete, you're going to need the right tools. Here are the recommended resources for a successful leveling project:
How Do I Level Concrete?
Step One: Identify Low Spots
Survey the concrete floor and identify areas that are lower than the rest. These low spots are what you're going to focus on. Identify them by eye or use a large level for precision. You need to be able to recognize the problem before you try to fix it. It'll help you determine how much grinding you need to do, or how much self-leveling solution to apply.
If your floor is uneven because of a few higher spots rather than low spots, then your solution may not even involve self-leveling concrete. You may need to grind these spots down. For smaller spots, you can use a simple angle grinder, but a larger industrial-grade floor grinder is always a good investment for flooring businesses.
Step Two: Apply Self-Leveling Compound
Once you've identified the low spots, apply a self-leveling compound using a trowel or squeegee. Evenly spread the compound over the low areas, ensuring a smooth application. It'll level itself out (as the name implies), but you still need to be diligent and not apply too much compound, or too little.
Don't rush this step! It'll only add more time later. If you apply too little solution, and only realize after you've checked your work, you'll have to apply more solution and wait until that cures. If you apply too much, you'll have to grind it down.
Step Three: Allow the Self-Leveling Concrete Solution to Dry
Allow the self-leveling compound to dry, typically within 24 hours. During this time, the compound will spread and settle, filling in the low spots on the floor.
This is the easiest, but obviously most time-consuming, aspect of leveling concrete. You can't rush this step. Concrete needs to be fully cured and dried before you start applying any epoxy solution on top of it, or attempt to polish it.
Step Four: (OPTIONAL) Grind the Concrete Until Level
If the floor remains uneven after applying the compound, consider using a grinder to remove high spots and achieve a uniform surface.
Use your level! Check your work thoroughly and make sure your floor is consistently level across its entire area. Focus on any irregularities, whether they're high spots or low.
Step Five: Seal or Install
After you get that level concrete surface, you can either seal it with a concrete sealant for protection or put an epoxy flooring system on it! We have guides to read on our blog that will help you navigate any kind of concrete flooring system you'll install.
Conclusion
Level concrete is always necessary for any flooring system. You need strong foundations for your floors. This comprehensive guide will hopefully help you avoid potential flooring failures in the future, and save you both money and labor time in the long run! Whether you're working on polished concrete or epoxy floors, starting on the best foundation often guarantees success.
Follow our blog to learn more about working with epoxy and concrete floors. At Xtreme Polishing Systems, you can find an array of tools, solutions, and resources necessary for effective concrete leveling.
Learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly of concrete leveling, and find out whether its a method worth exploring for your sinking concrete.
If your property is riddled with trip hazards and unsightly settled concrete, then having it professionally leveled may be a great option for you. However, concrete leveling is not the only method out there, so it's essential to consider each potential choice carefully before committing to one over the other.
Here at A-1 Concrete Leveling, we've been specializing in our own proprietary limestone slurry concrete leveling process for over 30 years, and we also perform foam leveling repairs when needed.
Although we think concrete leveling is a fantastic option that saves our customers lots of money, we want to be transparent about both the advantages and disadvantages of concrete leveling.
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Because of this, we've compiled this list of some of the pros and cons of concrete leveling. After reading, you'll walk away with all the information you need to decide whether professional concrete leveling is something worth exploring for your home.
Concrete Leveling Pros & Cons Overview
The table below shows an overview of the pros & cons of concrete leveling, and the sections that follow discuss them in detail.
Pros
Cons
- Breaks don&#;t go away completely
- Can&#;t always predict the outcome
- Only as good as the ground it's on
The Pros of Concrete Leveling
Here are the top four advantages of all types of concrete leveling:
One of the most notable benefits of concrete leveling is its price compared to replacement. As long as your concrete slab isn&#;t crumbling, it can likely be recovered with concrete leveling for far less than it would cost to replace the slab.
On average, concrete leveling can save you up to 70% of the cost of replacement.
Most of the time concrete leveling crews are in and out in less than a day. Instead of spending weeks demolishing existing structures, clearing out material, and waiting for your concrete to cure, you can use your freshly-leveled concrete in a matter of hours.
It&#;s fairly easy to find a trustworthy and experienced concrete leveling company in your area that can come to give you an estimate and have your work completed quickly and without any hassle, especially if you know how to ask the right questions. A-1 Concrete Leveling has franchises in nearly 50 metropolitan areas!
It&#;s also much more convenient to have a truck in the driveway once for a short time during the repair, rather than for days or weeks during a replacement.
Other repair methods, like concrete replacement, make it almost impossible to match new materials to the surrounding concrete slabs, leaving you with noticeable differences. Concrete leveling, however, will keep your original slabs the same, so all existing concrete will match.
The Cons of Concrete Leveling
Here are the top three disadvantages of concrete leveling:
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Breaks don&#;t go away completely
Because concrete leveling doesn&#;t actually change the existing concrete, only its position, the cracks and breaks that have already formed will not go away. Sometimes the breaks will get smaller or larger depending on the circumstances of the repair.
Fortunately, these cracks can be filled with a polymer caulk in order to prevent further damage from freeze-thaw cycles and water erosion.
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Can&#;t always predict the outcome
While it would be nice to know how every repair will turn out, the truth is that a good concrete leveling job has to take into account a lot of variables, and some of them are unknown until the repair begins.
The good news is that the right concrete leveling company will be experienced and know how to roll with hidden obstacles.
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Only as good as the ground it's on
Much like concrete replacement, concrete leveling depends on the quality of the material under the slab to ensure a durable repair. If the ground under a leveling job isn&#;t strong, over time, problems can arise or settling can reoccur.
This is why having a trustworthy and knowledgeable concrete leveling team is important. While no job has a 100% guarantee of perfection, an experienced crew knows what to watch out for.
Summary
Lifting your settled and sunken concrete with professional leveling services can save you lots of money, time, and hassle. With all the benefits listed above, it's clearly a great choice for many homeowners who want to get the job done right.
While this is true, concrete leveling does come with some potential drawbacks, and it's important to keep these in mind while deciding whether or not it's a repair method you would like to try for your home.
Contact A-1 Concrete Leveling
Once you've weighed the pros and cons of concrete leveling and decided it just may be the right fit for you, you're ready to reach out to a concrete leveling specialist.
A-1 Concrete Leveling has been perfecting the art of concrete leveling for over 30 years and is excited to continue providing repair and maintenance services to new and returning customers alike.
If you're ready to get started, click the link below to request a free onsite cost estimate with one of our concrete repair experts today!
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