Tips for working with self-levelling compound

Keep a bucket on hand to place the mixer in when you’re not using it. Fill the bucket 3/4 full of water. That way the floor levelling compound won’t stick to the paddle and the bucket won’t tip over when you stick the heavy mixer in it.

Most bags filled with dry cementitious mixes have a vent in the top. It’s there so the bags don’t bust open when they’re handled. Minimise the mess produced by floor levelling compound by keeping the vent side up. Line the open bags up next to the buckets. Mixing is a messy business, so do it outdoors whenever possible. Extreme temperatures can affect the time it takes the leveller to set up, so never mix up super cold leveller or work in the blistering hot sun.

Make a bucket that can be filled quickly. Fill a clear bucket with the proper amount of water and draw a fill-line with a marker on the outside of the bucket. Another option is to drill holes at the fill-line so the bucket will drain to the proper level. Dipping a bucket into a barrel filled with water is a lot faster than filling it with a garden hose over and over again.

Learn how to lay a concrete path.

Fill all the buckets with the recommended amount of water before you start mixing. Keep the buckets close to each other to reduce the mess when moving the mixer from one bucket to another. Keep all of the bucket handles facing out so they’re easier to grab (every second counts).

Once you’ve mixed all the buckets of floor leveller, go back to the first and mix it up again for a few seconds in order to stir up the sand that settled. Pull the mixer out and set it in the next bucket to be hauled in. After dumping each bucket, fluff up the sand in the next one before hauling it in. NOTE: 10-litre buckets are not big enough for mixing self-leveller. Get yourself as many 20-litre buckets as you can.

Move the bucket along the floor as you pour. Keep the bucket low to minimise splashing. If you do splash on the wall, try to resist the temptation of wiping it off right away because small drops can quickly become large smudges. You’ll have better luck letting it dry and scraping it off.

Completely cover the heating cables/mats with floor leveller to avoid damaging them with a trowel while installing the thin set. The thickness of your pour may vary depending on your project but shoot for a thickness between 12-20mm. Anything over 20mm. will likely require two pours, but confirm that by reading the instructions printed on the bag of the product you’re using. Check the thickness with a gauge rake, a junky tape measure or just a Popsicle stick with the desired thickness marked on it.

A gauge rake is a metal squeegee that rides on two adjustable depth guides. This tool isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does work well at spreading the leveller around, and it helps to “gauge” how thick the self-leveller is. Be careful to work the rake very gently near the heating cables or mat.

Wash your buckets as soon as you’re done pouring the floor leveller and never dump the dirty water down a drain.

Sign up here to have Handyman’s favourite stories straight to your inbox.

Source: Family Handyman