how thick do I really need to go

[WendyHMN]

Unless you used Spectralock. I was able to fill some shallow divots a week after grouting and the joins are invisible. One of the advantages to using epoxy.

[Pabs]

nope...didn`t use epoxy...crap, looks like I'll have to live with it

[Pabs]

Paul....a few questions

you mentioned you use the TLS straps to mark depth??

1- For the begining DIYer, use the slow setting SLC. The rapid is tough for the well experienced crowd. They do make slower setting SLC, 45 minutes or several hours) not too common but its out there

2- Have someone help you. Muscle is required. Not too much though, as you will be blaming this person for everything that goes wrong.

3- Prep the area well; garden hose, spare buckets of water, easy to reach stacked bags of SLC, clear path to the area where it will be poured.

4- Mark the area where it will stop if you are not covering all the area

5- Set depth guages to mark the proper height. I use TLS straps, you can use anything non organic. Hot glue them to the floor so they don't float away

6- Prep the area where the SLC goes well in advance of opening the first bag.

from what I saw online you are talking about the little white T shape straps?
you are talking about these guys?


you simply glue down the bottom part and use the strap (removing the red block) to mark they height you want on it?

how would you work the cement in order to reach your marks? and if too much goes on them (cement goes past the mark) when you remove some cement how can you see your mark again? the stick would be covered in cement making it hard to get a clear read no?

what kind of spacing between each marker gives good results?

[bbcamp]

I think Paul intends that you cut the strap to the proper height, then pour SLC until they just disappear or leave a little dimple on the surface.

Spacing of about 2-3 times the width of your spreader tool would be OK. You shouldn't need too many, the SLC will do most of the work for you. Remember, you pour the SLC, push it a little to the edges of your pour, then let it find its own level.

[Pabs]

ah...that makes sense actually...

also thought of doing like this...read and tell me if it makes sense

one thing to keep in mind , I can't really grind down the cement after it has set since I will have in floor heating on this floor and the wires are typically just bellow the top of the cement so I need to get it right the first time!

here's the method I'm thinking about

I will simplify my layout for this example. let's say the room I need to pour is 8 feet by 8 feet .

assuming the plywood floor is nice and flat I would install and piece of wood 1/2 inch wide and a little more than 1/8 inch high (high enough to go over the cables)
I install these strips all along the perimeter of the room. after that I install more strip in the middle of the room let's say at every 2 feet

so I would end up with a room divided up into 4 rectangle (8 feet by 2 feet).

now, when I pour the SLC I could basically treat each rectangle as a separate pour....pour some cement and use a straight edge made of wood or whatever to run on top of those strips...sort of the same as you would do with concrete forms... I could screed the SLC over the entire rectangle. whatever extra would go on the next rectangle...pour that one and so on until the room is done

once the SLC is set I would remove the strips and I could either fill them in with more SLC or even with mortar

I thought of this after seeing someone use a long board and using to screed an entire floor.... but since I'll be doing this alone I need smaller areas..

I just want to make sure sure the floor is as dead flat as possible... I don't want to fight with an uneven floor when it will be time to tile..


you guys see any downsides to doing this this way? thanks for reading and I hope my explanation makes sense to you guys.

[cx]

Pabs, keep in mind that the SL in SLC is for self-leveling. If you divide up your floor and make separate pours, you'll have SLC SLd to the low side of each section with a nice lip where the next section meets it.

You really want to do the pour all at once if you hope to have the whole area level and flat.

If you actually want just flat and not level, which is fine with your tile, use something other than SLC to cover your heating system. Most manufacturers of heating systems recommend SLC or your tile bonding mortar.

I've never tried using plastic TLS straps in the described method, but I'd expect them to try to float to the top of the SLC almost immediately. Don't know what I might be missing there.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[bbcamp]

Originally Posted by CX

Don't know what I might be missing there.

You're missing the dab of hotmelt glue that holds the straps to the slab.

[cx]

That would be helpful.

[Pabs]

hey CX..

I know it's self leveling... although it's not like water and you can end up with highs and lows. but I lay out my grid as I mentioned using same height dividers (1/8 inch as in my example). once I screed each section and remove the strips I should be left with a valley that is exactly 1/8 in ch deep. once I would fill that with mortar or more SLC it would simply butt up against each section... I could even leave that a little low to ensure I don't go above the edges of each section and simply. that would then easily get filled with mortar when i come to tile. unless I'm missing something I don't see how I would end up with uneven sections. remember I would screed each section , meaning the SLC would be flush with my wood strips.. .if all wood strips are identical in height that should make all sections of concrete equal in height.. i think anyway

otherwise I can try the method Paul suggested but somehow I fear something would go wrong.. .aside from that not sure what other ways I can do this to ensure a flat (no I don't care for true level, just need it flat) surface.....

[Pabs]

I got the idea when I saw this vid online

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrODc...eature=related

[Pabs]

I've been looking around the Internet for some videos on good techniques to pour SLC... one thing I found too that will/could work is a straight edge with a broom handle...and just under the straight edge are 2 things that looks like skis from a sled.. .you set those at the height you want then you use this straight edge to go over the entire floor ensuring you don't go past your desired height...you simply glide on those "skis"

it won't guarantee low spots but those could be filled in later if you do end up with holes here and there but at least you would have no high spots (bumps)

[Houston Remodeler]

In that video I think his mixture is a little thick. It should be more like chocolate milk, which makes it runnier and more self leveling, which is the whole idea aint it?

[Pabs]

might be part of my problem...when I have used in the past I would not say I ended up with a choco milk consistency ... might be why it didn't level off perfectly. although I'm pretty sure I followed the recipe