Self Leveling Concrete for Flooring Use???

13 years ago

Hi Houzzers,
I need some help here! Has anyone ever used a self leveling concrete as the final (finished) floor, or can you recommend a product that will work? Your questions/comments/ideas are needed and appreciated.

We really wanted to do real concrete flooring in our master bedroom, but we can't without re-enforcing the wood subfloor because of the weight. We had a local specialty cement contractor quote a concrete-like epoxy, and they came back with a quote of $25/ sq. ft. which just isn't in the budget, unfortunately! We are looking for something similar to the attached photo.

My idea was to use a self leveling concrete (it goes on thin, so weight isn't an issue), and finish it with a matte clear epoxy on top. Obviously, I have to seal all of the leaks in the subfloor to keep it from draining through, and I realize that it will probably crack eventually because of the subfloor shifting over the years.

Does this sound like something that would work? Please help, thank you!

Featured Answer

carolannr

13 years ago

I think if you like the cracked look. Because the self leveling stuff is so thin when applied so it can level, it will crack right away. I've used it only on wood subfloors when some other final flooring was put on top because of its fragile nature. Wood subfloor shifts seasonally, not just over the years, no matter what part of the world you live in.

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Comments (9)

PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
13 years ago
Not a good choice don't do it the thin set will not only crack but it will fall apart and you'll have to remove it and go with something else
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sopela
13 years ago
We used it within the past year to level out a floor. A strip about 3' x 12' across the room. It has cracked down the center with cracks to both sides. It was never sealed, as we will be putting a floor on top of it. I don't think it would be a good choice for an entire floor, not how we did it anyhow.
PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
13 years ago
Thin concretes are for leveling floors not for finished floors to walk on
modfan
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you for the feedback, I appreciate it. Being that this isn't a good idea, is there any way to create this look/finish on a wood subfloor without using actual concrete?
PRO
Rockin' Fine Finish
13 years ago
Maybe laying down concrete board you might be able to achieve it on top of that its still a crap shoot I would say lay the board down and use the epoxy coating you where talking about
PRO
Norm Walters Construction Inc.
13 years ago
There are some really large tiles available, even those need to be laid on cement backer board over a wood substrate. You don't want to be a test subject of a newly invented wheel.
PRO
Twisted Minds Custom Designs
13 years ago
There are concrete overlay systems that can be laid over wood substrates in a very thin application, they differ immensely from self leveling type of products,, depending on your area and conditions, prices will vary. If you think this is high, consult others in your area.
Scott O'Connor
13 years ago
The product we use in commercial interiors is Ardex. It is intended to level a floor, cover cracks, etc, before applying tile, carpet ,or other flooring on top. It is not intended to be the finish. You can put Ardex down and put a wood floor on top, but you should not just seal over an Ardex layer.