Masonry Magazine April 1993 Page. 43
Self-Leveling Compounds and Concrete Repair
Self-leveling compounds are cementitious underlayments that are used to smooth and level concrete floors. These materials are designed to be poured onto a prepared surface and allowed to flow freely, creating a level surface. Self-leveling compounds are often used to prepare floors for the installation of tile, carpet, or other flooring materials.
Self-leveling compounds are available in a variety of formulations, each with its own unique properties. Some compounds are designed for use in thin applications, while others are designed for use in thicker applications. Some compounds are designed to be fast-setting, while others are designed to be more durable.
The choice of self-leveling compound will depend upon the severity of the problem. The thin section of the materials dramatically reduces the weight added to upper stories of structures, modifications to doors, thresholds or floor mounted electrical, HVAC and base boards. Portland Cement also means that it is noncombustible.
A cementitious topping of 4 inch average thickness can be installed at $1.30 to $1.50 per square foot. This does not include any unusual sub-strate preparation. In some cases, the areas to be leveled is much deeper than 4 inch. When this occurs, the concrete topping can be used in conjunction with a trowelable fill material such as a vinyl concrete patcher or fast setting cement mix. The fill material can be troweled in place to approximately Va inch below the finished floor elevation. At that point, the self-leveling topping can be installed over the fill after primer application.
There are some instances where the self-leveling compounds are not the recommended solution. In many cases, a floor patch is adequate. A rule of thumb: larger areas such as an entire room should be leveled with self-leveling materials, whereas small spot patching can be handled with concrete patcher or a fast set cement modified with an acrylic additive. It is difficult to level a large concrete slab by troweling. Use of a primer with these materials greatly improves performance. Also, concrete sloped surfaces that are rough or spalled present a problem for repair. Since the area has slope, a self-leveling material is not suitable as a method of repair. A trowelable polymer modified portland cement based repair product would be acceptable to be troweled to the slope.
Almost all types of self-leveling or patching materials incorporate some type of integral bonding agents. Because of the manner in which these bonding agents function substrate and air temperatures must be between 50°F and 90°F. Freshly applied materials must also be produced against drying winds, sudden rains, and extremes in humidity.
Of course, the bottom line is that existing floor conditions, end use requirements, and budgets dictate the degree of correction that is needed.
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JACK COVER is technical salesmanager for W. R. Bonsal Company. He has twenty years of field experience with specialty construction products, and is a member of CSI. W. R. Bonsal Company was founded in 1895, and is one of the oldest specialty concrete and masonry product companies in the U.S. This material was originally published in the June 1991 issue of "Bonsal Solutions, a technical newsletter. Bonsal products originally specified in the newsletter include Vinyl Concrete Patcher, Acrylic Additive, Self-Leveling Underlayment, Self-Leveling Wear Topping Top and Epoxy Primer.
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MASONRY-MARCH/APRIL, 1993 43