Using SLC to achieve 8mm depth

[cornish_crofter]

I've got some Weber SLC to do this with.

Having tried to contact Weber technical today to find out about the best way to approach this and failed, could anyone please suggest and idiot's proof guide to this job?

I am fairly inexperienced with SLC as many of my floor tiling jobs have oddly enough meant me tiling onto good floors or new screeds that I have laid.

From looking on here the practise seems to be to mix, pour and spread out using a flat bed trowel, then allow it to find its own level. I've got about 9 m squared to do. My concern is that the first mixes start to go off before the last mixes get poured.

I probably need to build up about 8mm in floor height overall. I guess I'll be doing this in stages, say 3mm at a time, let it go off then another 3mm.

Would that be right?

 

[Gazzer]

Nope do it in one hit.
View attachment 152-153 weber.niv floor.pdf

 

[cornish_crofter]

It's got a 45 minute working life, I don't think I can do it that quickly Neale. There's 9 bags of the stuff.

Now I can feel myself starting to panic!

Do I just pour it in the centre or do I work my way from the edges pouring towards the centre

 

[Gazzer]

Just start from a corner and work your way out. I did 18 recently, didnt take long.

 

[cornish_crofter]

This may sound like a really stupid question but what exactly is the process here Neale?

Do you just pour it and hope for the best, or do you have to help it?

And how do you ensure that you get the 8mm all in one go without.....

a) ending up in one lump

b) having to walk in it once it's down but before it's fully dried?

 

[Gazzer]

1st Prime the floor.
2nd get all your water and bags ready.
3rd Big buckets to mix with
4th Mix a bag at a time
5th pour it all out and repeat 4 and
You will need to help it slightly and it may help you if you place a few bits of old tile around the floor so you can tell when you are meeting the required heights. these will need to be placed and levelled of course.
levelling isnt that hard at all and dont forget that you dont need a perfect surface unless you are laying soft floooring.

 

[cornish_crofter]

One idea that did occur to me is to mark the required height on the walls. Then I can get an idea as to how close I am to it. The concrete floor is fairly even, and had it not been for the floor height, I may well have considered tiling straight onto it.

Having said that, with the fight I'm having getting tiles dead level at the moment I was hoping that the SLC would make it easier.

One assumes that if I fix the tiles in place to level up to these can stay put after the SLC is down?

 

[SandyFloor]

Don't panic about it Hugo, it's easier than it seems. A screed is fluid but probably not as fluid as you're thinking. Follow Sir Ramic's instructions and you'll be fine. It actually takes longer to set up and clean up than it takes to do the job.

 

[Gazzer]

The pieces of tile need only be 10mm square. They are only there to give you something to work too and can stay there when levelled . As you pour you will see the leveller reach the top of the tiles and then you stop pouring.

 

[SandyFloor]

I gauge my depth by fixing screws to the concrete every 6 ft or so and use a level over the top of them ( when dry you just unscrew them). I also use self adhesive draught excluder foam round the open edges like doorways or under kitchen units where I don't want it to go and it maintains level right up to the edge. Bear in mind though I usually do it for Karndean/Amtico so I need it much flatter than is required for tiling.