SLC virgin

[macten]

Hullo peeps.

Recovering from my gall bladder op which would have been a week tops I recon but one of my port site wounds opened up and got infected so still healing after 2 weeks!
Also got bad tendonitus in my elbow (tennis elbow) which I think was bought on by the 60x60 job I did recently so feel like I just need shooting atm.
Anyhow, next week I hope to be fit enough to complete my own kitchen floor.
Already done the hallway and diner bit but still have 7.5m2 of kitchen floor to do.
All concrete screed but bad levels - wish I had levelled the whole lot before I fitted my kitchen but money and time meant I wanted a working kitchen for xmas.

Hallway was nice and level and went down with no fuss, levels became a problem as it flowed through into the kitchen diner (had knocked a couple of walls down) but managed to get a reasonable result with packing out. Obviously working like this is extremely slow and frustrating and I have put off tiling the last 7.5m2 untill now.

This area is the worst and realize the cost of slc (which will be £150 for 250kg of weber fast flex) is probably the way to go and I want the experience of using it so I can provide it to future customers without learning on their property.

I plan to batten off along the legs of the kitchen units. Whole area needs levelling and building up by at least 20mm, 35mm in places so that I don't have large unsightly gaps at the top of the kicker boards. I have no spiked roller (do I need this before I do it or will floating it with a trowel be okay for 7.5 m2)?

How do I go about mixing and pouring? Going to need 10 bags. Do I do one at a time or get a helper to mix the next lot while I level?

Any advice greatly received, will post pics of job as I go.
Thanks in advance!

 

[grumpygrouter]

That is a lot of bags to do by yourself! I know you are wanting experience but have you considered laying 20mm marmox or wedi on an adhesive bed and levelling that way? I quoted for a conservatory that need lifting by 50mm and this was just as cheap if not cheaper than SLC?

 

[Rob Z]

Hi Macten,

Glad to hear you're on the mend.


10 bags of SLC is something I would definately do with an assistant. With the brand of SLC that we use (Laticrete), we can mix all the bags and let them sit in buckets for up to 30 minutes, then give them a final mix right before pouring. (We don't ever let them sit for 30 minutes, but that is the max time allowed and it gives us plenty of time to get everything mixed in multible buckets so it can all get poured at once).

Here's a tip that might help you get good results:

When we are going over a concrete surface, we use the laser to determine our elevation for the level surface we want to hit, and set small mosaics in stacks with fast-setting epoxy, and set them so the top piece of mosaic is about ~ 1/16" below the projected surface of the SLC. Once the epoxy has set, we then brush the SLC primer over the stack of mosaics and the epoxy. We place these little benchmarks around the room, as needed, to give the reference points for pouring SLC. We then pour the buckets of SLC so that the flow of the liquid "just barely" crosses the top of the stack. If you work quickly and poured your buckets one after the other, you shouldn't have a problem getting the various pours to flow together and have a smooth surface. If there is any delay between one batch and the next batch, you might see a "ridge" form between the two. Break up the surface tension along this ridge by shaking it slightly with a rake or a trowel.

I find that an SLC pour is a lot of time spent planning and only a few minutes of frantic activity :yikes: . If you have everything laid out and staged properly, you'll be able to do this with no problems.

Another thing to consider: Do half of the material and get some practice working with it. Once it cures, reprime and pour the rest to get to the final elevation.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I use a very similar method to yours Rob

 

[Rob Z]

Here are a few pics that might help....even though this was going over lath/plywood, the way we set the elevations was the same (but with screws instead of the mosaics).

This tool is very helpful to shake up the wet edge of the slc and to help it flow together.

The last picture shows the floor after we had just poured about 6 bags (over 10-12 bags the day before). The surface is good and because we used that spreading tool it doesn't really show the marks between the various buckets that were poured out.

 

[spooner68]

I use a couple of guys I know. £5 - £7 per metre inc materials, means I can get on earning money elsewhere. Up to 20mm build up. Otherwise if deeper use marmox everytime.

 

[macten]

Got me thinking about boarding out again now.
Will look into the pricing of them both.
Am I right in thinking I will need to use a spf addy to stick boards down and again to lay the tiles? (ceramics) as opposed to
the cheap as chips unmodified rapid I have been using?
Cheers for all the tips and advice guys.
Really am tempted to go down the SLC route though for 'the experience' even though it may be a PITA

 

[Rob Z]

Got me thinking about boarding out again now.
Will look into the pricing of them both.
Am I right in thinking I will need to use a spf addy to stick boards down and again to lay the tiles? (ceramics) as opposed to
the cheap as chips unmodified rapid I have been using?
Cheers for all the tips and advice guys.
Really am tempted to go down the SLC route though for 'the experience' even though it may be a PITA

Macten, I think you should learn the SLC bit sometime, the sooner the better, just like I recommend that all tile setters get proficient with mud work. All the various methods have their time and place, and SLC can be a real problem solver.

SLC is a bit of leisurely prep work followed up by about 20 minutes of frantic activity, then followed up by a leisurely clean up.:smilewinkgrin: Plus, once you're done, you have the excuse to go home early because you can't do anything else.:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Aston]

great info and photos robz!!
top man ;0)

 

[Scott]

Can you get someone in to do it for you Macten? Then you can see how easy they make it look. I was supposed to go and see these guys prep are large area for a karndean showroom years ago and couldnt make it, i was gutted but saw the following day when they sorted out and lumps and bumps with a screed rubber and layed the floor

To this day i wish had seen them do it as it really was like a sheet of glass and every single time i lay SLC i wish i had the proper kit for it but i jsut dont do enough of it to make it worth while. I have however found a neighbour who does kardean and amtico so im hoping to get him to lay my next slc.

 

[Mike]

Macten, I think you should learn the SLC bit sometime, the sooner the better, just like I recommend that all tile setters get proficient with mud work. All the various methods have their time and place, and SLC can be a real problem solver.
SLC is a bit of leisurely prep work followed up by about 20 minutes of frantic activity, then followed up by a leisurely clean up.:smilewinkgrin: Plus, once you're done, you have the excuse to go home early because you can't do anything else.:smilewinkgrin:

tidy work there rob, i hope my next one looks as good. by mudwork i take it you mean patching/plastering? if it's a small job i'll do it but if it's a big wall or really needs filling out i get a plasterer mate to do it for me

 

[steve187]

Hi macten

I have just got back to the UK, living in Lincoln, not much on at the moment, if you wanted i could come over and give you a hand, i have not used SLC to that depth before , so it would be a learning curve for me as well.

all the best steve

 

[Scott]

Great offer that steve.

mike i think the trem mudwork refers more to the screed.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Great offer that steve.

mike i think the trem mudwork refers more to the screed.

Yep, Scott mudwork is sand and cement, screeding/ rendering etc. As Rob says, it is a very good skill for any tiler.

 

[Scott]

For sure phil, i bet i can count on one hand how many tilers there are that can do it on here. Im rubbish at it but then i have only had phone tips off our Ed (Aston)