Using SLC to achieve 8mm depth

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

This is the way I level slc runners in to laser then flood

 

[White Room]

I'm sure you don't need a bucket to remind you which one to mix in Phil:lol::lol:

 

[paul78]

Cornish Crofter - Like u I was a SLC novice until fairly recently. Last week I SLC'd 16 sq m in an hour, 3mm depth over UFH. Some things to consider:

- Most SLC's work best at 4 litres water per 20kg bag. However do consider that some special types do need less water.
- Make sure the central heatiung has been off for several hours and stays off until slc has set. If you dont the slc will get hairline cracks.
- Before starting get bucket loads of water ready at your mixing area - if you dont have an electric plaster/adhesive mixer - now is the time to buy one.
- Make sure your mixing bucket can mix and carry 20kg of slc and 4 litres of water - it is quite heavy and the bucket needs to handle the weight.
- A plastic spiked roller really helps, but is not essential - a basic plasterers trowel will do a very good professional finish - J trowel (walking stick strokes) the slc like u would multi-finish plaster.
- Plan how u will work - start at one corner and zig-zig back to your finish point (usually the door)
- Dont play with the mix. Pour a bit. Trowel it. Pour some more. Trowel it. Trowel to your depth - a well mixed slc is a piece of piece to work.
- Dont stop for a *** break. Keep goin until you finish.
- You have about 20 minutes with most mixes before they start to distort if you trowel around them. Rermember that as you move across the room. The best finishes come from steadily moving back and forth across the room and adding new slc to already laid slc that is less than 20 mins old.
- Because a good mix of slc can be easily troweled that last few feet of slc can be done from the exit doorway.
- If you dont have the confidence - buy urself a couple of bags, and practice slc in ur garage - it can be easily chipped up after practice.

And finally search this forum for threads on slc's - a lot of good info on here - some quite old. Reading it will boost ur confidence in doing the job.

Finally remember - Tiling is harder than laying a good base of slc.

well said!!

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I'm sure you don't need a bucket to remind you which one to mix in Phil:lol::lol:[/QUOT


When you get to my age Beam, you can't be to careful:lol::lol::lol:

 

[White Room]

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Aston]

now i know where you got your name ' half a mill phil'

ed

 

[cornish_crofter]

Well

I am soooooo annoyed

Despite all you wise words, and that of Weber when I finally got in touch with them, I may as well ahve stayed in bed all day because the application of SLC was a disaster

I mixed my first mix at 5.25L of water to 25kg of powder as instructed by the bag, let it sit for 2 minutes whilst I replenished the water and got another bag ready. I then poured it.

It was soooo runny I thought it wouldn't stop. There was no hope of trowling it whatsoever! I had just spent about an hour and a half setting 30 plus screws into the concrete base and levelling them all to a datum. I was trying to got 10mm average and these were set to give me that.

I then phoned Weber to ask them why it was so runny. They suggested using a little less water. So I mixed further mixes with only 5 litres.

I then did my best to try to level it. I was using a 6ft derby to smooth it over the screw heads to give me a level. Bearing in mind these are all set to within fractions of a mm to each other. I was smoothing it over in both directions.

Anyway, even after working out the volume I needed and having the tile shop verify my calcs. They are correct. I actually ran out. I have an area that is not covered at all and the rest of it simply slopes down to this corner. Even the areas that look level are out. The worst is 3mm.

I can't understand it. God I feel so fustrated. I did everything by the book and I've still got the bloody alps in my conservatory.

What did I do wrong?!

 

[White Room]

What was you laying onto, was the floor sucking the moisture out to quick

 

[cornish_crofter]

Concrete floor. It wasn't setting too quick. I definitely had the 20 min working time and more.

 

[White Room]

I use ultra 2 and would prime the floor first, just the plastering side of me.

 

[cornish_crofter]

I did prime the floor.

The sad tale is on the other thread.