What is a Self Leveling Compound?

A self leveling compound is a chemical mixture used to smooth uneven concrete or wooden floors. It is ideal for filling dips in wooden floors or for smoothing concrete ones. It is very important to have an even-surfaced floor when planning to place ceramic tiles or any other floorings because uneven surfaces cause tiles to crack.

Preparing the Floor

The floor should be stable before applying a self-leveling compound. With concrete floors, this is hardly an issue, but with wooden subfloors, the task may be almost impossible to handle. If a wooden subfloor moves when you step on it, a self-level compound might not be the best decision: it will break. Furthermore, the floor needs to be cleaned from dust and dirt before applying a self-leveling compound.

 Applying Primer to the Floor

Before placing the self-leveling compound, it is essential to apply a brush or two of primer. This way, you will ensure a solid bond for the self-leveling compound. You have to wait until the primer dries very well because if wet, it may react with the self-leveling compound and make it less stable. As part of the process, air the room after applying the primer and you will speed up drying and eliminate unpleasant smells.

Identifying Uneven Surfaces

You can slide a framing square over the floor and find if it has any cavities. Mark these spots: they will be the ones where the self-leveling compound will be applied.

Prepare to Work with a Self-leveling Compound

It is important to work fast because the self-leveling compound dries very fast. The whole process of pouring, mixing and spreading the compound should take no more than 20 minutes. The manufacturer’s guide should be followed. It is recommended to work with gloves and to avoid breathing the dust from the self-leveling compound: it may lead to cough or even allergies. For best results, you should mix the compound with a drill and add as much water as specified in the instructions. It is better to use cold water, thus lengthening the period before the compound dries up.

Applying a Self-leveling Compound

Immediately after mixing the compound, you need to spread it to the previously identified uneven areas. Wait a little until it begins to thicken and then use a drywall tool to make it even. Then you can spread it out to the whole room and ensure that the floor is even. It is important to know what you are doing and to do it quick. When the compound begins to thicken, you shouldn’t try to slow down the process by heating it up or by adding additional water. It will spoil the self-leveling compound and make it break afterward. In 4 hours, the compound will be hard enough to step on it.

Cleaning Up Afterward

Unfortunately, there is no way to clean the bucket and the tools completely; they will become “self leveling compound tools”. Still, you can wash them with water after finishing work.

Source:  www.DoItYourself.com

Victorian Tile Maintenance

This was a straight forward request to clean and re-seal a Victorian Minton tiled floor in Coventry. The tiles were in good condition but there were a few stubborn stains that needed dealing with.

Cleaning Victorian Tiles

I used a concentrated dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to clean and strip the old sealer from the floor. It was first left to soak into the tiles for around 15 minutes before being scrubbed into the Victorian tile and grout using a slow speed rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. The dirty solution was removed and the process repeated and grout lines scrubbed until I was happy the tiles were clean; this was then followed with a thorough rinse with water and a wet vacuum was used to remove the fluids and get the tile and grout as dry as possible. This process took most of the day so once the floor was clean I left for the day leaving it to dry overnight.

Sealing Victorian floor tiles

I came back the next day and after confirming the tiles had dried I began sealing them using six coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go sealer which will provide stain protection as well as adding a nice shine to the floor. The interesting thing about Seal and Go is that’s it’s a water based sealer so you don’t get a smell as it dries.





Source: Help maintaining Tile, Stone and Grout

How to Prepare the Floor before Pouring Self Leveling Compound

A self leveling compound is applied to a floor prior to the laying of tile or wood planks. It provides you with a level surface to lay tiles on. Most any floor installer will tell you that you should never lay ceramic tile or wood directly on top of plywood subflooring. Self leveling compound will provide you with the necessary surface to lay the floor.

Clean the Subflooring

Preparing the floor before you pour the self leveling compound involves cleaning up any debris or dirt that has accumulated on the subflooring. This can be done with a shop vacuum or large shop broom. Once you have removed the debris from the subflooring, check the floor for any imperfections. These imperfections include nail or screw heads that may have forced their way upwards. Use a screwdriver or hammer to either remove the screws or nails or put them back in place. Replace any fasteners that you remove with new ones.

Test a Small Area of the Floor

Section off a small area of the floor in order to practice laying the self leveling compound. If you are working with the mixture for the first time, you should practice laying the compound in a small area, in order to get used to using it. Once the compound is mixed with water, you have a finite amount of time in which to work before the mixture becomes hard and unusable.

Source: www.DoItYourself.com

Changing Grout Colour

This was a straightforward request to deep clean the Ceramic Tile and Grout in the kitchen of a house in Romsey, Hampshire but as you will see from the photograph below the Grout was far too stained to be cleaned effectively. Kitchen grout gets a lot of abuse from spillages so this is not unusual and to prevent it the grout can be sealed or you can choose a dark grout colour.

Cleaning and Preparing the Tile and Grout

To get the tile and grout clean I applied a dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and left it to soak in to the surface dirt for a while before scrubbing it with a rotary machine fitted with a black scrubbing pad and also a stiff hand brush along the grout lines. This was then washed down with warm water all of which was removed by a wet Vacuum. This cleaning process was repeated until the tiles were clean and the grout was a good as I could get it. Unfortunately the grout had stained quite badly and we were unable to get a good uniform appearance so after discussing this with the customer it was agreed that we would apply a white Grout Colourant.

Applying Grout Colourant

If it was a small area I could have considered using a Grout Pen however this required more than a touch up so this is where you need an epoxy grout colourant which forms a hard wearing epoxy barrier over the existing grout that looks natural and effectively protects the grout from further staining. The grout needs to be clean and dry before you apply it so if you’re doing this from scratch make sure you clean the grout first with Pro-Clean or the Pre-Treater product that is available. The grout colourant is then easily applied using a toothbrush, it sounds easy but you have to be very methodical. The colourant dries in about an hour after which it’s worth double checking your work and then removing any excess by applying a little water and running over it with a white pad.


I think you will agree from the photographs the tiles look much cleaner and the floor transformed by the improvement in grout colour.



Source: Help Resolving Grout Problems

Care and Maintenance of a Cork Floor

A cork floor can give a room a natural, organic look. However, a cork floor requires a good amount of care and maintenance to last long. After you install a cork floor, you have to remain vigilant to protect it against natural elements, chemicals and other things that can ruin it. Follow these tips to care for yours.

Avoid Wet Cleaning

If the you clean the cork floor with too much water or other liquid, it will settle in and damage the floor. You can try cleaning it with a damp cloth or mop, but keep the water to a minimum so that it can quickly dry. Clean your floors right away after a spill.

Protect It from Furniture

Take care not to wreck your floor with marks and scuffs when you move furniture around. Cushion the bottom of your furniture with material such as felt, to prevent direct contact between your furniture's feet and the floor. You can buy stick-on felt pads in most home improvement or some discount stores. Leave the felt on in case you bump against the furniture durnig daily use.

Don't Use Rubber Mats

Rubber mats retain moisture and will ruin your cork floor. The same goes for mats with non-porous backings. In addition to ruining your floor, the mats will affect the finish by discoloration. Only use breathable mats that allow for enough air to circulate to the floor.

Use Natural Products

Harsh chemicals can destroy the floor itself, as well as the finish. Instead, vacuum or use a carpet sweeper often. If you spill something, use a cloth to wipe it up immediately with a gentle solution of one part baking soda and one part white distilled vinegar. You can also purchase products specially for cleaning pre-finished hardwood floors. If you don't clean up spills right away, the floor will stain.

Prevent Excessive Sunlight

Make sure that you have sufficient window treatments, such as blinds, drapes or heavy curtains, to keep sunlight from constantly shining on the floor. Excessive sunlight on cork floors can cause them to fade. Consider the placement of furniture in the room, such as large appliances or a couch to help reduce the amount of sunlight that enters the room.

Periodically Renew the Finish

Recoat your cork floors from time to time in order to make them last longer. Look for signs of wear and tear, especially in high-traffic areas, for clues on when to renew the finish. The coating substance depends on the finish. For example, use a polyurethane coat on a cork floor with an acrylic finish. 

One final fact to keep in mind is that cork floors can expand or contract with humidity (like any other wood floor product). You may need to use a humidifier from time to time to prevent this from happening. Every floor is different, and therefore you should refer to your manufacturer's instructions for additional tips based on the floor you purchased and the finish you chose.

Source:  www.DoItYourself.com