You want to lay some rather nice tiles over the unsightly concrete floor in your kitchen, but you know that there's no point in laying good tiles on a surface that's not level, smooth and free of cracks. Good preparation of the concrete is absolutely essential. Before you can think about laying a sub-floor for the tiles, you must deal with the concrete floor [source: Ron Hazelton]. Learn here how to level a concrete floor.
Materials needed:
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- Latex bonding agent
- Self-leveling compound
- Water
- Sand
- Cement
Here's what to do:
- Fill any cracks with epoxy. Widen any small cracks, if necessary. Clean the concrete floor as thoroughly as possible with detergent, removing any grease or oil [source: edisoncoatings]. The floor must be dry and free of dust before proceeding.
- Apply latex bonding compound over all the concrete when the floor is absolutely dry. (This will enable the self-leveling compound to adhere properly.) Use a cheap paint brush to get into the corners and edges. You can use a regular mop to spread the bonding compound over the rest of the floor. Allow the latex bonding compound to dry.
- Mix the self-leveling compound with water, according to the manufacturer's instructions. It needs to be quite smooth, so mix it thoroughly in a bucket.
- Pour the self-leveling compound immediately, because it can dry very quickly. Start at one corner of the floor, and pour the self-leveling compound mixture over the whole concrete floor. Be sure to start in the corner furthest away from the door so that you don't get boxed in!
- Smooth out any irregularities you see with a long-handled garden rake, which will give you a long reach.
- Allow the floor to dry for several days [source: Ron Hazelton].
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