How to Level a Concrete Floor

Concrete is a great and common floor substrate material in a lot of homes today. Before you can apply any sort of floor covering on a concrete floor any uneven or pitted areas must be made level. Luckily making a concrete floor level is well within the ability of most do it yourself homeowners.

Before you begin the leveling project it is important to repair any cracks or holes in the floor. You will want to rake out and remove any loose concrete or debris from the cracks and holes. Open up any cracks and taper the edges so that they will hold a concrete repair filling. Mix up an amount of commercial concrete patch and fill the cracks and holes. Do your best to get the finishes of the cracks and patches as level as you can. After the concrete filler material has dried you can grind down any high points or bumps with a concrete grinder or concrete block.

Next you will want to test the floor for high moisture content. It is important that the floor be dry before you level it. Most leveling compounds will not stick to a dirty or wet concrete floor. One easy test is to take a sheet of plastic and seal it to the concrete floor with tape. After you let it sit for a few days pull the plastic up. If the bottom of the plastic is damp then you know that you have a floor, which will need to be dried out. Use a fan to dry the floor, and if that doesn’t help then you will need to address the source of the water and remove it to proceed with the leveling.

Next mix up a batch of self-leveling concrete floor compound according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Make sure that the floor is clean and dry, and all holes and cracks patched, before you begin to apply the leveling compound. Start the application of the floor leveler by pouring some in an area, which is the farthest away from the door to the room. Once you have poured out some compound begin to smooth it out and spread it using a concrete trowel. You want to spread it out in about a 1/8-inch thick layer. Continue spreading the compound until you have covered the entire surface of the concrete floor to be leveled. Once you are finished spreading the compound the material will automatically find its own level.

Allow the floor to dry for a minimum of an hour before you walk on the leveling compound. It is best to let the floor dry for several days before applying your final floor covering over your newly leveled floor.