Self Levelled Garage Floor - not very hard

[coursemyhorse]

My garage floor is an old concrete scree which is very uneven and with nobbly ridges and bumps. I wanted to level it so...

I used Setcrete Universal Floor Levelling compound in 20kg bags. I used the official Setcrete High Performance Acrylic primer with it. I primed thoroughly and left it plenty of time overnight and was very dry. I used 8 bags and I believe kept it within the specified 3-6mm. I think at times it may have gone slightly over 6mm.

The finish is soft. I can dig my finger nail into it and pull out bits of the compound. If I knock it with my knuckles, it is solid. It's just quite soft so could be easily damaged with sharp and heavy things. I have no confidence in it as a garage floor currently. It has some minor cracking in it in places and I did struggle with getting rid of all bubbles despite using a spiked roller. Maybe it was the heat we did it in over the weekend being probably high 20s. It's a small garage only about 3.5 x 4.5m. We had problems with getting all of the lumps out of the mix. I'm not sure if that's because the product had been sat for a while.

Should I have used a Latex based one? This is just a universal one with water I believe.

To harden it up but still use the now smooth and level floor, could I apply anything else to it like an expoxy paint or something? Or shall I buy some rubber tiles and be done with it. I just don't want it to start breaking up.

(

 

[coursemyhorse]

Actually upon further testing I can dig up any section with a metal object. If I drop a steel rule on its corner it will stick in it and stand up. I can physically crumble up the leading edge on the garage entrance as well. So are they designed to be like this and gain strength from tiles on top or should it be rock hard and not scratchable at all?

EDIT: Possible it just needs more than 24 hours to cure (it's been that now) due to heat?

 

[foxhole]

Did you check the date on the packaging ?

 

[coursemyhorse]

Did you check the date on the packaging ?

Yes it said to use within 9 months of the date. It is a bit over but does this really make a difference? Why does it "go off" so to speak?

EDIT: Checked this morning which is about 36 hours since it went down and it is a little bit harder it seems. Hmm.

 

[chris_o]

Have used many levellers including setcrete before, they have all gone rock solid generally when they say they will. There's obviousy something wrong in your case, and I would say it's down to out of date material

 

[coursemyhorse]

Have used many levellers including setcrete before, they have all gone rock solid generally when they say they will. There's obviousy something wrong in your case, and I would say it's down to out of date material

Thanks Chris. I bought the yellow one as was universal and did not need it to be a particularly high application. Slightly concerned that it is advertised as "Light Duty Areas" and prior to laying a floor. Maybe I should have gone with High performance.

 

[bobasd]

get the details off the bags an phone the secrete tech number.

 

[dazlight]

I’d say it’s out of date and been stored badly. The life shelf is 6 months on most compounds these days.

Did you mix it with water. Most screeds that I’ve seen builders do these use to much water to help it flow.

Not suitable for a garage that one I’d say as it will be a weak compound. It doesn’t list its compressive strength.
F ball make it for the Diy market. It will take 28 days to reach its full hardness.

 

[coursemyhorse]

Sure. I used water and mixed exactly as per pack not adding any additional water. It seems to have hardened up now but has some minor cracks. I wonder whether I should put down a new, fresh, harder compound on top of it thinly to finish it and take the risk, or rip it all up.

 

[dazlight]

Did you dilute the primer ? What were you screeding over?
The screeding compound shouldn’t crack. Just read you primed the day before ? You should do it just before you screed it. We prime the floor. Let it dry then screed on it. Usually 20 min to a hour.

 

[coursemyhorse]

The primer I used as directed on the pack and applied it to my original concrete garage floor. Then I did the self leveling compound. It's definitely got much harder now it's a week later. Maybe it was due to the fact we put it down in very hot weather it affected it. Maybe it took longer to react as the powder was past it's best. I don't know. What I do know is it looks ok now. Pretty decent finish with some minor cracks where I probably applied it too thick. The leading edge into the garage is a tad brittle and may crack up if wheels are rolled over it, but I think I am going to try to run a rubber ramp of sort somehow over that bit.

Now I am debating whether to leave as is, paint it, epoxy resin it, cheap carpet tile it, pvc/rubber tile it. I take it I can do an epoxy resin over the top now? I see a load of videos on youtube of lovely mirror finishes from America, but not much info on UK providers of the stuff.

 

[Nozzle]

Mirror finishes are all very well until they get wet

Nozzle

 

[coursemyhorse]

Mirror finishes are all very well until they get wet

Nozzle

True. Also if I spend any more time/love/care on the garage I might get sick of the wife reminding me that..."it's a garage"