How to pour 1/2" of concrete on my basement floor, but slanted

I just realized my basement floor is unevent, and has settled on the edges, so it's not emptying towards the sump pump. This is quite close to the room with the equipment, so I need to rectify this situation.

I only need perhaps 1/2" to 1" of additional filler to get the edges back up to even with the middle. Can I just pour some concrete on the floor directly (after ripping everything off the floor, and putting 2x4's up around sthe sump pump hole), and when it's close to being set, using a spade to angle it down towards the sump pump so it drains?

If that's quite dumb, Any other ideas?

IVB said:

I just realized my basement floor is unevent, and has settled on the edges, so it's not emptying towards the sump pump. This is quite close to the room with the equipment, so I need to rectify this situation.

I only need perhaps 1/2" to 1" of additional filler to get the edges back up to even with the middle. Can I just pour some concrete on the floor directly (after ripping everything off the floor, and putting 2x4's up around sthe sump pump hole), and when it's close to being set, using a spade to angle it down towards the sump pump so it drains?

If that's quite dumb, Any other ideas?

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You can't really pour 1/2" of concrete on top of an existing floor. The aggregate in the concrete would prevent your getting an acceptable surface. Adhesion to the previous floor would be problematic and you'd likely see extensive cracking of the new pour. You could use mortar mix for this. If you do, use a concrete adhesive to bond the new layer to the old. You'll have to be very careful with the mix to prevent it from cracking as it cures. You'll have to be good with concrete tools to get a decent finish. The best solution (and most expensive) are products made just for this purpose. I've used LevelQuick before which is a self leveling product for correcting uneven floors to a depth of 1". Concrete is often best left to those who do it for a living...

Thanks for the info about LevelQuik - is that something you think a quasi-unqualified person should attempt?

I would hire someone if I were you.

Unless you have experience in concrete you'll likely make an awful mess and it will there forever.

Putting down concrete ain't like painting.

Neil

LevelQuick is the way to go. Forget trying 1/2 inch of concrete.

I agree with leaving this one to a pro. I will attempt basic concrete work outdoors but it ain't easy. I would not trust something this important to anyone but a pro. Leveling and finishing concrete properly is an art form that takes experience.

Vivek, go to a site where they"re building new homes and are pouring the concrete and see if anyone does side jobs.

Is LevelQuik DIY-friendly, or another "hire a pro" situation?

IVB said:

Is LevelQuik DIY-friendly, or another "hire a pro" situation?

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I used a LevelQuik type of product (don't remember the exact name) when I remodeled my brothers basement. I was easy to use and is self leveling. I used it for some spots that were over 1" low and it filled in/flowed out fine and I was able to trowel the edge right to a feather edge. At least for me, this was definitely a DIY product/project.

Dick

I may be confused but dont you want the concrete to NOT be level so the water drains to a particular location? Correct? You want it to slant. If so , levelquick wont do that as its a self leveling product. Its designed to auto level uneven surfaces.

Ranger Digital is right; self-leveling cement is runny and designed to fill shallow depressions and create a level surface. Imagine pouring pancake syrup on an uneven floor ... it'll flow into hollows and eventually spread out to form a level surface. If the floor has a significant slope, the syrup will simply flow towards the lowest point.

The best you'll achieve with self-leveling cement is to raise the depressed perimeter of your basement floor so it becomes even with the center of the floor. If you want the perimeter to slope towards the center (or towards some other point) you'll need to use mortar. There are several pre-mixed formulations designed for patching purposes (i.e. thickness does not exceed ~3/4"" and it can be feather-edged).

You may want to call in a professional if you've never worked with a mortar or concrete. It is very tempting to add too much water and create a weak finished product. But if you're up for it, buy a trowel and a bag of ready-mix and practice on a sheet of OSB (oriented strand board) or some other material you can discard. Based on the results you'll know if you're ready to tackle the floor or call a pro.


BTW, "Concrete" is the combination of Portland cement, sand, and mixed aggregate (and water). "Mortar" is Portland cement, hydrated lime, and sand (and water). Pure Portland cement is never used alone.

Thanks for the tips. Yes I do need a slight slant, so i'm not 100% sure what to do here. The new situation is that hiring a pro isn't going to be an option anymore, at least in the short-term.

The flood caused my sump pump to fail, after replacing it with one of the few expensive ($200) sump-pumps Home Depot had left, I found out I had a blockage in the pipes. The pipes are fine to the outside of the house - I hacksawed open them about 2' over the ground and it flows fine. I'll tee it off to a remote location for the short-term until I can snake/etc the remaining portion. Also, my hot water heater isn't sustaining a flame - I finally can get the pilot light to light and stay lit, but as soon as I turn up the gas, all the flame goes out.

It looks like i'll have to hire a pro for the above 2, and that pipe blockage could be several hundred for a vidcam type snake if I can't fix it myself, so I'ma gonna haveta either leave the floor alone or do something myself. Then again, not being able to afford to hire a pro is how I ended up self-installing the Elk, and that's only cost me $4000 over 2 years :blink:.

Here's a thought: Use the LevelQuik to establish a full-flat on the floor so I don't have this wide disparity. Then, when that cures, pour a tiny amount of mortar on the floor to do the leveling. i've done some work with mortar, but it sucks ass to make it smooth.

Alas, life would have been so much simpler if I had gotten more than 2 #'s and the mega in the lotto last month.

"The flood caused my sump pump to fail,"

What happened ? Did the pump sieze, or the electric fail, or just too much water ?

I have a buddy that was paranoid about flooding after a flood about 25 years ago and he enlarged his sump pit and put five (yes 5) sump pumps in there and if you go to his back door you will see 5 pieces of flex discharge hose sticking out thru the wall.

Ironically there has never been another flood since but he feels a lot safer now.

Neil

I have sseen one of those DIY showes where they used boards with a slight angle on them to use this self leveling stuff to fix a floor and slope it to a drain. they treated it like working with real concrete filling up the form and screeing off the top wotking in small (say 3 foor wide and as long as they needed) going from 1 in at the high end to grade in the long directionthey actually pointed it at at a floor drain so water could would run into it. in your case point it twards the sump.

IVB, I would not layer LevelQuick and then mortar. If level, use LevelQuick. If sloped, use mortar. It's the layers that run into durability problems and putting multiple layers compounds adhesion and flaking issues.

You can borrow / buy a cheap laser level. Put it on a block at the high point of the room, mark the outside walls at level (drop from the laser point down the height of the block / laser height, plus your fall distance). Then, mix some mortar and raise a section of the floor until you get above your wall line. Put a board on the existing floor that is the right height to get the slope you want. Use a straight 2x4 as a screat (a board that you do the initial "leveling" the concrete with) by putting one end of the screat board ontop of the "height" board and the other at the top of the drain and pulling it back to you over the top of the concrete / mortar mix. Do a 10 x 10 area to begin with. If you do a job you are proud of, then do the rest. The key to concrete for DIY'rs is not to tackle too much in one time that you run out of time to do the finish troweling. If that happens, you have a lumpy, wavy, streaky surface. Not to mention that mortar and concrete are very labor intensive and you don't want to have a stroke and get cemented to your basement floor :blink:

Depending on the size of your basement, this is a full weekend job.