How to install concrete floors over wood subfloors?

The article aims to answer the question “How to install concrete floors over wood subfloors?”. The article will also discuss the best possible method for you to fix uneven concrete floors or uneven concrete driveways. 

How to install concrete floors over wood subfloors?

To install concrete floors over wood subfloors, you need to know that:

• The process of laying a concrete floor is time-consuming and labour-intensive. Forms will be erected to keep the concrete in place, and the surrounding spaces will be protected by concealing the walls and floors. 

• Instead of the materials, concrete floors are mostly labour-intensive projects.

• Some contractors may put a 3/4-inch piece of plywood over the wood floor rather than utilizing the decoupling membrane if the subfloor’s stability is in doubt. 

• If there is no sag in the floor’s understructure, the plywood will serve as a solid foundation for the concrete.

• All of the plywood’s seams and the screws holding it together must be sealed with tape and a liquid sealer, much like the decoupling membrane. Metal lath is also used in this approach. 

• To avoid floating, the path must be firmly affixed to the plywood before pouring the concrete.

• The contractor just has to add water to premixed concrete flooring materials. The contractor will next spread the mixture uniformly throughout the floor to obtain the desired thickness of 1/2-inch. 

• There is no need for a lot of troweling or screeding with these materials. A gauge rake, a kind of spreader with adjustable feet, is often used by contractors to spread the material to the required thickness.

• The floor may be dyed and/or simply polished to the appropriate sheen after the concrete has cured, generally within 24 hours. Polyurethane sealers or paste wax are the best options for protecting concrete. 

• A concrete-type substance known as micro-topping or skim coat, which offers an incredibly smooth surface, is a popular choice among builders for adding a second layer of protection to freshly laid concrete. When applying a stain, skim coats aid in the process.

What do I need to install concrete floors over wood subfloors?

You may need the following items to install concrete floors over wood subfloors:

• Hammer
• Self-levelling concrete
• Portland cement 
• Concrete grinder

How to repair concrete floors?

To repair concrete floors;

• It is imperative that you create a strategy before executing any action. Make a thorough assessment of the problem before getting to work. Determine the state of the concrete. This project’s timeline and budget are important considerations for you.

• In addition, you must figure out how much concrete level you’ll need for the job. Cement can be self-levelled, although it is a difficult task. It’s easy to destroy a whole project by not taking the time to measure and prepare ahead of time.

• The first step is to remove all of the equipment, belongings, and furniture from the room. Make sure the floor is free of clutter by clearing the room. Then, use a specific cleanser to scrub the concrete.

• Scrub the concrete with a soft bristled brush after applying the clear. Any surplus oil and grime may be removed by using this product. Allow the cleaner to rest for 30 minutes on the concrete. Some cleaners take more time to do the job, while others take less time. 

• Be careful to pay attention to the instructions on the box label. Later on, you’ll need to make sure you don’t skip this step. The bonding agent must adhere to a clean surface.

• Use a metal scraper if the cleaner fails to remove all of the gunk. Start scrubbing any remaining tile or linoleum slowly and lightly. Sweep it up and throw it away after that. 

• It’s time for the last step: vacuuming the whole space. Just in case you missed something when sweeping, you should do it.

• Shop-vac is the greatest vacuum cleaner. It was designed with this task in mind. It’s designed to hold cement and other heavy materials. This vacuum cleaner isn’t mandatory. It’s available for short-term rental.

• Wear safety gear at all times. Wearing eye and hand protection and gloves is an absolute need. Place the fabricated disc on its flat side against the mark you’d want to make. 

• Afterwards, begin grinding from the front and rear. Grind the area until it is level with the rest of the floor, then sand it smooth again. Use a shop-vac to remove any remaining debris once you’ve finished sanding and smoothing.

• Make care to dilute the bonding agent first before applying it to the surface to be bonded. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for dilution in water. When you’re done with it, you may apply the agent to the concrete in small doses. Make sure to read the directions thoroughly before applying any remedy.

• Use a nap roller to apply a coat of bonding glue to the basement floor. On the back of self-stick paper notes, wait until the adhesive is no longer moist but still keeps its stickiness before moving forward. 

• With the sealant, the old concrete floor is attached to the self-levelling compound, creating a new, level floor.

Can I use self-levelling concrete to repair concrete floors?

Yes, you can use self-levelling concrete to level a sloped concrete floor. 

You may save time and money by pouring self-levelling toppings or self-levelling overlays over concrete areas you didn’t think were recoverable. It’s quicker and simpler than laying down fresh concrete, for sure.

Move the grinding plate back and forth and sideways to level off any high or uneven locations. Make a thin and uniform paste out of your levelling compound. The paste fills up the gaps in the floor. Use a soft bristle push broom to spread the levelling primer evenly throughout the surface.

How to repair an uneven concrete floor?

If you want to repair uneven concrete floors;

• Move the grinding plate back and forth and sideways to level off any high or uneven locations. 

• Make a thin and uniform paste out of your levelling compound. 

• The paste fills up the gaps in the floor. 

• Use a soft bristle push broom to spread the levelling primer evenly throughout the surface.

How to repair uneven concrete driveway floor?

Continue reading the article to know how to repair uneven concrete driveway floor.

• Overlays to fix uneven concrete driveways require a clean surface to adhere well. Solidity is required in the concrete. Using a small chisel and hammer, remove any loose concrete and damaged materials from fractures. 

• Bottom cracks should be broader than top cracks. Before beginning any job, it is helpful to clean the concrete surface using a degreaser or dish detergent mixed with water and left on the surface for about 30 minutes before being rinsed and dried.

• Larger cracks need more care than smaller ones, but all of them must be repaired before the overlay can be applied. To prevent further expansion of wider fractures, use fabric tape with reinforcements. 

• Following the instructions on the packaging, polymer patch repair solutions may fill all of the fractures and provide a strong connection between old concrete and new overlay. A hand grinder may be used to smooth the edges of the repair patches after they have cured.

• When applying concrete overlays, they must be deep enough to level the driveway’s uneven surface. The overlay may be poured to the desired depth using furring strip forms installed along the driveway edge. 

• The furring strips are held in place by stakes driven into the ground on each side of them. The thickness of the overlay must be checked often when the strips are put in place.

• Two parts sand and one part Portland cement are combined with water to form a pancake batter-like consistency for the overlay layer. First, a cement-and-water paint is applied to the driveway’s surface to serve as a bonding agent before the overlay is installed. 

• The overlay material must be applied over the freshly painted surface before it dries. In spite of the fact that the overlay may self-level, it still has to be pushed into corners and around the edges. 

• An old broom may be used to roughen the surface once the overlay has dried to make it more slip-resistant. The drying time for the overlay is at least a few days. In order to make the concrete stronger, it needs time to dry.

Can I use geopolymer to repair concrete floors?

No, You can’t use geopolymer void filling to level a sloped concrete floor thus you’ll have to use polymer injection to stabilize and densify the fill.

Cracking and/or sinking concrete may occur as a result of voids beneath the concrete. Soil support, anchors, rebar, or Sonotube usage all contribute to the formation of cavities in the concrete. A gap forms between the earth and the bottom of the concrete slab when it settles or is somehow moved away, causing the slab to lose support.

Fill dirt, erosion, burrowing rats, rotting organic waste, and even a lack of moisture in the soil may cause gaps in the foundation. 

Once they’re there, it’s hard to fill them back in. Smaller slabs such as pathways may be filled with gravel or sand, while bigger slabs such as driveways or patios cannot be filled with gravel or sand. 

These need a mechanism that does not elevate the slab, but rather supports it. Using an expansive polymer for void filling is useful for a number of reasons, including:

Can I use polyurethane foam to repair concrete floors?

Yes, Injections of polyurethane foam are far less expensive than tearing out concrete slabs or redoing the driveway entirely. Additionally, there is little indication of the work that was done other than a rebuilt and level driveway. 

For residents in and around Alpharetta, Georgia, Advance Concrete Lifting & Leveling has an option for a concrete driveway solution.

The polyurethane foam is injected into the slab via tiny holes drilled on the surface, expanding and filling up the space. In order to prevent future soil movement or erosion, the substance is intended to cling to and adhere to the current soil.

Gravel is another ideal sub-base material for a concrete slab because of its strength and flexibility. To lay gravel, the soil must be prepared beforehand; pouring concrete straight upon rock is not recommended. 

As long as the gravel is clean and of a consistent size and shape, any kind of gravel may be used as a subbase.

Removing the concrete driveway would need a practice known as slab jacking in order to fix an issue that can be fixed by jacking up the earth. You don’t have to remove the driveway’s surface slabs or spend a lot of time reinforcing the structure.

Conclusion

With any large-scale project, it’s always best to choose a contractor that has a proven track record. Make sure the contractor has the proper licenses and insurance before hiring him or her for the job. 

When it comes to installing interior flooring, a concrete contractor has a unique skill set. The contractor must ensure the safety of the surrounding environment while working inside. 

Intricate patterns can only be created with a careful touch and attention to detail when using stain or stencils. To get a sense of how your project will end out, it’s a good idea to ask to examine samples of past work.

Frequently asked questions (FAQS): How to install concrete floors over wood subfloors?

How to install concrete floors over wood subfloors?

The process of laying a concrete floor is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Forms will be erected to keep the concrete in place, and the surrounding spaces will be protected by concealing the walls and floors. 

Instead of the materials, concrete floors are mostly labor-intensive projects. Some contractors may put a 3/4-inch piece of plywood over the wood floor rather than utilizing the decoupling membrane if the subfloor’s stability is in doubt. 

How to repair concrete floors?

It is imperative that you create a strategy before executing any action. Make a thorough assessment of the problem before getting to work. Determine the state of the concrete. This project’s timeline and budget are important considerations for you.

In addition, you must figure out how much concrete level you’ll need for the job. Cement can be self-leveled, although it is a difficult task. It’s easy to destroy a whole project by not taking the time to measure and prepare ahead of time.

The first step is to remove all of the equipment, belongings, and furniture from the room. Make sure the floor is free of clutter by clearing the room. Then, use a specific cleanser to scrub the concrete.

How to repair an uneven concrete floor?

Move the grinding plate back and forth and sideways to level off any high or uneven locations.  Make a thin and uniform paste out of your leveling compound. The paste fills up the gaps in the floor. Use a soft bristle push broom to spread the leveling primer evenly throughout the surface.

Can I use self-leveling concrete to repair concrete floors?

Yes, you can use self-leveling concrete to fix an uneven concrete floor. 

You may save time and money by pouring self-leveling toppings or self-leveling overlays over concrete areas you didn’t think were recoverable. It’s quicker and simpler than laying down fresh concrete, for sure.

How to repair the uneven concrete floor of the driveway?

Overlays to fix uneven concrete driveway require a clean surface to adhere well. Solidity is required in the concrete. Using a small chisel and hammer, remove any loose concrete and damaged materials from fractures. 

Bottom cracks should be broader than top cracks. Before beginning any job, it is helpful to clean the concrete surface using a degreaser or dish detergent mixed with water and left on the surface for about 30 minutes before being rinsed and dried.

Larger cracks need more care than smaller ones, but all of them must be repaired before the overlay can be applied. To prevent further expansion of wider fractures, use fabric tape with reinforcements. 

Bibliography

Bag of concrete. how to fill a void under a concrete slab (DIY). Retrieved from: https://bagofconcrete.com/how-to-fill-a-void-under-a-concrete-slab-diy/