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Can self-levelling concrete be used for bedroom floor?

DIY_jugaad

Hi all,

Newbie amateur DIYer here wanting to know if I can use self levelling concrete as my finished bedroom floor.

I would love to have polished concrete floors, but I dont think I can afford it unfortunately.

This is my plan, I need to know what specific products are suitable or options are available:

1. Rip up the existing carpet (should be easy enough to do)

2. prepare the substrate concrete slab (pics attached of what it looks like in the rest of the living areas under vinyl sheet) - do i need a diamond grinding pad for this step? Which primer to use for the next layer of self levelling concrete?

3. Which self-levelling concrete/products are recommended for this to be my final finished flooring? Do I need to add any hardeners to make the concrete durable as an overlay? Is epoxy or polyurethane a better/easier option?

4. Sealing the floor to make it trafficable and durable: which products to use? Are there gloss/satin options?

Is this a viable plan to get a polished concrete flooring look? I saw a few posts talking about painted floors...was wondering if it would be durable?

Any advice and tips will be very much appreciated 🙏🏼 I'm using my bedroom as my test project before I decide to do the rest of the house thats got vinyl sheeting as seen in the pics.

Cheers,

Rochelle

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EricL

Hello @DIY_jugaad

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about self-levelling cement.

Removing the carpet should be relatively straight forward and patching the nail holes caused by the carpet gripers is easy enough. But before you grind the concrete surface, let me give you a brief explanation about self-levelling compounds. Self-leveling compounds are designed to create a flat substrate for flooring (tiles, vinyl, carpet, etc.), not to become part of a polished concrete finish. The patch where the levelling compound is applied to will almost certainly be noticeable.

The colour, texture, and aggregate are different from your existing concrete. Most self-leveling compounds have very fine aggregate (or nonvisible), so when polished they look totally different from concrete. You'll likely end up with obvious patches where the self-leveller meets the original slab. I don't recommend using self-levelling compounds as part of your concrete floor finish.

As an alternative, I propose grinding the concrete floor down to make it level. It's fair to say that not all of the concrete area will be grinded flat, but you can minimize the unevenness of the concrete floor. I suggest having a look at this discussion - How to grind and seal a concrete kitchen floor? by @Hillmatt33. In the discussion, I suggested using a Coates Floor Grinder (please speak to the customer service team/tool hire section) and using Crommelin 4L Clear DiamondTough Exposed Aggregate And Polished Concrete Sealer. The discussion shows sample photos of before and after polishing and with the sealer applied.

In regard to painting your floor, here is a link to a handy how to guide - How to apply epoxy to a garage floor by @prettyliving

I also suggest having a look at this discussion - Epoxy garage floor transformation by @maknilsin

Please remember to check if the paint sealer is applicable for interior use as not all of them have the same features.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working with floor sealers.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

DIY_jugaad

Thanks Eric,

This post is what gave me the idea to use a self-levelling concrete as the finished floor level. So the entire slab is covered with the self-levelling concrete then sealed and finished with the Crommelin sealing paint product you suggested.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/150157#Comment_150157

One of the replies in the thread talked about self levelling compound to get a smooth finish. Can it be polished the same way as exposed concrete flooring? Is it durable and tafficable as an overlay (not the substate that its generally used for)

Look forward to your replies 😊

Time to rip up my carpet now 😬

CCheers,

Rochelle

EricL

Hello @DIY_jugaad

Yes, that was my reply at the time, but I've run into new information that using self-levelling compound as the final surface for your floor is not ideal. unfortunately, it is the exact opposite of what you've mentioned, it is not durable and it is not trafficable. It is very strong in regard to compressive strength as that was what it was designed for, but lateral movement and moisture exposure will cause it to crack and delaminate.

Before totally ripping your carpet off, I suggest checking a small corner of your flooring and inspecting if it is smooth or very rough. As you've read in the conversation my teammate mentioned that turning a standard concrete slab into a trafficable surface is not particularly common and those concrete slabs designed to be exposed are typically constructed to a higher standard. Not to mention that the process is quite involved as explained by my teammate.

I suggest the alternative and thinking about painting your slab instead.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

DIY_jugaad

TThank Eric 🙏🏼

Appreciate your prompt response 😊Epoxy Coating I guess is what I'll be going with 😊

Carpet and underlay is off..the tack nails on the edges are going to take me a while haha ..screwdriver and hammer method to the rescue since I dont have a pry bar

EricL

Hello @DIY_jugaad

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your floor painted.

Eric

57giles

Another option is to put down an epoxy floor, this is a self leveling product that gives a super hard polished floor and can be in many colours or patterns.

DIY_jugaad

Hi again 👋

I've just cleaned and etched my concrete slab with the etching compound in the Dy-mark Epoxy Coat kit. But the floor is spotty as seen in the pics from the etching & the water droplets seem to be pooling/beaded in some spots. It feels smooth to touch and no powdery residue.

It still needs time to dry (etched just yesterday) but I'm wondering if i should give it another etching clean to get rid of the spots 🤔 and if the water drops beading means its not porous enough for the epoxy coat..

Thoughts?

Regards,

Rochelle

JacobZ

Hi Rochelle (@DIY_jugaad),

The patchy appearance after etching is not necessarily a problem on its own, as concrete can dry unevenly and variations in the slab may become more visible while it is damp. I would allow the floor to dry fully before assessing it or applying another round of etching.

The water beading is more concerning, as it can indicate that there is still a coating, adhesive residue, oil or another contaminant preventing the water from soaking evenly into the concrete, which will cause issues with your epoxy. Once dry, test several areas by sprinkling a small amount of water over the surface. It should spread out and darken the concrete rather than sitting in beads.

I would not apply the epoxy until the entire floor absorbs water reasonably evenly. Repeating the etching process might help if the issue is simply insufficient preparation, but acid etching will not reliably remove sealers, oils or some adhesive residues. If the beading remains, the affected areas may need to be mechanically ground back to clean concrete before proceeding.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

DIY_jugaad

I finally painted my bedroom floor with the Dy-Mark Epoxy Coat kit 🙌🏼 woohoo! 😬

Here's a pic of my freshly painted floor slab. It wasnt too hard to be honest..the prep work and cleaning was most gruelling..

now for the waiting again for it to cure for a few days before i can get back in there to do the rest of my decor 😊

Thanks everyone for all the input and tips with this project 😀 stay tuned for more DIY renos 😉

Cheers, Rochelle

JacobZ

Looks great @DIY_jugaad, congratulations on a job well done.

I can't wait to see what comes next.

Jacob

DIY_jugaad

So here is the final outcome of my DIY bedroom makeover

Repurposed old venetian blinds and plantation roller doors to build the bedhead and integrated cabinets. Also added LED strip lights to enhance the the 'moody bedroom' vibes. Hidden power points with easy access shelf with power outlets charging ports

Finer details to complete the look such as painting wardrobe and window frames black, pendant light fixture made using a candle holder (cut out hole for globe), made shoe drawer inside wardrobe by mounting old shoe racks onto base board with drawer rails