PSA: Trying to level a floor with self-leveler without proper prep

I was working on my basement floor in Cleveland last weekend and thought I could just pour self-leveling compound over this old concrete slab. Well the floor had some old paint spots and a bit of dust I didn't fully sweep up. The leveler started peeling up in chunks after 3 hours and I had to scrape it all off with a chisel. Ended up spending an extra 6 hours grinding the whole floor with a rental machine from Home Depot for $65. Has anyone else had this happen with leftover paint patches causing adhesion issues?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarag172d ago

Dude, I feel your pain. I did almost the same thing in my garage and spent a whole Saturday chiseling off failed leveler.

wesley6392d ago

Oh man, @zarag17, did you have that moment where you just stared at the floor and thought "what have I done"? I did the exact same thing with a batch of self-leveler in my basement last year. I mixed it way too thick because I was in a hurry and it set up like a hard candy shell on half the floor. I spent two full weekends with a hammer and a cold chisel, and my back was killing me for a week after. The worst part was when I finally got it all off, I found out I had to put down a bonding agent first, which I totally forgot about. At least now you know what not to do for next time, right?

garcia.cameron2d ago

Spent a whole Saturday once on a floor in Akron where I thought I could skip the primer. @zarag17 is right about the bonding agent, I learned that one the hard way too. Ended up using a pressure washer indoors to blast it off, huge mistake.