Our bathroom remodel continues to push my boundaries for what I know how to do to. I learn new skills every time I do something new on the house, but this one was one that I was actually pretty afraid of. Eventually I had to just buckle down and JUST DO THE THING.
It all started when we went to put in the shower pan. We fit it into the space, and once we seated it, we decided to walk on it to test it out. IT ROCKED. Like a lot. It was like standing on a very tiny rocking horse.
Leveling the floor in this room wasn’t something that we originally planned on doing. We had taken it down to the subfloor. The subfloor in this situation ( a 1940 house) was planks running the width of the space, with 1/4- 1/2 inch gaps between them. I figured we would lay down some underlayment of some kind before we tiled, but leveling the floor was not on our radar.
I purchased some Sika self leveling underlayment cement, the primer, and some underlayment plywood sheets. Then all of the materials sat for about a week while I mustered up the courage to actually do something about it.
Seriously though.
I was nervous, and had never done it before. The only other time I had worked with cement on a project this large was cement countertops, which turned out ok, but it felt like a whole different game. Once I got the courage to actually do it, I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to do so. It really wasn’t that bad, and I just got myself worked up in my head. Here is a list of materials I used:
Materials:
- Sika Self Leveling Primer
- Sika Self Leveling Underlayment Cement
- Underlayment Plywood 4′ x 8′ sheets ( I needed 4 of these) Optional if you have a solid floor already that doesn’t have gaps like mine does.
- A home depot bucket for mixing in
- A foam paint roller for applying the primer
- Caulk and spackle for sealing the seams in the underlayment
- A drill with a paddle mixer I like THIS one.
- A pitcher for measuring the water
- A giant squeegee on a pole for spreading the material
Step 1: Measure EVERYTHING
Since I had gaps in the subfloor boards I had to lay down the subfloor plywood first so that once I poured the self leveling cement it didn’t leak down through the cracks and into the ceiling space. This would have put too much weight into the ceiling below which is my living room, and probably collapsed it.
So I began by measuring out the length and width of each corner, and nook, and space on the floor. I then took those measurements and went and cut the plywood on my table saw. Have you ever cut a 4′ X 8′ piece of plywood by yourself on the table saw. It was a little scary, I will admit, not my favorite part of this project.
Step 2: Sealing the seams
Once I had all of the underlayment plywood cut to the right sizes, I attached them to the existing subfloor with wood screws, making sure to sink the head of the screws down below the grade of the plywood, so that I had a nice flush surface to work with.
Then using caulk I went around all of the edges of the plywood where it met the wall, and sealed the gaps completely, to avoid any of the cement leaking down under the edges.
I also used spackle, and covered the seams where the pieces I cut met and butted up against each other. My cuts were not perfect so there was a few spots that needed more spackle than others.
Step 3: Prime
The next step in the process was to prime the entire surface with the Sika underlayment primer. This step was an important one since the wood I laid down was porous. By applying the primer it helps the wood not absorb too much moisture, AND helps with adhesion of the cement to the wood.
I used a low knap roller, and a foam roller to apply this primer. It says NOT to pour it directly onto the surface, but instead to roll it out. So I poured it into a roller tray, and rolled it out with my roller. It took a little time, but I got the whole space done in about an hour. It is a milky color when you are applying it, but it dries clear. It has a slightly tacky feeling to it, and that good. I tried to avoid walking on it, or getting anything on it, after it was applied.
Step 4: Mixing the Cement
This step I chose to do outside, and downstairs. My bathroom I was pouring it in is on the 3rd floor of our house. I knew that this meant I was going to have to carry a very heavy bucket up two flights of stairs, but I was worried about the mess. I am very glad I chose to mix it outside. ( I had a few small splatters)
First I added the amount of water to the bucket recommended on the bag of the bag. There is no eye balling this measurement or doing it to a certain consistency, it needs to be measured correctly. By adding the water first it also helps with mixing later. Otherwise, adding the water second it is sometimes hard to mix all of the smaller chunks that get stuck around the edges at the bottom.
Then I started pouring in the cement. I did it in smaller increments allowing the dust from pouring to settle a little between adding more. ( it is also probably a good idea to wear a mask during this part. It can get pretty dusty, and cement in the lungs is not great ) The package says to let it sit for a few minutes before pouring. It also says not to over mix it, since it will create air bubbles.
Step 5: Pouring the cement
This part was the scariest. It was the part that made me take a pause, and some deep breaths. Once I did this step, there was no turning back.
The most strenuous part was carrying 60 lbs up two sets of stairs twice. I didn’t spill any or come out of the project wearing it so I am calling that a win.
I picked up the bucket and poured it into the sides and smaller parts first. I used the giant squeegee to smooth the cement into the smaller places.
I tried not to mess with it too much. I had a pretty fast curing time. I noticed if I kept messing with it, it caused it to not level out correctly. I also noticed that if it was not thick enough it would show the squeegee marks where I had moved it. So making sure to pour it thick enough was key! I also ran out of of the cement from the first bucket in the middle of the hallways area, so I hurried to mix the second batch to try and prevent having a cold joint anywhere. I also shoved plastic sacks and other stuff into the holes around the toilet so that the cement wouldn’t fill up those areas.
Then you just let it sit and cure! It took a few hours for it to look pretty smooth and cured, but I waited to walk on it until it had been 24 hours just to make sure. At first when I walked on it I heard a few small creaks and settling noises. Overall though it is level, and smooth and is so nice to have a clean slate on the floor to work with. I am so excited to start the tile in there and get this bathroom done!
I will break down the cost that was involved with leveling the floor if anyone else is looking to do it too.
Total Cost Breakdown:
- Sika Self Leveling Primer – $24.48 x 2
- Sika Self Leveling Underlayment Cement- $22.44
- Underlayment Plywood 4′ x 8′ sheets ( I needed 4 of these) -$20.48 x 4
- A home depot bucket for mixing in- $4.48
- A foam paint roller for applying the primer- $5.97
- Caulk and spackle for sealing the seams in the underlayment- had already
- A drill with a paddle mixer I like THIS one. – $17.89
- A pitcher for measuring the water
- A giant squeegee on a pole for spreading the material– $13
Let me know if you try this yourself! It is so worth it, and way easier than I thought it would be.
-Amanda