For practical and aesthetic reasons, your garage floor needs to be level and smooth. Many issues can arise from an uneven concrete floor, including tripping hazards and difficulty moving heavy objects. Thankfully, you don’t need to be an expert to handle this situation. You can level your concrete floor on your own if you have the necessary equipment and a little know-how.
We’ll take you step-by-step through the procedure in this guide. You’ll discover how to properly prep the surface, select the appropriate materials, and apply them. We have you covered whether you’re coping with small flaws or bigger problems.
By following these guidelines, you’ll prolong the life of the concrete in your garage in addition to improving its appearance and safety. It’s a useful project with significant potential impact. Let’s get started and create a level, smooth surface on your garage floor.
Step | Description |
1. Clean the floor | Remove all debris, dirt, and oil stains using a broom and a cleaner. |
2. Repair cracks | Fill any cracks with a concrete patching compound and smooth it out. |
3. Apply primer | Coat the floor with a concrete bonding primer to help the leveling compound adhere better. |
4. Mix leveling compound | Follow the instructions to mix a self-leveling compound until it’s smooth. |
5. Pour and spread compound | Pour the mixture onto the floor and use a trowel to spread it evenly. |
6. Allow to cure | Let the compound dry completely according to the manufacturer’s instructions. |
7. Finish surface | If needed, sand down any rough spots and apply a sealant for protection. |
- Reasons for the appearance of irregularities and types of damage
- Elimination of cracks
- Removing bumps and holes
- Leveling with cement-sand mortar
- Main works
- Final work
- Leveling with a ready-made self-leveling solution
- Tools
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Reasons for the appearance of irregularities and types of damage
The floor covering in a garage must endure both static and dynamic loads, the influence of aggressive materials, and temperature fluctuations because it is an unheated space. This weakens the concrete and increases the likelihood of cracks developing. Following the initial coating integrity violations, the destruction process quickens and potholes start to slowly show up at the cracks. Unevenness frequently needs to be fixed in order to keep them from harming the vehicle.
Furthermore, the following could be the cause of the imperfections in the garage floor:
- mismatch of the load on the material and the strength of the coating, which may occur due to a change of car or incorrect calculations during construction;
- low quality of concrete, which is the result of improper preparation of the solution;
- poorly prepared base for screed or slabs, formation of voids under the concrete coating.
Different causes lead to different kinds of damage, which are conditionally classified as follows:
- mechanical (cracks, chips, potholes);
- installation, caused by improper installation of the screed, despite the high strength of the material ("washboard", small bulges and holes);
- internal, which appeared due to poor quality of the solution (air cavities, caverns inside the concrete layer and under it).
Local or partial repairs eliminate minor flaws. However, if there is significant damage or a mismatch between the coating’s strength and thickness and the loads it bears, the screed needs to be replaced entirely.
If you take the proper measures, leveling a concrete floor in your garage can be a simple do-it-yourself project. This guide will take you step-by-step through the entire process, from evaluating the condition of your floor to selecting the best leveling compound and correctly applying it. Common problems such as dips, cracks, and uneven surfaces can be fixed to guarantee a long-lasting, glossy finish. Whether your goal is to make your garage more functional or ready for a fresh coat, following these easy steps will help you accomplish professional-quality results without having to hire a contractor.
Elimination of cracks
A number of things can cause cracks to form, such as normal wear and tear, installation mistakes, and outside influences. Crack elimination starts with the defect expanding so that the solution can enter the structure unhindered. It is possible to find hidden damage during expansion that is challenging to identify visually. There may occasionally be a gap in the base beneath the screed, which explains why it appears.
A chisel is used for expansion; it is inserted into the opening and struck with a hammer. Place reinforcement in place prior to fixing lengthy, deep cracks in concrete. This is accomplished by cutting thin, one-centimeter-deep grooves across the recess. They are filled with short rod segments that protrude into the intact monolith by at least 7 to 10 cm on each side.
Before repairing the ditch, chipped sections, dust, and filler fragments must be cleared out. To get rid of any last bits of dust, use pressured water to wash the cracks. After the ditch has been prepared for repair, dry it off and apply concrete primer to its surface. By taking this action, the freshly laid mortar will adhere to the previous coating more readily.
The following procedures are used to fix the prepared crack:
- Mix M400 cement and water until a semi-liquid dough is obtained. Add PVA glue (1:1) as a plasticizer and mix the solution with a mixer until completely homogeneous.
- Pour the repair compound into the ditch, you can push it deeper with a spatula. Fill the grooves with reinforcement with the solution. If filled correctly, the solution protrudes slightly above the floor level.
- After 24 hours, you need to level the surface, removing excess mortar that remains on the outside. For this, a grinder is used, and for an insignificant amount of work – coarse sandpaper stretched over a bar.
Removing bumps and holes
When mortar is haphazardly stretched during the screed-making process, bulges may result. When navigating the uneven garage floor, they must be taken off to prevent injuries. With the right attachment, a chisel or hammer drill can be used to remove bulk. If the protrusion is caused by the reinforcement’s edge, a grinder will need to be used to trim it off.
A milling cutter works best when trying to level a lot of small irregularities. With the help of this tool, concrete screed can be smoothed without the need for extra work to level it.
Concrete potholes also need to be filled locally, without having the entire garage’s screed replaced. To create a solid monolith, the hole’s surface needs to be cleared of chipped fragments. Using a construction vacuum, remove the resultant debris, and then fill the depression with crushed stone (up to 2 cm). The backfill should be between two and five millimeters below the pit’s edges. The prepared pit is filled with epoxy concrete that has been made in accordance with the kit’s instructions, including component B—the mixture hardener—and component A—powder.
Until the mixture dries, stop working. You have 30 to 50 minutes to continue. Cement-sand putty is then used to fill the pit and level it with the floor. Use coarse sandpaper to sand the putty layer after it has dried for 12 to 24 hours.
Leveling with cement-sand mortar
The only way to fix a floor with an excessive number of potholes and cracks is to replace the screed entirely and pour concrete over the whole surface. You can apply a fresh layer without taking down the previous one if there is no indication that there are any voids beneath the coating. But it’s best to remove the old floor and install new screed if the old coating has internal flaws, has height variations greater than 5 cm, or shows significant wear. You can waterproof and insulate the coating at the same time.
Using a hammer drill, the concrete is broken down, removing the screed all the way across the room. You’ll need the following for repairs:
- building benchmarks (beacons);
- cement, sand and crushed stone;
- reinforcement mesh with a cell size of 15×15 cm;
- roofing felt;
- thermal insulating material (EPS with a thickness of at least 5 cm);
- formwork boards near the inspection pit.
Lay out the garage floor horizontally, then cover it with roofing felt or polyethylene film, gluing the joints together and stacking the adjacent strips on top of one another. The reinforcing mesh is placed on top of the waterproofing, followed by EPS slabs. Next, place formwork close to the walls and surrounding the inspection pit.
Main works
Ascertain the floor’s highest point. Install rows of beacons for the screed and align the remaining surface in line with it. Utilize a unique thin metal profile and secure it to alabaster mortar racks. The beacon is at least 6 cm (or at least 10 cm) high above the level of the floor insulation if the garage is meant to hold a heavy car. Check the horizontality of each beacon and the two to three adjacent rows with a level. The beacons are spaced 30–40 cm apart.
Combine one part cement, three parts sand, and four parts crushed stone with a 1-2 cm fraction. It should have a semi-liquid consistency. Starting from the far corners of the garage, the screed is installed:
- pour 2-3 buckets of solution between the beacons;
- put a long wooden rule on the profiles, fill the corner;
- stretch the piled concrete towards the exit, without tearing the rule away from the beacons.
Use oscillating motions with the rule to the sides to aid in stretching. You must lay out the next section and repeat the procedure once all of the concrete has been leveled along the beacons. Within about 21 days, the concrete will reach its maximum strength. The coating cannot be used prior to this.
Final work
The screed is watered every day to keep the surface from cracking while it dries. You can use a self-leveling finishing mixture to smooth it out. Approximately one week following the screed’s installation, they are applied to it in a thin layer. As a finishing layer, a liquid cement-sand mixture is poured in a 1-2 cm layer over the screed.
The floor will become more resilient to the effects of oil, gasoline, and other abrasive liquids if you use pre-made mixtures with the right qualities as a leveler. They frequently consider the overall cost of the project when deciding how to level the floor.
After pouring, the formwork surrounding the inspection pit needs to be taken down the following day. After the formwork is removed, the edges of the concrete need to be treated with abrasive tools to remove any sharp edges and unevenness, even though the concrete has not strengthened.
Leveling with a ready-made self-leveling solution
Polymer-based mixtures known as levelers can be used to level the garage’s concrete floor. These compounds are costly, so they are either used to finish a freshly laid screed or, if it isn’t disassembled, to repair an old one.
Three stages are involved in the work:
- Applying a primer to concrete. It must be selected taking into account the composition of the screed.
- Elimination of large defects (if the screed has not been changed).
- Applying a leveling layer. The composition must be mixed and poured onto the garage floor. Roll the liquid mixture with a needle roller.
Tools
To create a screed with minimal effort, tools are required, and occasionally professional assistance is required as well. If only repairs necessitate the use of a concrete mixer, milling cutter, or laser level, costly equipment can be rented.
You will also require more basic instruments that you can purchase and use in other sectors of the economy:
- a building level for determining the horizontal and vertical;
- a needle roller to expel air bubbles from the screed;
- a rule for distributing the solution (also useful when plastering walls);
- a shovel, trowel, etc. small construction tools;
- a hammer drill with a chisel attachment – will help you easily remove the old coating.
Self-leveling a concrete floor in your garage is not as difficult as it might first appear. Any unevenness can be effectively smoothed out and a long-lasting, durable surface can be created with the right tools and materials.
Complete preparation is required for the procedure, which includes cleaning the floor and patching any significant holes or cracks. This stage creates a strong base for the newly leveled surface and guarantees that the leveling compound can adhere correctly.
The self-leveling compound is easy to apply, but it needs to be done carefully. A smooth finish is dependent on properly mixing the compound and applying it to the floor. Here, patience is essential because letting the compound settle and properly dry will have a significant impact on the outcome.
Sealing the floor can help prolong your efforts by providing protection against future wear and tear once it has been leveled and allowed to dry. The usability of your garage is increased with a sealed floor, which is also easier to clean and more stain resistant.
These simple steps can help you completely remodel your garage floor, getting rid of any unevenness and making the area safer and more aesthetically pleasing. By taking the time to do it correctly, you can guarantee a polished finish that improves your garage’s overall usability.