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Why does nobody talk about how much time you lose with self-leveling compound?
I spent a whole weekend trying to level my basement floor in Omaha using a $50 bag of self-leveling compound. Mixed it exactly like the instructions said, poured it out, and it set up in like 10 minutes before I could even spread it right. Ended up with a lumpy mess that cost me $200 in materials to rip out and redo with plywood instead. Has anyone else had this stuff harden way too fast or did I just get a bad batch?
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owens.laura3d ago
Respectfully, I think you might've just gotten a bad batch or mixed it wrong. That stuff is super sensitive to water ratios and temperature, especially in a basement in Omaha where it's probably cold and damp. I've used it a few times for small patches and it gives you plenty of working time if you follow the numbers exactly and don't overmix. Maybe try a different brand next time, one that says "extended working time" on the bag, because that cheap stuff is really meant for tiny spots not a whole floor.
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the_daniel3d ago
Yeah, "following the numbers exactly" is a lot harder to do when the bag says one thing and my completely uncalibrated eyeballs say another. Guess I'll stick to patching tiny spots with the cheap stuff and leave the whole floor jobs to the professionals.
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the_robin3d ago
lol you know I used to think that cheap stuff was fine for everything but reading this honestly changed my mind. Gonna stick to paying someone next time my eyes say "yeah that looks right".
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