uneven basement floor -- how to fill in small depressions in concrete subfloor?

[Melissa]

The folks who jackhammered up the perimeter of my basement floor to
put the sump pumps didn't do a great job of relaying the concrete
floor, and it is uneven in spots. I've decided to use a Dremel to
grind down the spots that are too high (there aren't many). But for
the depressions, I hesitate to use self-leveling cement because a
typical low spot is perhaps 2-4 inches in diameter and a quarter to a
half inch deep; my guess is that I need to use a more liquid product
that can be more carefully controlled. I've been looking at Henkel
Corp P77913125 PL Polyurethane Self-Leveling Concrete Crack Sealant
and 3M(TM) Concrete Repair 600 Gray Self-Leveling. Any thoughts on
these or other products for this use?

Many thanks.

[sligoNo...@hotmail.com]

I can't see using a dremel to grind down concrete. I know
they make a few different machines, but .....

Why do you feel the need to fill in that small depression?
Will it be left exposed or are you planning to cover it with some
finish flooring?

[Melissa]

More info: the floor is mostly covered with old tile (linoleum?)
except where they jackhammered up the perimeter. Where the perimeter
was flat, I filled it in with vinyl stick on tile. However, there are
a few spots that are too uneven for these tiles (12"x12") to sit
evenly; they wont' stick, and they rock back and forth with a
crunching sound. I'd like to have the floor even because the entire
mess -- the old tile, stuck on with some tarry base that probably
contains asbestos, and the new non-matching tile -- is both hideous
and cold. I'm thinking carpet squares over the whole thing, since it
is a sub-ground installation and might conceivably get wet. But where
the floor is uneven, in a few spots, it is probably too uneven to just
put carpet tile on top of it (much less laminate or ceramic tile or
wood, all of which require an even subfloor). The ceiling is not
terribly tall, or I would put a plywood subfloor down -- I could still
conceivably do this. At present, the plan is to level out the
concrete in the patches where it is not level, pop on the stick on
vinyl tile so that it matches every other part of the floor and is
even, and then carpet squares.

The Dremel is because even concrete minigrinders have 4 1/2 inch
wheels, probably too big for getting in between existing tiles to
smooth down the few high spots. If it doesn't work, I'll try the
minigrinder, but at present it seems like overkill.

Of more concern are the dips.

[dadiOH]

Melissa wrote:

> Of more concern are the dips.

Thinset. Make sure the old concrete is clean.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

[Melissa]

Thanks. Thinset to level, let cure and then apply stick on tiles, I
assume?

[dadiOH]

Melissa wrote:
> Thanks. Thinset to level, let cure and then apply stick on tiles, I
> assume?

Right

[ransley]

Hammer and concrete chisel, then thinset. A dremel, that sounds like
punishment.

[Melissa]

Thanks very much. Don't worry, if the Dremel doesn't work I'll step
up the assault.

Melissa

[ransley]

A sharp big chisel and heavy hammer is fast and no grinding dust, a
flexible 20 grit sanding wheel on a grinder is an idea, a dremel is
small, so is the motor and its work design

[DanG]

Any cement based floor stone. Ardex and Hadley's come to mind.
Bush or grind the high spots - Dremel won't cut it. If the
depressions are very slight, adding "milk" to the floor stone
makes it feather better.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgri...@7cox.net

"Melissa" <inquirin...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:2d6dfa01-05f5-40ee...@m4g2000vbp.googlegroups.com...