Levelling an earth floor – any tips?
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21st February 2017 at 10:07 am #118170
I am sure there must be plenty of you who have old stone buildings and have come across this difficulty so hoping for some advice.
We are trying to level the earth floor part of our cottage, ready to be concreted. We got a bit over excited and dug out too much so are having to put some back in but the floor is all over the place. We have lots of stakes dug in to indicate the level it needs to be but after a 560 hour (well it seemed that long) day at it yesterday we did not seem to have got very far and bits we thought were level, aren’t
Has anyone got any tips that might help make it easier?
Don’t try to level it using what you’ve dug out – dig it out below the level you want and put about a 2″ layer of what they call here 0/30 (zero-trente) which is sieved stone chippings -you will find that it’s easier to pull it about with a rake to get your level to the pegs with a straightedge from peg to peg. Then compact that down with a wacker plate and do this again until until you have the correct level.
Dont forget the damproof membrane and then reinforcing mesh raised up off the polythene about an inch with stones under it here and there.
The damproof membrane stops the concrete drying out too quickly and possibly cracking while it cures.
If you buy in the self-levelling concrete which is nice and sloppy it will mostly level itself.
22nd February 2017 at 9:00 am #118637Thanks for that Fitter. We have not got near the membrane and mesh bit yet but yes is in the pipeline.
Anonymous22nd February 2017 at 10:19 am #118652You can always take out small dips with sand, lay your poly on top, then 50mm thick polystyrene, put the mesh on top of the polystyrene, raise the mesh as you lay the concrete, be carefull not to break up the poly or you may end up with poly iceberg’s. Over digging is not really a problem, just make sure its fairly flat and buy more concrete.
Anonymous22nd February 2017 at 10:30 am #118655Another couple of points, how firm is the sub floor, can you easily dig your heel?, if yes, then you need a layer of hardcore down first, if your heel only leaves a light mark, then use sand to level, don’t bother with a Wacker plate.
Lordy, it’s a tiny space get it as even as you can and get that (polythene, polystyrene and) concrete on, there’s no need for mesh in a room that size that you’re not going to be driving cars on.
As a complete aside,a handy hint from the concrete deliver man. If you’re using self leveling with out an iron mesh, put the polystyrene below the polithene otherwise it’ll float to the top. Sadly he didn’t suggest this till ours surfaced bring all the conduits with it :(
22nd February 2017 at 6:45 pm #119187It could be an optical illusion room Barty and be a lot bigger than it looks
We are getting there, slowly but surely and will make sure not to have any floaty bits in the wrong place. Thanks all
Anonymous22nd February 2017 at 7:24 pm #119362We lifted a wooden floor in the kitchen, 56m X 4m. Leveled the earth, as bo’s first post, Polythene down and up the walls (which were later dry lined) to above ground level, we used our own mixer to make the ‘muck’, no Mesh, 5cms of Muck, then tiled the floor, 5yrs later no damp, or cracks
Anonymous22nd February 2017 at 9:03 pm #119475Agree, Barty! You sure you’ve got your measurements right, Bill, that kitchen’s almost three times bigger than our house!
22nd February 2017 at 9:09 pm #119481I think there should be a decimal point in there, maybe 5.6 mts
Anonymous22nd February 2017 at 9:37 pm #1195065cms of muck?. If the floor is a reasonable size, get a price on readymix before thinking about mixing it yourself, but don’t forget, its seven cube trucks, no mini mix, and they charge you for dead space.
Anonymous22nd February 2017 at 11:39 pm #119597Sorry 6x4m, X 5cms, thats notalotta muck, readymix???
come on?
Anonymous23rd February 2017 at 10:16 am #119731Maybe stronger concrete than the rest of us have?
We dug out and laid membrane overlaid with poly insulation and then on that laid about 200 mts of 16mm pipe at 10cm intervals looped and tied to metal mesh to carry the underfloor heating. On top of all that we poured 9 cubes of readymix to give an average depth of 20cms in our 9 x 5 metre kitchen.
Anonymous23rd February 2017 at 11:17 am #119737Blimey 20cms of concrete on top of the heating pipes, that’s an awful lot of concrete to heat up before the heat reaches your feet, and yes 5cms would be fine over a well consolidated subfloor, but obviously I wouldn’t want to park a car on it.
One thing that’s always intrigued me with the polystyrene under the DPM is rat’s, rat’s would have a field day tunneling through polystyrene.
Anonymous23rd February 2017 at 11:38 am #1197555cms, recommended by a local pro, we tend not to park the car in the kitchen
Though with 20+steel, sure it (or a small truck) would be fine, if a bit of a pain to work round while cooking an stuff;
Agree about furry chums in the poly’!
Anonymous23rd February 2017 at 12:32 pm #1197725cm’s Bill is normally just for the screed alone (on top of the concrete) did you perhaps not properly understand what the chap said? 5 cms (or 2″) of concrete is not enough internally but the proof is in the pudding, as they say and yours has stood the test of time, so…..
Anonymous23rd February 2017 at 1:18 pm #119787Well there you go Witchy, lots of advice – some of it conflicting – so it would appear that you pays your money and takes your choice, as the saying goes!
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