Self Leveling Concrete
Self-leveling concrete is the perfect choice for a job that involves a structurally sound substrate and a short time table. Duraamen's Param series - quick-curing, non-shrink self-leveling concrete can be used in both homes and commercial establishments to even out floors, raise existing horizontal levels to match new thresholds or breathe new life into old floors without the hassle and cost of tearing them up. Most resurfaced areas are open to foot traffic within two to six hours and trade traffic in a day.
There are two types of self-leveling concrete: There are mixtures designed to be underlayments (Param 4500) that need some type of covering like concrete overlay or any other type of floor covering to finish the surface, and self-leveling concrete overlays that can be decoratively finished as a wear surface.
The latter kind of self-leveling concrete can be integrally colored, stained, stenciled, saw cut, sand blasted or polished (Param 6000, 5500 or micro50). Its fluid property makes it ideal for pumping and pouring. But because it is so fluid, it cannot be stamped and doesn’t need to be troweled. The slurry seeks its own level or moves out on its own without a lot of labor on the contractor’s end. However, a gauge rake and smoother may be used to move the mixture around to help maintain the surface’s overall consistency.
Self-leveling overlayments are primarily designed to adhere to concrete substrates at least 28 days old. The surface must be clean and free of oil, paint, asphalt or other bond breakers before an overlayment is applied. When applying a self-leveling overlayment on concrete, the existing concrete typically needs to be profiled by shotblasting, grinding or scarifying. The surface then should be primed thoroughly for maximum adhesion.
Self-leveling overlayments are designed to be thinly applied over existing concrete yet provide a compressive strength of anywhere from 4,000 to 7,000 psi when completely cured. These polishable self-leveling overlays can be applied anywhere from ¼ inch up to 1.5 inches deep and upto 5 inches when mixed with aggregates) in one lift.
