No, it has not been a good day for me.

I did everything I was told. I spent hours over this and I've still ended up with a complete pile of crap!

It didn't help that, despite working out exactly how much I needed and rounding up the number in bags. I've ended up with an area of floor uncovered.

Why does this always happen to me?

Maybe this part of the floor was high????
I threw down 3 bags of renovation screed today and it levelled out lovely, i get back there next week and see what it dried out like but it looked great and came up to my markers.

I always get an extra bag in case, sooner than later I will use it...

Complete the job tomorrow mate.

because in the nicest possible way, when you not sure what you are doing, you are going to run into problems.
its always better to have too much than too little....over estimate, you can always use the rest up on another job or send it back.

cubic volume is the area x the depth.. its quite difficult to estimate this when your dealing in millimeters over uneven areas..just put it down to experience, tomorrows another day. its not like youve electrocuted somebody is it?

How did the SLC flow when you were pouring it? I assume it's not very level from this unhappy message. Pouring it at 8mm is quite a skill, even someone who does it often will find it hard to keep an even depth across a floor. I know this isn't making you feel any better. How does the floor look now?

It's not just that I have run out, Even the area I levelled out is out by 3mm in some areas. I am so mad!

Basically I mixed the first bag with 5.25L of water as directed and it was as runny as water! I phoned Weber up to ask why and was advised to reduce the water content to around 5L. This provided a slightly stiffer mix but it's still a load of crap.

I worked out that I needed just over 6 bags and thus bought 7. The tile shop also checked my calcs. I think I'll need another 2 bags to sort this mess out. I may even go for more and go over the whole area again.

Originally Posted by Brian J

How did the SLC flow when you were pouring it? I assume it's not very level from this unhappy message. Pouring it at 8mm is quite a skill, even someone who does it often will find it hard to keep an even depth across a floor. I know this isn't making you feel any better. How does the floor look now?

The first mix flowed too easily. So much so that there was no way I could level it. Weber told me that it had a 1 in 8 slump ratio. Hence for every 8 inches it spread it would be one inch high - what a load of crap that was!

The floor looks crap. The uncovered area is 10mm below the high point - rather destroys the meaning of SLC.

It really work out as self smoothing, self leveling is the wrong wording.

I have a few choice words for Weber tomorrow I can tell you. The product manager I spoke to today completely contradicted when the technical guy told me yesterday. Is there ANYONE who can possibly offer worst advice with regards to one of their products?

Even the area that seems not to have been affected by the lack of bags is out by 3mm at it worst over 6 ft.

Don't wind yourself up too much mate, finish off the bit you started today and let it dry, then do another coat of say, 3mm to straighten it out. Thin coats are 100 times easier to do than what you were attempting. Just check that the SLC is suitable to go ontop of itself, and take a deep breath. Tomorrow is a new day.

3mm is not too bad with the great trowels we have these day surely?

I would be priming the first coat of slc before i laid a second at such a thin coat.

hugo,it will be easier to lay a thinner coat 2nd attempt on a deep fill

so although it looks crap just now you may find its much easier next time,estimate your materials is my advice to your customers so you do not get caught out

One Idea I had was to 'fill in' the area that needs to be done.

Before I started mixing the SLC I placed screws in to give me the required height all around the floor as Sandy Floor suggested. I can get the level over the area that is missing fairly easily I reckon. I can cope with a ridge provided it is all relitively the same height.

Would it be a consensus that 3mm variation over 6ft is acceptable then? If that is the case then I've only got the area that was affected by my running out of SLC to worry about, and maybe I'm over obsessing about what is reasonable/achievable. I wanted it to be perfect for tiling as I want the tiles flat.

3mm is not a lot hugo once you fill the void you ran out on ,i think 2nd trip you will feel better

Originally Posted by whitebeam

I would be priming the first coat of slc before i laid a second at such a thin coat.

Yeah me too, there are some slc's that can't be done in 2 hits though that's what made me think. Each one seems to have it's own set of instructions!

Originally Posted by kilty55

hugo,it will be easier to lay a thinner coat 2nd attempt on a deep fill

so although it looks crap just now you may find its much easier next time,estimate your materials is my advice to your customers so you do not get caught out

I've just read your thread.

Reflecting on my last one, I will probably go for the thin 2nd coat. I had spent so much time getting those screws level as well. Obviously the 2nd coat will have to start again from the far end and work back. This means the job will take twice as long before I've even laid a tile.

It's my own house - not a customer, so it's not as if I've lost money on the materials so to speak.

My only concern about a thin 2nd coat all over is that the far end of the floor is pretty good on the whole, apart from that 3mm variation over 6 ft. I don't want to screw this up as well.

If I go for a 2nd application over this mess, how do I know I'm getting it level?

I have absolutely no confidence in my ability to do this now.

if its only 3mm just make it up with addy then hugo

Just worry about getting it flat.

Originally Posted by whitebeam

Just worry about getting it flat.

How do I get it flat.

I was actually using a 6ft derby on it dragging it in all directions.

the Weber guy actually suggested I walked in it if necessary to access areas and flatten them out.

I use a 600mm hand held spreader just to move it about...

Some dodgy advise there.

Originally Posted by whitebeam

I use a 600mm hand held spreader just to move it about...

Some dodgy advise there.

600mm hand held spreader. Do you just agitate it or spead it in the same way you would tile adhesive?

You're not wrong about the quality of advice. So far it's been Tileforums 1, Weber 0.

I have very little faith in Weber now. Two of their employees I have spoken to have contradicted each other. Their coverage is obviously wrong. I worked it out to just over 6 bags so I got 7. The first mix was mixed exactly as stated and was too runny.

I'm going to be having words tomorrow.

Thanks for all your advice, and that's to everyone who's contributed.

It is really disheartening when I can't even get this right. I'm experiencing another major doubt about my abilities I'm afraid and it's not good.

hugo how many times have you laid slc? its not something thats going to be spot on 1st or 2nd attempt like everything you need experience with it

dont batter yourself over it,its fixable have faith you can sort this out,fill the void tommorow and just use adhesive to overcome the 3mm deficit

With the spreader just pour the slc and run it over the top but not in a heavey motion, just to move about but I've never used weber slc.

Originally Posted by whitebeam

With the spreader just pour the slc and run it over the top but not in a heavey motion, just to move about but I've never used weber slc.

...and I would not recommend it. Although I will probably have to use it again to sort this problem out. The product is probably OK, it's just Weber's misinformation.

I think from memory it calls for priming if a 2nd application is applied more than 24 hours after the first. I'm planning on doing it tomorrow, so that should be OK. Having said that some SBR on there wouldn't hurt I'm sure.

And Kilty, I think you're right. It's not the first time I've used SLC but I've not used it for a while. The last time I used it was in our kitchen for pretty much the same purpose. The reason I had limited success with that one was because although I wanted to spend more time levelling the floor out the wife just wanted me to get it done. So I didn't go back and do a 2nd application, which I regretted.

Using slc 20 years ago was a nightmare and rubbish, there is some good gear about now though.

hugo the best one i have found that actually almost self levells itself is mapei fibreplan its expensive but better than any other ive used

This lot has cost me £xx.plus vat a bag. So for £xx odd I now have this mess. Not pleased at all. I've now got to chuck more money at it to sort it.

It's only a conservatory 2.6m by 3.5m. I'm guessing that Weber are a little optomistic on their coverage.

I get Ultra 2 for £xx, good as gold