The working timeframe for the epoxy before it cures and hardens is around 8 mins (lots of variables). If you have a large amount of mixed epoxy in your container, it’ll accelerate the chemical reaction because of the extra heat that the mix is generating and cure even faster. The downside is that none of the instructions we read gave us actual minutes or amounts to work within. Neither did any of the YouTube videos or blogs we came across. I had to talk to a rep over the to get this information. Unfortunately, it was after we messed up.
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The first batch we mixed for the seal coat was a large amount of mixture. Enough for three RV-sized countertops. Not knowing what we were doing it took us longer to apply the seal coat on the first time. By the time we were done with one seal coat, the 2 quarts of mixed epoxy had already hardened in the bucket and was useless.
Self-leveling epoxy is extremely messy. This is kind of expected since the mixture is made to flow off the surface it’s being poured onto (that’s how it self-levels). Be prepared for epoxy to drip everywhere. It’s actually more than "some drips" but more like an overflow of epoxy coming off the edge of the countertop. It’s a good idea to make sure the edges of the plastic sheets used to protect the floor are curled upwards to prevent the epoxy from flowing off.
We had our three tabletop/countertop on a sawhorse in the middle of our main room. There was only enough space to walk around three sides of the entire setup, making it hard to reach all the areas of the countertops we applied this on. The situation got worse once the floor became a lake of epoxy from the flood coat.
The other downside of using self-leveling epoxy inside an RV, especially in the southeast in June is the heat, humidity, and lack of ventilation. The ideal temperature conditions to use the epoxy in is 70°F – 85°F. Reaching this temperature isn’t a problem in June in Asheville, but we also had to keep all the windows and vents closed to keep the place dirt/dust free. We couldn’t stop sweating! We actually had to make sure our beads of sweat didn't roll off ourselves and onto the poured epoxy. It also meant there was no ventilation to help decrease the harsh smell of the mixture.
Instead, find a large, well-ventilated space to use self-leveling epoxy. We wish we had access to such a space.
The epoxy has to be poured on a level surface, which can be potentially difficult in an RV. There’s a 4-hour wait between coats, then it has to cure for three days (minimum) before using the surface. A heat gun (or propane torch) has to be used to get rid of any air bubbles that appear after pouring a flood coat (there will definitely be air bubbles). And then it needs to be checked again several times to make sure additional air bubbles don’t appear. If a cured epoxy surface reaches 120°F, it’ll soften and create an indentation if something is on the surface. Although I was told by Pro Marine Supplies' rep that it will relevel itself.
We noticed after pouring a seal coat that random areas of the paint on our dinette table was being “eaten” away from the epoxy and leaving behind pinholes that showed the underneath wood surface. When I asked about it, the Pro Marine Supplies’ tech support rep said it’s because paint and wood are porous materials. But she didn’t give me a solution.
If you have dogs, you’re guaranteed to have at least one strand of dog hair epoxied into your surface. Ours has a Tybee fur in it, so that’s ok.
Our surface also has bubbles in it and came out kind of wavy in areas, however this might be due to us being stingy with the flood coat pour. This is noticeable in the right light or if we look closely. From afar it looks pretty nice.
The edges of the table/countertops came out the worst. The self-leveling action creates drips at the edges, which is normal and expected. We used foam brushes to smooth out and evenly cover the edges with epoxy, but we didn’t do good enough of a job. Perhaps our work space was too small to let us access all the sides of the tables well. Perhaps we didn’t go back frequently enough while the epoxy was dripping and drying to smooth out the surfaces. Instructions say the remaining droplets can be trimmed while drying and then sanded smooth after curing. While we did our best to remove the droplets under the table, we still have dried up droplets of epoxy stuck there, which you can feel when you run your fingers under our table. The sanding didn’t work out great, it created a scuffed-up look that was worse than leaving them alone. The assumption seems to be that the product will be used on surfaces which are basically only viewed from above (unless you’re 5). The underside of the table edges can be made smooth – but not “pretty”, which is an issue in an RV because there is seating across our dinette and you can see the underside.
Ok, not necessarily “don’t”. But be aware that applying self-leveling epoxy on a countertop with an already-installed sink gets complicated. The self-leveling epoxy is made to spread and flow over edges. This means it will drip over and into a sink unless a dam is created to stop the flow. But then you need a way to remove the dam, so it has to be made so it doesn’t get buried in epoxy. This is one of the main reasons why we ended up not using it on our kitchen and bathroom countertops. We didn’t fully understand this dilemma until it was too late (as in we based our entire countertop remodel on using self-leveling epoxy).
The tech support rep also told me that one of the cool things about epoxy is that it can be worked on again and again. She said that if are a lot of defects on a cured epoxy surface, it can be sanded down and more self-leveling epoxy can be reapplied. That can be in a few months or years, which is great, but if there is a problem with the surface beneath the original epoxy coating (such as our paint which "eaten" away), that is there forever.
So technically we can work on ours again. But that’s not happening because it was such a hassle the first time around. Besides, we live in an RV that’s not even remotely fancy. And I’ve learned to let go of the idea of "perfection" with the Toaster.
I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I’m here to talk about laying Self Levelling Screed.
I would say that I don’t believe there is a “Self Levelling Screed” per say, yes a self-smoothing, but not self-levelling, please don’t lay the screed and expect it to level itself. However the term “self-levelling” is used extensively in the industry and I will use it here.
For the purpose of this video I will also assume that “laying Self Levelling Screed” is a levelling compound normally laid between 1-10mm.
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When laying vinyl, ceramic tiles, carpet and other floor coverings. Self levelling screed levels out uneven substrates leaving a smooth flat surface to bond to.
Before laying self levelling screed, its suitability needs to be determined. Most projects will have one of three different types of substrate as follows:
When bonding I think it is important to highlight the process. When looking at the substrate, it needs to be sound. When we say “sound,” it needs to be solid. If you have crumbling, cracking, or other issues, then action needs to be taken before laying the screed. There is no point in laying self-levelling screed onto something that isn’t stable, because it will only result in the screed cracking and/or de-laminating.
Checks should be made to ensure that the substrate is not contaminated. Contamination can be a variety of things, oils, grease, dust, anything that may have gone into the pores of the screed (the capillaries of the screed). If there is contamination it may require some mechanical surface preparation, which may be grinding/scabbling or shot blasting. If there is paint on the substrate then it will need to be removed, before laying self-levelling screed.
The surface needs to be clean and vacuumed if there is dust/dirt on the surface. Before laying self-levelling screed a primer needs to be applied to the substrate to assist in the bonding of the self levelling screed and the substrate. Sometimes it can go down without the primer, always read the instructions before laying. Either way you are going to need some penetration of the surface. It needs to bond, so it may be that you must grind off the first couple of millimetres of the matrix to get down to something that is bond-able.
If the substrate is power floated concrete, then the top of the matrix will need to be removed to get to the more open textured concrete that will allow the primer to penetrate. There are certain products that may go down directly onto it a power floated surface, but again, you would have to look at the requirement for each individual product. In general, you would be looking at mechanically altering the surface to allow for better adhesion between the screed and the substrate.
When laying self-levelling screed, the thickness varies from product to product, however as a general guideline please find the depths below:
Generally, when laying self-levelling screed the substrate should be 75% relative humidity or less, if above a liquid damp proof membrane maybe required to suppress the available moisture.
I would recommend that the surface is always tested for moisture before proceeding.
When completely happy with the substrate, you are now ready to apply the primer which assists with the bonding of the screed and substrate.
Each product will have a tested recommended primer and may have different ratio’s to water. Always check with the manufacturers guidelines before proceeding.
Generally, the primer needs to be dry before laying self-levelling screed, however it wouldn’t normally be left too long (always check the product for instructions).
When applying the prime use a brush, and make sure there is no pooling of the primer.
If mixing by hand using an electric drill, the powder is added to the correct amount of water (again work from the manufacturers guidelines for their product), whilst mixing thoroughly until a lump free mortar is produced.
The screed is then poured onto the substrate, laying self-levelling screed is then carried out by using a steel trowel or float to spread the mortar and finish off.
Generally, the screed will self-smooth for the first 15 minutes and have a total working time of around 30 minutes, depending on site temperatures.
Site conditions will effect drying times, however 3 mm of screed would normally be dry within 24 hours, and walk-able within 3-4 hours.
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