FIND THE R Selecting the correct levelling compound is crucial
Levelling and smoothing floor compounds are designed to correct any surface irregularities within new and existing floor substrates and are available as either one or two-part products.
Easily mixed and simple to apply, they are self-smoothing and are designed to help achieve SR1 surface regularity for laying ceramic tiles or other floorcoverings.
But with so many products on the market, all with different setting times, bed depths, and formulation – how do you go about selecting the right product for your needs?
Firstly, it is important to understand what background you are levelling – as this can affect product selection. Typically, most self-levelling and smoothing compounds are suitable for use with cured and dry concrete, most screeds, including sand/ cement, and calcium sulfate based screeds following the use of a suitable primer.
However, when levelling a substrate that may still generate movement after installation such as rigid and stable timber floors, or a screed containing underfloor heating, then fibre- reinforced products are recommended to help cope with thermal movement in the floor that occurs during changes in temperature. One such product is BAL Level Max – which has added flexibility and strength due to the presence of microfibers and polymers within its formulation.
22 | LEVELLING COMPOUNDS
Some products on the market can only be used over timber floors at a minimum depth of 10mm, which can restrict the capability of the material for levelling a floor. BAL Level Max on the other hand can be used over a clean, stable and rigid timber floor at only 3mm.
Minimum and maximum bed depths can also vary from product to product, with ranges from 1-20mm, or 5-20mm. Generally, levelling and smoothing compounds can be applied in thicknesses of up to 30-40 mm, but often require more than one application or the addition of bulking materials is required. This means that more time is spent blending materials and mixing, but also more time waiting for layers of levelling compound to dry.
However, there are some exceptions on the market. For example, BAL Level Max can be applied from a minimum of 2mm up to 80mm (in localised areas) in one application without any additional aggregates. However, if you wish to bulk out the product to reduce cost and increase yield, you can, using new 3mm BAL Aggregate.
This means that BAL Level Max is an all-rounder and can be used for a multitude of levelling projects. The setting-time of levelling compounds can also vary, from 1 hour to 24 hours dependent of course on the depth they are applied. BAL Level
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