The basic preparation

Find out what the floor you’re walking on is made of and if it’s level before installing a new floor covering.

Make sure that the floor’s base surface is not full of humps and hollows, otherwise you’ll be wasting your time and run the risk of spoiling the finished appearance of your new floor.

Check that a timber or particle-board floor is level, and fix any squeaks or loose boards. High spots can be sanded down.

With concrete floors, even a dip or rise of 3 mm over 1 metre needs to be repaired before the floor can be covered. Any high spots should be ground off and low spots filled with a self-levelling compound.

Getting ready

Place a straight edge over the surface and identify high or low spots. Mark them, then grind off high spots and fill low spots.

Clean the floor to remove traces of grease, which can prevent bonding.

Spread a layer of bonding agent on the areas to be treated. This will ensure a good bond between the concrete and the mortar topping. Leave it to dry according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Making the floor level

In a bucket, add water to the mortar and mix well – save time and energy by using an electric drill with a mixing attachment. The mixture shouldn’t be too liquid. Leave it to rest for a while.

Gently pour the contents of the bucket onto the floor. Using a float, spread it out to a maximum thickness of 3 mm. Start again and work in small sections until all hollows are filled.

Use a stainless-steel float for spreading mortar correctly. Don’t worry about any marks it leaves; these will disappear as the mortar self-levels.

From: 10,001 Time Saving Ideas