[ilsils]

I have a sloped concrete floor that I want to 'level' to support a sauna. The floor area is 4' x 8', and the sauna area is 4' x 7'. There's a drain on one side. My thought is to level the floor buy pouring a couple of inches of a quick dry concrete like Ardex K-15 [www.ardex.com/prod-k15-bro.htm], leaving a shallow channel to the drain (for wash-down or flood protection). However, I've never mixed,poured and leveled concrete. Nor do I have the tools (mixers, levelers, smoothers, ) listed in the web instructions. Is the job 'simple enough' and is it worth buying the tools for this one-time job (I'm reasonably handy and I can hire day laborers to help, if necessary. It might be cheaper to buy, hire and do it myself, rather than hire a pro from a tile store. But will I regret it -- as they say -- the next morning? Any advice? ILS^2

[schwim]

Hey there ilsils,

I can't speak for the Ardex, but I've always used a latex modified thinset for leveling floors with great results. Simply find out your variations with a level and use a screed (which can be anything from an aluminum screed bar to a straight 2x4) to float out the thinset. If you mark level on the wall at the low side of your floor, you can use it to ensure that you're not wandering off.

After you have gotten it where you need it, you can float it smooth and then go have a lemonade. Thinset is mixed pretty thin, so it's easier to float than concrete.

Just ensure that you have a good clean concrete floor to work with and don't bite off more than you can chew in one batch. You don't want it to harden before it's time, as it's tenacious!

thanks,
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