That cheap floor leveler I used last week is already cracking all over my basement slab

I put down a layer of self-leveling compound on my basement floor in Topeka last Tuesday to prep for some vinyl plank. The stuff was $25 a bucket at a big box store, figured I saved a ton versus the pro grade stuff. By Sunday morning I walked down there and there's hairline cracks everywhere, like a spider web across the whole 12x15 area. I remember the guy at the contractor desk warned me about moisture content in old concrete, but I brushed it off because I was impatient. Now I gotta chip all this off and start over with proper Mapei or something from a real supply house, plus rent a grinder. Has anyone else had a cheap leveler fail on them after a few days like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellac973d ago

Did you check the moisture level in your slab before you poured it? That cheap stuff really can't handle any dampness at all, it'll crack every time.

harper_smith3d ago

honestly i think people overthink this stuff way too much lol. sure, moisture can be a factor but unless you're building a swimming pool in your backyard it's probably fine. i've poured plenty of slabs with basic concrete from home depot and never had any issues. the real problem is usually people not prepping the ground right or pouring when it's way too hot out. cheap concrete isn't great but it's not gonna fall apart just because there was a little dampness in the dirt underneath, that's just fearmongering honestly. half the time when you see cracks it's from the ground shifting or not enough rebar, not the moisture level. maybe i'm just lucky but i'd rather save the cash and put it towards something that actually matters lol.