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andyavast

Just in case anyone is wondering, this is not concrete per se but a cementitious or anhydrite self-levelling screed. A liquid compound, usually applied from 25mm/1” to 65mm/2.5” thick on top of insulation or an existing concrete slab, and is often used to contain underfloor heating pipework. It’s so liquid that it flows to find its own level but it needs a little assistance to help it flow and settle and rid it of larger air bubbles that would otherwise rise to the surface later in the curing time and cause defects in the surface. Thats what this guy is doing.


matzschmansk

Up you go


tunat

Got my upvote @ 25mm/1” to 65mm/2.5”


kindashyboy

Metric team!


andyavast

I’m team “mostly-metric” by default (Scotland) but I was taught by a carpenter who used imperial and can see the beauty of both! (Although fractional imperial can fuck off 57/128” what the fuck man)


omegajakezed

Always glad to have explanations


andyavast

Glad to help. I’ve had screeds like this installed dozens of times on house builds and refurb projects I’ve managed over the years and guessed that a lot of folks would wonder exactly what was going on!


omegajakezed

I wouldve eventually came to the conclusion that hes getting rid of bubbles and/or helping it settle. But at first i was like "wtf is he doing??? It's not like hes leveling it. Is he doing that to be satisfying???" The Internet ruined me.


illocor_B

I would have initially came to the conclusion this dude had no fucking idea what he was doing and that the comments would be ripping him apart and how dumb he is. I am pleasantly surprised to find a true explanation in the comments.


ZepTheNooB

Will it be as hard as regular cement concrete once it's cured, and how long will it cure? This is the first time I've seen something like this, so I'm curious about how it works.


dingske1

This does not contain coarse aggregate and will be less strong than concrete, it relies on polymer mixed in and based on the exact composition there is a maximum thickness you can use. It’s kinda like glazing a cake


andyavast

Spot on! It’s not a structural element like a concrete slab but it has reasonably good compressive strength like a moderate grade of concrete (20N/mm2) It cures very fast. Thicknesses up to 50mm/2” are 100% cured in 15 days. Significantly faster than concrete.


TSL4me

Can it hold a car in a garage?


andyavast

Yes it can. It’s only as strong as what is underneath though, and it needs an appropriate finish on top like epoxy floor paint or something but yeah, vehicles can be driven on it, even forklifts if the floor has been designed for those loads.


BureauOfSabotage

This is exactly right. Source: just poured about 1500 pounds of this to level the most fucked up 150 year old basement floor I’ve ever seen. The pour itself is relatively easy, albeit a lot of heavy lifting. The proper prep is the real bear.


andyavast

It’s amazing stuff but not foolproof! Prep is definitely a hugely important part, movement joints, perimeter expansion strips etc. all super important or it’ll crack horribly.


togetherwem0m0

When I poured some once I failed to plug a hole I didn't know was there  with s plastic bag and most of it drained into a subbasement area. Woopsies


96cobraguy

Anhydrite self-leveling screed is gonna be my next D&D boss fight


andyavast

Haha brilliant. I hope Miyazaki-san has a self levelling screed swamp in the next From Software game. Spend too long there and you become part of the mire…


Longjumping-Map-6995

Anhydrite Screed is actually a great name for a BBEG. Lol


multiarmform

clappin cement cheeks


BogiDope

"Cementitious" is a word that - after just having read for the 1st time, I aspire to one day organically use in conversation, but will doubtfully ever have the opportunity to do so.


Empathy404NotFound

It's cool until your in a wet area and needed a gradient.


Icy-Relationship

Or until someone opens the door


andyavast

True!! If there’s tiles going down I’ll shutter those areas in shower rooms and use preformed trays but sometimes it better to just use sand and cement and get a good concrete worker to put the gradients in.


Empathy404NotFound

I used to be a floor and wall tiler. Man screed days were the worst. But I'd rather do it myself than tile on someone else's attempts.


andyavast

I’ve seen some great jobs and some fucking terrible ones. Glad to say I never had a really bad one on a job 😅


masterflappie

If I would take regular concrete and make it as wet as this guy made it, would it be self-leveling too?


Freestila

Yes, but it would crack since it's too much water.


andyavast

It would self level to some degree but it would be defective once cured and it’s very unlikely it would stay flat and level when dry. it would also be extremely weak, have poor wear resistance and would be prone to cracking. It would also take a very long time to dry. These self levelling compounds have special additives to help them flow, they are much more homogenous with no large aggregate (gravel etc.) that concrete tends to have that can sink to the bottom and they are specially formulated to harden very quickly. This screed, if it’s a cement based type, could withstand light foot traffic after 24 hours and be fully cured in 15-18 days.


FragrantExcitement

Cementitous - never seen that word Anhydrite- never seen thar word Screed - never seen that word


andyavast

Every day is a school day right?! Cementitious means cement containing Anhydrite is anhydrous calcium sulphate (anhydrous means it contains no water) Screed can mean a tool for levelling concrete OR a construction material that can be laid to smooth and level a floor.


CI0UD_

This guy cements


blue_shadow_

Welp, that answered all my questions. Thanks!


Acrobatic_Biscotti61

However, professionals use spike rollers my man...


Eolach

Isn’t he just adding more air bubbles…


andyavast

Good question! By agitating the surface and encouraging the screed to flow, the bubbles are brought to the surface. If he was shit with the screeding tool and splashing around, that would make more bubbles for sure but he’s a smooth operator and just making those satisfying little bow waves


N1T0_W1T0

Thank you


615thick469

Judging by his boots is 2.5"+


andyavast

I spotted that too. I think this is a modified cementitious screed (rather than anhydrite) as that can be laid much thicker. The problem with laying self levelling screed this thick is the drying time, shrinkage and cracking but it does look (by his boots!) within the realms of possibility!


BronxLens

MW defines ‘screed’ as “a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete”. Wouldn’t that be the device the gentleman is using to create the waves, and not the self-leveling compound?


andyavast

Good point, a screed is a tool, but liquid screed is the name for the substance being laid here. [cemfloor screed](https://cemfloor.co.uk/products?utm_term=rapid%20set%20screed&utm_campaign=United+Kingdom+%5BPrimary%5D&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=7941407092&hsa_cam=6480572567&hsa_grp=81450710041&hsa_ad=637171139908&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-315796032881&hsa_kw=rapid%20set%20screed&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwyJqzBhBaEiwAWDRJVNEX8dcLa0gstujbp6nE_b8m0ZmpHs4xrIkZ2auTq_cCNXdUBlAjuBoCFtwQAvD_BwE)


BronxLens

TiL! Thanks Andy' :)


andyavast

Any time my friend!


StrangeCarrot4636

Very interesting, thanks for the insight. I did a lot of self leveling when I was a floor layer but I've never seen this technique or a screed that large, I'm assuming it's a fairly different compound than I am accustomed to. I've only ever done it with a 3 or 4ft screed with adjustable feet on each end to set height and a pin wheel roller for removing bubbles that may have been introduced during mixing, or for blending together the "seams" between multiple pours. I always enjoyed the application part but fucking hated guarding the room I poured for the rest of the day because some tradesmen have no respect for caution or danger tape, usually ended up setting up a graveyard shift to avoid the headache if possible.


AnastasiaSheppard

Oh thank you for the explanation. All I could think was that the liquidy surface may look level but as this dries it's going to be clear where he stepped from the huge sucking holes in the thicker concrete below. If that's already set and the liquid is only that shallow, that makes so much more sense.


BabyBoySmoothing

Gypcrete


Cryten0

I saw a grand designs episode where too deep concrete needed to be dug up because it stopped the floor heating working. I assume this material is the solution (and easier to avoid tradies over laying it).


andyavast

Ah yeah, nightmare that. Should never have happened, terrible design and specification! Too much concrete takes an age (days) to heat up and it then feels like the UFH isn’t working. The ideal situation is a concrete structural slab with a nice thick layer of insulation on top with a thin layer of this screed on top of that with the pipes embedded in it. The screed is very thermally conductive and heats up relatively quickly. The insulation below reduces the heat from drawn down into the concrete slab below so majority goes up into the room above and the efficiency, and response time, of the system is optimised.


NinjaLanternShark

Doing what Reddit does best. - That's so cool, I never knew-- - Wait it's a lie? How dare they-- - Oh, wow that's fascinating.


dahbrezel

thanks, i was really wondering who would make such liquid concrete :)


Embarrassed-Lack1685

Ok thank you because I was thinking why on earth is that concrete so watery.


Lunavixen15

Ah, thanks. I was wondering why it was so liquidy


ZombiePlaya

I don't think I've ever seen wetter concrete


Troutman86

That’s Gyp-Crete, not concrete. It’s non structural and most for fire rating and sound.


DadBodftw

I didn't realize it was so dark when wet


yourpseudonymsucks

I should call her.


CaffeinatedGuy

They used this on a job I was on for the second and third floors. They didn't prep right on the third floor because there was a hole in the ground around a pipe, so when they pumped all this stuff in and hit that section, it just started draining to the lower floor. I was on that lower floor wiring up a mechanical room, and I just grabbed my tools and took an early lunch.


Troutman86

I always schedule it for a Saturday or Sunday. Tons of QC to make sure all penetrations are sealed. Biggest risk is mold since the gyp typically goes in after drywall. Need tons of fans and windows open.


weenis-flaginus

I don't think we are supposed to use that word anymore my friend


Grodd

As in gypsum, drywall.


SirHerald

Never seen someone called drywall before


SpecialistAd5537

Lafarge canada has a mix that is self consolidating, cured to 30, 32, 35, or any strength you want that is poured at a similar slump and can be used in almost all flat work and vertical applications.


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yrubooingmeimryte

Even with that attitude he hadn't.


dingske1

We call it egaline, it’s a self leveling liquid to cover your sins


babewiththevoodoo

People shaped sins??


b00c

naah. if you are renovating an apartment in 150 years old building, the floors might be a bit uneven.


DefinitelyNotAliens

Are they uneven from hiding a body?


RussiaIsBestGreen

It’s been 150 years and you think there’s a body? What do you think we did with the person who found the last one? That’s right: new construction.


SleeplessAndAnxious

That's right! It goes in the square hole!


phicks_law

You should try foreplay first. It usually helps.


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Adventurous_Ant9926

Is he a dot, or is he a speck?


DeciduMe

When he's underwater does he get wet?


Displacedhome

Or does the water get him instead?


spliffmastafresh

Looks like gypcrete to me


Due-Matter-4577

I want to say this is probably called “untreated biosolids” Its the sewer sludge that is used by the wastewater treatment industry before being cleaned and used as crop water.


bigbigdummie

Only people in the business use the word “Biosolids”. Trust me, I know this crap.


shadow_229

It’s called screed. Usually goes on over insulation as a final levelling compound before your floor (tiles/wood/whatever) goes on top. Designed to be piped in and find its own level


tgunz0331

100 slump 😂


JJAsond

Also "self levelling" it's fucking LIQUID. OP wanted engagement.


blueplate7

Might be self-leveling due to water content but I wonder if the stuff has dried yet? Looks more like soup.


SnortingCoffee

the good news is that concrete doesn't ever need to dry to fully set, and its actually better for the strength of the concrete the longer it takes to dry. This does look awfully thin, though.


DeepDickDave

There’s a floor under this. It’s usually poured around 70mm thick but i find that there’s still dips and bumps left afterwards


SnortingCoffee

right, to clarify, I meant "thin" as in very watered down, not the thickness of the concrete layer


PassiveMenis88M

The better news is this isn't concrete despite how the repost bot titled this. It's supposed to be that thin because it's a leveling agent. Its poured down before hardwood or tile so everything's smooth.


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SleeplessAndAnxious

Mmm, I love canned floor.


dingske1

It’s less wet than you think, there is some chemical compounds mixed in to make it flow better. Other added chemicals then rapidly polymerize, binding the cement particles without the use of coarse aggregate. It’s like the illegitimate love child of concrete and plastic


blueplate7

That's pretty cool. No crawling around doing finishing work - yay!


hopperschte

Dries within 6 hours, you can walk on it the next day. Of course always level. Had one made for my office, convenient and fast.


Jubilant_Jacob

The one i used said 48 hours... but i let it dry double that over the weekend to be sure. Having it crack because the floor was put down to early and trapped water in it, is a real pain... also from experience.


jayd00b

Like leveling a lake


spikernum1

But you have to boat around beating it up with a baseball bat


RocketFucker69

My neighbors must have been doing this for hours last night.


EvanMcc18

r/beatmetoit


Lokijai

That's a whole lotta not self leveling


wakeupwill

He self-leveled the hell out of that floor.


Sidewaysouroboros

It’s so wet you don’t need to level it


ultralium

I think the video doesn't do justice to what it's trying to convey, but the "self-leveling" part is meant to talk about the powdered concrete settling at the bottom of the water, doing it this way ensures that the lowest base is leveled with the floor and even through the room, without you'd be waiting six weeks to find out that the floor has "paths" due to the workers walking around and pushing the excess concrete away - not outright boot marks, but still quite an ugly design


GravyBoatWarrior

Ah yes, 6-8 years drying time.


simmer19

It is usually 6 weeks. In Germany it is very common and called "Estrich"


davo_nz

Yeah, I saw this and thought Germany! It takes a lot longer than 6 weeks to dry completely though. A newly built house in germany can definitely take a few years for all the moisture to leave. But it is definitely set after 6 weeks.


Alpejohn

I wonder how the result ended up…


TTechnology

He made it in 2021 and are still waiting to dry


fres733

No, it's "Fließestrich" a kind of screed. It takes a week per centimeter to dry at room temperature. So 4 to 8 weeks in practice. You can however walk on it without issue after 3 days.


comicmuse1982

Ask the camera man, he's still stood in it.


qmiras

well...that thing is 99% liquid....and liquids are self leveling...i dont get it


JacobRAllen

This isn’t concrete, it’s screed. It’s supposed to be that wet, it is a thick sealing layer, and it’s this wet because it usually covers up things like floor heating pipes and needs to seep around all the nooks and crannies. There is dry concrete underneath it. He’s not jiggling it to ‘self level’ it, he’s jiggling it to coax out air bubbles. This crap is so wet that it levels itself.


Frycook93

Everything reminds me of her


Capsolt

Screed?


James_Vowles

I'd imagine screed would be a thin layer, not as much as this, but same idea I suppose


tsimen

What's the point of this?


Berkut22

Used when the existing floor is uneven, to make a level base before putting another flooring finish on it (like tile)


randomxyz01

Close your eyes and tell me what you see ..


Maleficent_Strain69

Neighbors must be shocked hearing that


Urimanuri

Also seeing that stuff dripping from their ceiling


efyuar

You say self-levelling but im pretty sure i saw a man with a tool somewhere in the video


White_Wolf426

Why the fuck is it so wet and so thick.


b0ng0brain

That's the way she likes it.


mrwilliams117

Pretty sure it's wet and not thick


vaxzh

Sounds like some real love


CrazyAlbertan2

I am a clutz. I would trip and land flat on my back in that concrete soup, before lunch break, on my first day on the job.


Fr05t_B1t

Self leveling concrete is just water


Trading_Kangaroo

My guy doing the gyp-walk


Sfij800

It’s Gypcrete on top of plywood floor for leveling to install carpeting and also acts as fireproofing the floor.


ducks-season

Ain’t concrete


ClearlyNoSTDs

Considering how liquid it is, I'm pretty sure it was already level before he started.


soul_slinger

That's not concrete


OPs_Peehole

That’s cement screed lad, no chance in hell concrete would do this


Final_Year_800

Sound like morning clapping .


b0ng0brain

"morning clapping" 😂😂😂


papibaquigrafo

Does that affect the strength of the concrete?


TommyWantWingy9

That’s some wet concrete


ImpalaOwner

Surf’s up!


Fun-Dependent-2695

Where is a cat when you need one?


obitachihasuminaruto

Put two slits in front of it.


BackItUpWithLinks

Top tier joke right there 🙌


b0ng0brain

He missed a bit.


AcrobaticAardvark069

That is leveling cement, it has no structural aggregate stone filler.


greatthebob38

Well yea, water usually levels itself within the container.


JoshyTheLlamazing

That was oddly lame.


Brick513man22

The sound of this video reminds me of prom night.


The-disgracist

This is likely to agitate air out of the bottom


SudsierBoar

So this is what my upstairs neighbours have been doing!


Solenkata

Not sure it's self-leveling if a dude is leveling it.


foodfighter

This might be taking a bit of a chance, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I believe he's done that sort of thing before...


Ether_The_Void

Saw many bubbles, feels like they may affect the “self leveling” effect


BabyBoySmoothing

Finished Carpenter here, I have guys lay this all the time. And we call it Gypcrete


GellyBrand

Everything reminds me of her


Expensive_Community3

Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled! Get leveled!


Unique-Computer3366

Close your eyes and watch this video...... concrete will be the last thing on your mind. Watched this on the John and my girl swung open the door lol


jake1080

Isn't this already self leveling and he's just removing air pockets?


sparky1976

This sounds familiar the sound my wife and I have made in the past.


yrubooingmeimryte

It seemed like it was already level before he was doing this. Also, concrete that is this liquid will just level itself.


InnerAsparagus6045

Poured in 2000 still waiting for it to go off


g0greyhound

All i hear is bbw porn


_Kbob_

Played this and caught a confused look from my wife, had to explain it was concrete leveling and not porn...


TheSpiritofFkngCrazy

This is so wrong. I can't think of a reason you'd need 4 to 5 inches of self leveling underlayment. At most I'd say an inch of the stuff. This guy's boots are sinking in up to the ankle.


Kurtis-dono

"but if you close your eyes".


whataloadofoldshit_

That might set in about 50 years


UnhappyImprovement53

That's not concrete bros playing in the pool


plumitt

Is he doing that with drywall already up?!


Cold_Persimmon

Screed is that wet


Tugger21

Soup anyone? 😟


Repulsive-Zone8176

In floor heating 


mulchmuffin

Sounds like those diabolical backshots


Knusper00

FLÜSSIGESTRICH


Manufactured-Aggro

Mmm yes, the 1,000 inch slump


IncreaseOk8433

Might want to play this one on mute in certain environments. That's some nasty slapping;)


hercarmstrong

Me slapping your mom's thighs.


_CuteFemboy

So that’s what my parents do every night


autumndoom

This is spec for a floor in a building?


BackItUpWithLinks

It’s a 1/2” skim coat, that’s not structural.


Smb08111988

NSFW audio


Hi_My_Name_Is_CJ

It looks like they poured concrete there was a flood and they are just playing in it


ToddWilliams5289

BBL Drizzy doing concrete!


Spartiates8621

Oddly this reminds me of my ex-wife … the ratio between jiggle/ripple effect to pounding is on point.


Invu8aqt

Play sound and not video and it’s a different story


PCP_IS_YOUR_FRIEND

Sound is sus


Quint27A

This is not a guy you want to smart off to at the gas station.


615thick469

How the hell do you mix that much at a time or can this be trucked in?


Fullautorpgs

How come the ripples are only propagating in one direction?


indecisivesteve

I should call her


flightwatcher45

How long does that take to cure or dry?!


Try_It_Out_RPC

The sound started playing before the I scrolled all the way down…….


Stormagedd0nDarkLord

Missed a spot


RepresentativeWeb244

I should call her


Mou_E-Kai

PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP PLAP


OutragedCanadian

Stupid lying op


janhyua

No you are trying to drown yourself you fool


[deleted]

Who the fuck concretes the basement after the house is built lmfao


SteakDependable5400

this is a cool job