Self Leveling this DISASTER Slab (Using Drywall Screws?) 

There is a rag in the drain. Don't worry guys

I’m a retired bricklayer and I took so much time to make sure that my foundations were exactly level and square, carpenters used to go into the work office and argue with the site manager that it was their turn to follow my work because they knew that everything from foundation to floor then to ceiling and to wallplate was exact and correct, I was taught to make it easier for the guy following you and take pride in your work

I like how you showed the thought process with the screws and then changed your mind. Could have edited it out, glad you left it in. Helps to watch how others think and troubleshoot!

The difference between "level" and "true" or "flat" is lost on many contractors. Like you said, making it truly level would have caused problems with sloping tile ramps. In the end, it's how it "appears" to the eye, as that is how the owners will "see" it every day. The only other guy I've seen talk about this in public is Mike Holmes from Canada. Good work! Bravo Zulu!

When I am done tearing everything out and down to a bare slab, I run my 7" grinder with a masonry cup and dust recovery setup over the floor. It knocks down the high spots and reveals a lot about the floor in a relatively small amount of time. It has proven to be a great time saver for me.

It's hard to find contractors with the mix of integrity, knowledge, grit, intelligence, professionalism as you.

This is, by far, the best , most detailed video I’ve seen regarding this topic. Thank you for being so detailed, and so clear on every step.

renaissance man over here here teaching people about portmanteaus while teaching about flooring. What a king

Wow someone who actually cares about doing a job right , i wish all contractors were like this guy .

The detailed how to and why is what sets your videos apart from the others in the diy video realm

I can tell that your channel is gonna blow up. Your content is not only very detailed and informative, but clear and easy to take in. Oh yeah, and entertaining. Stud Pack has dialed in the triple threat of success on RU-vid - informative, clear, and entertaining. Keep on, keepin' on 💪

As a GC, with a career in many aspects of construction, he made that shower pan look MUCH easier than it is. Fantastic job. One thing to consider from one professional to another, is to do our best to minimize dust and debris to other parts of the house. Closets, beds, flooring etc. Good job on the drop clothes for foot traffic throughout the day.

I love this guy's meticulousness.

Portmanteau! Very impressive. Can't believe I learned a new vocab word watching your handyman video. One can improve their DIY and SAT score at the same time. Keep up the great work and hope 2021 is a great year for you guys.

So much building wisdom that you wouldn’t expect to learn about a portmanteau in the same video. Terrific.

As I said on a previous comment, I've been a remodeling contractor in NorCal for over 40 years. Watching your videos has been a real delight! And believe or not, I pick up something from each one, which proves that you're always learning something new in this trade! Thanks for the fun and informative videos, and keep them coming!

I love hearing you two interact with each other. :-) Thank you! Keep it up!

Just found your channel yesterday, I'm hooked! Great to see a father and son working so well side by side. Those memories are priceless and the knowledge being passed down can't be attained any better way. Continue what you're doing, it's quality content the likes of which is becoming harder to find all the time.

I was scared when you were talking about some type of ramp at the door. Glad you changed your mind. It looks great.

love watching these videos. When I did the french travertine in my kitchen the floor was 2.25" out from the far corner. I, with a friend, mixed 58 bags of self leveler in garbage cans. That was the hardest day I ever had working construction. The floor is like glass now, it weighs as much as a bus, and costs just as much as the granite countertops because that leveler is not cheap.

Really enjoying watching this bathroom come together!

That's some Super head scratching detail work you put into the leveling of the bathroom floor. VERY, VERY NICE!!!!!!

Great camera work on the self leveling. We could see that it was as smooth as a baby's bottom

In Australia we use a floor waste in the bathroom floor as well as the shower . A 1:60 - 1:70 fall in shower . Less fall on the main floor of bathroom . You have to make more use of the level whilst you're screeding . Establish an mark a reference Datum line somewhere near the door way . Set your laser up to required height somewhere on the floor ( near the door ) where it's less likely to get knocked over . Get a piece of 4×2 , 8 inches long , must have been cut square . Using a square mark from your laser line your finished floor level on the 4x2 , and the level of your floor drains . Now you can screed your levels from the laser corresponding to the relevant mark on the 4x2 . This is handy because its easy to transfer the floor height over the shower hob perfectly . Screed from back towards the doorway and around the laser level in situ . Pack away your level and screed the patch you have left .

Thanks for posting this, as a novice these videos give me confidence to try new techniques. 👍

You can really tell that he cares about the quality of his work and the customer's needs, too.

They make an expansion foam that unrolls and you can spray 3m adhesive on the wall and just stick it on. Then cut off the excess after the leveler is dry. Quicker than cutting all those pieces around the walls.

Finding floor level with the screw trick was a great idea. I think I would leave them behind to help super refine the self-leveler and micro adjustments there after. You can always take the screws out later.

Boy, that looks so professional! Beautiful. I am a homeowner and watched others on utube and have noticed someone using golf spike shoes and a spiked floor roller for going over the entire floor smoothing it. Keep up the great work. Love how you explain everything!!!!!!!

I'm a retired contractor and very impressed with your work. You almost made me forget what a terrible dissapointment nearly every job was. Yes, folks usually choose the cheapest bid, so we are forced figure out ways to do it cheaper (if you want to work). Also when ppl cut corners, like not replacing the cabinetry or using cheaper materials, it somehow is reflected back to the GC. There was rarely a case where everyone left satisfied. This attention to detail is unlikely if not for a "how to" video.

When you do self leveling compound, you need a spiked roler to even the overlaps

As an electrician I found this really interesting. It's great to see people that really care about finding the best way to do things. Watching someone explore with new products and make assumptions based on previous knowledge and explain their thought process is what I came to see.

Every tile job I have done has been a learning experience... You can plan ahead all you like but at some point you have to scrap the plan and play it by ear to make it work... This is a great example of how pros work and will result in a beautiful job without a middle-of-the-night-toe stubbing transition!

Smart. Nicely done. Curious about the sloped tiles on the edges -- look forward to seeing how you work it out.

Gonna be honest. The work is excellent but the quality of the video is just as good. Love it when people take pride in what they do. Thanks guys and happy new year.

Great to hear the thought process as it happens - years of experience clicking over there :-)

I love watching hard working benevolent professionals like your self 🙏!

Man cant wait to remodel my bathroom love doing all the work myself thanks to this videos.

Portmanteau! First time I added to my vocabulary watching diy vids on RU-vid, which coincidentally is another portmanteau. They're everywhere!

Nice to see such pride in workmanship. This shows that with the desire to do good work, one always tries to find ways to do a good job quickly.

Simply beautiful! Nice work!

Great work! So cool you get to work together.

This is my first video I've seen from you, and I'm so glad I found your videos... I greatly enjoyed every second, I love how detailed you and your helper is, and how you make sure your quality is top notch... I as a independent contractor myself pride myself of my work, and always put quality first... much love from central Florida, and I enjoy and can't wait to see another great video.

Thanks for sharing guys. Exactly what I needed to see to provide me the confidence to use the self leveling material.

Thanks again fellas. Always so easy to follow w great explanations!

Great job. Glad you moved away from leveling the floor and then sloping the tile to meet the wood floor. 3/4 inch slope over that distance is not too bad. A barefoot just skims the surface of a floor while walking. A half inch slope in a two foot distance can de noticed by some people. I’ve actually done this and regretted it everyday.

This guy makes this look easy. It isn’t easy, it’s tedious and physical working on your knees. Great video.

Love it we just did something similar today, I thought I was a genius thinking of using the foam as a dam, well I guess I’m wrong we poured self leveler today and everything worked out! Thank you for the video

Nice job. As a carpenter I see a lot of folk's old DIY or "professionally done" hacks and it's a pleasure seeing someone do a job that I won't have to either clean up (literally AND figuratively) or do extra work to fix.

Looks like you’re doing it right! I was curious to see if the ramp at the threshold would have worked out unnoticed.

Jeeeeeesus, this is what it looks like when an absolute *artist* gets to work - ALSO - camera work and editing was super on point, really amazing content fellas! SUBBED!

SUPER job - you certainly are careful and thorough; I learned a lot. Bravo.

I was so anxious when you were going to level the whole floor, but then you decided to make it flat instead and then a wave of relief washed over me. Looks great guys !

This is my first video of yours and just want to say the video editing and production is nice really nice

I'm aware that I am late to the party and this comment won't be very helpful for this job, but I figure the info I'm providing might be helpful to you guys in the future, so here it goes. First my credentials, Commercial / Residential Flooring Subcontractor for 30 years. Have done countless floors just like those and also much, much worse. I had a cringe moment when you talked about doing it true level, and the lowest point was at the rooms entrance, but then breathed a sigh of relief when you came back and changed your plains. Which was absolutely the right call. Really the biggest error I saw (mainly from inexperience) was your pouring barriers, and more specifically the width of them. The ones around the walls should have been made of 1/4 inch plywood, ripped to the width needed, then caulked if need be. But often simply using masking tape is good enough, as it bonds EXTREAMLY well to the latex primer that was applied to the floor. More importantly, it's strong enough to hold back the leveler, but weak enough to allow you to remove it once your floor has cured. Then a simple skim coat of thinset flooring patch around the walls fills any remaining gaps without the worry of it flowing because it can be applied much thicker. What you don't want to do is what you said at the end, and saw off the excess foam an leave that around the perimeter of your room, because that inevitably will be where the new flooring will get damaged in the future. Because you now have a soft substrate that someone could place a A-frame ladder leg onto, or perhaps drop something hard, and it absolutely can and will result in the tile breaking. Seen it many times cause by foam filled expansion joints, curtain highrise walls being poorly connected to slab and the list goes on. Its just bad practice to ever leave something softer than the subfloor to remain anywhere under a finished floor, regardless of how obscure a location you think it is, Murphy's Law says, if it can happen, it WILL HAPPEN. Eventually

So much good information here. Thanks for making the video. I’ve got a barn floor to house reno I’m working on and will be doing the same to level the floors. I’ll give your screw method a try.

One of the best RU-vid videos. Thank you for sharing you process.

Good video! Just a tip, if you run a small air compressor in a corner the vibrations will help the self leveler settle across the floor space. Also, you can use a rake with short tines to push it around quickly and that will help it find level between the pours. Occasionally you can end up with a small lip between the buckets if you don't spread it together.

As someone who does these things for a living I mostly face palm myself while all these people with minimum skill want to be You Tube stars before they have reached the level of professionalism that would warrant them teaching others. I especially liked how you showed me how to the level the floor with the screw method, then pivoted because it was not going to work with the slope going the wrong way with the door transitions. People have no idea the amount of thought and planning going on with tile. Flat/level/plumb is not always easy in a house that has settled, or had people before you with the "good enough attitude". A good contractor tries for perfect. Nothing is perfect, but trying for perfect one notch down is excellence. You do excellent work. I recently put in a shower door where the tub was not level. I took 2/16 of an inch off one side. The homeowner actually noticed! I laughed and told them why. Then I asked if there was anything else. NOPE. I felt good, they noticed that but nothing else was amiss.

My house is on a concrete slab and I'm building a 21' x 16' kitchen space with 24" x 8" porcelain tile in the mix. I knew that one corner was low and started with just 2 bags of level mix that proved to be too little. I next added 4 bags and over estimated the self-leveling attributes here and created a huge high spot that needed to be broadly chiseled out, again. I watched lots of self leveling videos and then RU-vid directed me to this perfectly produced video. I bought the laser level and found exactly where my low spots were, and how low they are. What a godsend this video is for me and what a well produced piece of work. THANK YOU!!!!

Great work, man! Especially reconsidering and adjusting your plans when you find they do not work any more. Thank you for posting.

Great job on the floor, sometimes in life projects dictate how it should be done...can't find some things in a book 👍👌

Great personality for RU-vid! Please keep up the content!

Hands down one of the best contracting/carpentry videos I’ve ever seen. My dad is a contractor but we live states apart and we are currently researching because we will be buying a house soon and we are determining what Reno’s to take on ourselves and what to leave to the professionals. I really liked thsi and plan to binge your channel Thank You!!

Wish I had you do my floor. You pay attention to detail and take pride in your work to do it right. 👍

Dude, this guy is a genius. I'm not worthy...

What a pleasant and well spoken professional man. He has a very likeable nature and I wish him (and his crew) a prosperous and happy journey on RU-vid and elsewhere.

Quality workmanship, pleasure to watch it

Stand back! Genius at work! Your attention to detail is impeccable. Kudos!

Can't wait till see you finish that bathroom and start a new project to learn something new

VERY GOOD STUFF, I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THIS VIDEO

This is a great video. I spent many years pouring self leveling cement on commercial projects. You did a great job. We would save time by using weather stripping for our dams as well as 10oz Cove base adhesive to fill in any gaps (this worked better than caulk). Also, if you have extra hands…you can wear spiked shoes or cleats and walk on the self leveling material to work it in.

I'm a flooring contractor. That shower pan and your techniques were great. The self-leveling with foam was helpful also. I'm always open to learn. Thanks for teaching me :-)

I’m a flooring contractor of 25 years and I have no problems with you’re installation method. But for the love of God please put some knee pads on. Ha Ha....good video!!

Very nice job ... "I was so anxious about that..." made me smile, been there many times. That's "the privilege" of the professional. Keep up the good work.

Really interesting. Super instructive. You're a natural teacher.

I used to tape my drain so it wasnt full of junk

As a DIYer watching this video is a strong reminder what you get when you hire a professional!

Really nice work ........ thanks for sharing the professional leveling tips

You have great skills . Thank you

Happy new year fellas. Leveler turned out good. I usually bring a squeegee to that fight. Package say “self” leveler but I like to poke it along with squeegee. Looks great. How much tamping down did you do with mortar bed. Just curious? Jerry from Fresno

Finally a craftsman that knows what he's doing.

That trick with the screws is a classic, but I've never seen anyone else use it. Nicely explained even if you didn't end up using them. I just use a long level and a straight plank to set them: start at the entrance, put in your screws right besides the plank, verify by putting the level on top, then do the longest diagonal from the entrance, then the shorter diagonals etc.

Man, I could never do that. Glad you know what you're doing. Your experience truly shows.

Great job! Haha you never expect to hear “portmanteau” when watching a bathroom refinishing vid! Nowadays they call those words “blends”. I guess the younger generation couldn’t handle all those letters...and sounding refined!

I've been a remodeler for over 40 years. You do a great job! Just curious why you didn't pull the cabinets and carry new flooring wall to wall to allow for future cabinet replacements? Also, what kind of camera do you use, the clarity is fantastic.

Hi, just wanted to say that you remind me a lot of my father (passed away about 10 years ago). He was as hard working and resourceful as you are. I really love the relationship you keep with your son. Very inspiring and supportive. You guys have my admiration. oh, the construction videos are great too :=)

Happy New Year guys!!! Once again a fantastic job. I’ve been a carpenter/contractor for 35 years and it makes me feel good to see people like you(and myself too) who take great pride in their work!! The attention to detail and the fact that your constantly reevaluating your plans and ideas reminds me of how I work but also how you guys strive for better and better results!! Keep up the great work fellas!!!

To everybody in here, saying, Oh i wish there was contractors like you in my area, blah blah blah! There is! You just think there quote is too expensive or a rip off, or you are getting done over. No you not, 9 times out of 10, you will get ripped off by the guy that is cheap.

These are the type of jobs I hate with a passion.

This looks great and I love seeing all the tips and suggestions.

I like the way you solved the problem with uneven floor, I had this issue for a long time and I have no idea how to solve it. Great video and great skills, thanks.

Wear cleats when messing with a self leveler. There's ALWAYS something that needs touched up at the other end of the room. :/

Glad you are not using the pan. I'm a big boy. I have stepped on some of those pans and they gave way, so that isn't going to work. Also, you could be showering with your four favorite girl friends., and cause a leak.

Great detail. Will make a much smoother tile job as you said. The only thing I'd have done different is lay in one of those electric in floor heating systems! I have done a few showers in tile and did a very similar method when laying the mud floor using a level line on the wall and screeds.

Love this! Just did the (pretty much) same thing on Friday! Nice to re assure my decisions. Looking forward to next video!!

Why do ppl get these center drain showers when a single slope linear drain would be much easier??

I wish my Dad had actually *taught* me stuff like this, rather than telling me to hold the flash-light better and constantly yelling at me..

Fascinating. Love watching you. Makes it look sooo easy. Usually when it looks easy, it’s really hard. At least for a non pro

Perfect, many thanks for the upload 🙏🏼