Is your floor too uneven for tile, vinyl or wood? We check the slab first, then pour a layer that sets flat and ready to cover.
Yes, in most cases. Self-leveling concrete is a compound we pour over your existing indoor floor in Brownsville. It bonds to the surface and settles into a flat, level layer that tile, vinyl, wood or a coating can go on.
Usually you've noticed a dip underfoot, a hump that new planks won't lie flat over, or a spot where two pours meet unevenly. Not every floor is ready for a pour, and I'll tell you that up front if yours isn't. The price moves with the size of the room, how deep the low spots run and how much prep comes first, such as old glue to remove or a slab that needs grinding and surface preparation. The schedule depends on that same prep, the moisture test and the conditions the product needs while it cures. When I come out, I look at the slab and write up what I'd do and why, so you can see your own numbers.
I'm the one who comes out to look at the floor. I learned this trade on grinders and coating crews and started this business in Brownsville in 2020, so I'm looking for what makes a pour fail before I write anything up.
Our crew lead and installers do the prep and the pour, and I stop by while the work is going on. You'll know what has to be moved, when the crew arrives and how long the room stays closed, before the day comes.
I'd rather talk you out of a pour than put one down your concrete can't hold. We're licensed and insured. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. Call (956) 505-5381 or use the form to set up a visit.
Send us the room size, what's on the floor now and any cracks or old glue you've noticed, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out, check the slab, ask how you use the room and write up what I'd do and why. The estimate is free, with no pressure and no obligation.
In Brownsville, the city's Building Permits and Inspections Division handles permits and plan review for all remodeling and new construction, and it enforces the city's building codes on homes and businesses. Whether your leveling job needs a permit is the city's call, so we check with the division before work starts. If it does, we tell you and work through the paperwork with you. You can also reach the division at 956-546-4357.
Most calls we get in Brownsville come from people replacing worn flooring who find out the slab underneath isn't flat once the old floor comes up. We often find old tile, carpet glue or patched spots that have to be dealt with before a pour. We do the same work in San Benito and Harlingen, along with other cities around Brownsville.
Not over cracks that are still moving. One maker's guide recommends against it, because a moving crack or joint underneath can carry up through the new layer and crack it too. If I find one at the estimate, I'll tell you and we'll talk through what has to happen before any pour.
The test result decides which product goes down. One maker's guide calls for moisture testing on concrete floors and names one test for moisture coming up off the slab and another for humidity inside it. We test so the compound we pour matches what your slab is doing.
Across the US, leveling a concrete floor with self-leveling compound usually costs about $4.50 to $7 per square foot installed. That's the going rate nationally, not our price. Your number depends on how deep the low spots are, what prep comes first and which product the moisture test calls for, and I'll write that up when I see the floor.
Don't scrape or grind it yourself. Removing old adhesive with tools can be hazardous, because the residue may contain asbestos. Before any prep starts, you and I settle how it'll be handled.
Plan on the room staying closed until the layer cures. One maker's guide says doors and windows stay shut, the heating and cooling stays off to prevent drafts and the area stays out of direct sunlight. That maker also requires the concrete and the room to be between 50°F and 95°F before the pour and for at least 72 hours after, so we plan around that with you ahead of time.
Skipped primer and moving cracks underneath are two common causes. Primer helps the compound bond, and on porous floors that soak it up, it prevents the uneven drying that can cause cracks. The moving cracks we look for at the estimate are the other cause.
The city's Building Permits and Inspections Division does. It processes permits and reviews plans for remodeling, and it inspects permitted work when you request it. We check with the division before your job starts.
