Self-Leveling Concrete & Overlays in Glendale CA - a flat floor ready for new flooring
Dips and humps in the slab under your old floor? We check it, then pour a level base for your new floor.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do I need self-leveling concrete before new flooring goes down?
A self-leveling concrete overlay is a poured layer that flattens an indoor floor and gets it ready for new flooring. In Glendale we pour one when the slab under your old floor is too uneven for tile, plank or carpet to lie flat.
Most people call us once the old floor is up and they can see the dips, patches and cracks it was hiding. The price depends on the size of the room, how far out of level it is and how much has to happen first, like old flooring or glue coming up, cracks to deal with and what the moisture check finds. The schedule depends on that same prep and on the cure, because nobody uses the room until the layer has set. Your written estimate spells out the prep, the product and each step for your floor.
Is self-leveling concrete right for your floor?
Tile or plank going down
New tile, plank or sheet flooring shows every dip, so a flat base under it matters.
Old floor just came up
Once carpet or vinyl is gone, the slab underneath is often patched, rough or out of level.
Rooms that slope or dip
If furniture rocks or a ball rolls to one corner, a poured layer can flatten the floor.
Where two rooms meet
Where an addition meets the old floor, heights rarely match, and a poured layer can bridge the step.
How we handle self-leveling concrete and overlays
We start with the checks, because they decide the rest of the job. I check the slab for moisture, look at every crack and joint, and work out what to do with any old glue before we pour. Then we grind and clean the surface so the new layer has sound concrete to hold onto. Next we prime it. Primer helps the underlayment bond, and on a porous slab it keeps the concrete from soaking up the mix and drying unevenly, which can crack it. Last, we pour the mix and let it find its own level, working across the room so it goes down in one continuous pour.
If carpet, tile or an old coating has to come up first, our concrete floor stripping and removal work gets the slab bare before any leveling starts. For the slab around a pool, where self-leveling doesn't belong, we handle pool deck coatings and resurfacing instead.
Whole-room pour
This suits a room that's out of level from wall to wall. One continuous pour leaves no edges to telegraph through the new flooring.
Low spots and doorway steps
This suits a floor that's mostly flat but has a dip in one area or a step at a doorway. Filling just that area keeps the job smaller than pouring the whole room.
Removal and leveling as one job
This suits a floor still covered in carpet, vinyl or tile. We take the old floor off, deal with the glue and level the slab in one plan, so there's no gap between trades.
What happens when you call about self-leveling in Glendale?
Call or send the form
Call (747) 372-8604 or send the form and tell us about the room and what's on the floor now. We'll set a time for me to come out and see it.
I check the floor myself
I look for damp spots, cracks and old coatings, and I ask what you want going down on top. That visit is where the moisture, crack and glue questions get answered for your floor.
You get a written estimate
It spells out the prep, the product and each step, so nothing about the plan is a guess. You see what the job involves and what it costs before you decide anything.
We do the work, then walk it
My crew and I do the prep and the pour ourselves. When it's done, I walk the finished floor with you before we pack up.
Should old flooring come up before self-leveling?
Usually, yes. I want to see the bare slab.
Old vinyl, tile or carpet pad can hide damp spots, loose patches and cracks that you'd never find with the floor still down. A self-leveling pour is only as sound as the concrete it sits on, so I'd rather see that concrete before we commit to a plan.
Taking the old floor off does add a step and some cost, and I'll say so plainly on the estimate. When the old floor comes up, we sort out the glue first, because that decides how the slab gets cleaned and primed before the pour.
Examples of concrete floor work
Look through these example photos of coated, polished and leveled concrete floors to get a feel for the finishes this trade can give a room.
Get a written plan for leveling your floor
Tell us the room's size in square feet, the floor that's there now, and whether old flooring or glue comes up. We'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate, with no obligation.
Why Glendale homeowners call Ironwood Epoxy Flooring of Glendale for self-leveling
The owner leads every job
The person who looked at your floor and wrote your estimate is on site with the crew. The plan you agreed to is the plan we follow on pour day.
Learned prep on my dad's jobs
I learned to prep concrete working beside my dad, and I started this business in Glendale in 2023 to keep working the way he taught me. His view was that floors fail from underneath, so I spend the time on the slab first.
Licensed and insured in California
We're licensed and insured. California's contractors board classes preparing a surface for flooring as flooring contractor work, and leveling a slab before new flooring is that kind of prep.
Tell us about your floor
Call (747) 372-8604 any day from 7 AM to 10 PM, or send our estimate form. Tell us what's on the floor now and what you want going down on top.
Self-leveling questions we hear in Glendale
Can self-leveling concrete be used on an outdoor patio in Glendale?
No. The maker's instructions limit self-leveling underlayments to interior use, so they belong on floors inside the house. For a patio or a pool deck, we'll point you toward something made for outdoor slabs instead.
How do I know if my concrete floor is too damp for self-leveling?
A moisture test on the slab tells you, before anything is poured. One maker's guide has concrete floors moisture-tested so the right underlayment can be chosen for them. We check moisture early, and the result decides which product goes down.
What causes cracks to show through a self-leveling floor?
Moving joints or cracks in the old slab are the usual cause, because they can carry up through a self-leveling layer and crack it. That's why we look at every crack and joint before the pour and plan for the ones that move. Even with that care, a concrete trade group notes that some random cracking can still happen in overlays, so a few cracks are possible on careful work.
What is the best way to handle old flooring glue before leveling a floor?
Settle how the glue is handled before any leveling starts, because grinding old adhesive off by machine can be hazardous if it contains asbestos. One maker says to consult the proper government agencies about cutback adhesive, the black glue found under many older floors, when it contains asbestos. We look at the glue on the estimate visit and settle the plan with you before work begins.
How much does it cost to level a concrete floor in Glendale?
Across the US, leveling a concrete floor with self-leveling compound usually costs about $4.50 to $7 per square foot installed. That's a national figure, not our price. Removing old flooring or glue and repairing cracks raise the cost the most. We'll give you your own figure once we've seen the floor.
Do I need to keep the room closed while self-leveling cures?
Yes, plan on a closed room with no air moving through it until the layer cures. One maker's guide keeps doors and windows shut, the heating and cooling system off and the area out of direct sunlight until then. We'll go over which rooms that affects before pour day.
Want us to look at your floor?
Ask for an estimate and I'll come out, check the slab and give you a written plan for the prep and pour.
Work that often goes with leveling
Self-leveling concrete jobs in Glendale
Projects submitted to Glendale's Development Services Division have to follow the California building code along with Glendale's own changes to it. I won't guess whether a leveling job needs to go to them, so before work starts we check with the city or county office that covers your address and tell you what we find.
When you hire a home improvement contractor in California, you can ask who their subcontractors are. The contractor then has to give you each subcontractor's name, contact information, license number and classification, so you know who's working in your home. With us the answer is simple, because my crew and I do the prep and the pour ourselves. We're based in Glendale and do the same indoor leveling across the cities around it, from Burbank to Pasadena. Many of the slabs we level there have just come out from under carpet, tile or old vinyl.