How To Level Out A Concrete Porch?

ProVolley9

I have a customer that wants her porch tiled, which is what I do for a living, but I have yet to come across needing to level out an existing cement porch that slopes towards the house as opposed to slighty away.

As the porch sits now when it rains the water flows and sits against the house rather than running off the outside edge of the porch as it should.

The porch slants roughly 2 inches towards the house.

How would I go about fixing this leveling issue?

6stringmason

How about add more crete in the lower areas and make sure you wind up slightly higher by the house? How big of area is it?

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Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

Tscarborough

It is relatively easy fix, but is raising the pourch 3" at the house side going to cause problems with the threshold/ siding?

ProVolley9

I just talked to my dad and he suggested that I get some "Acra 60" (spelling) bonding stuff to apply to existing concrete to establish a good bond when applying a layer of new crete material and basically feather it out by hand until there is no slope towards the house anymore.

He also mentioned hiring someone to "jack" the porch up, but I don't think I'll go that route b/c I'm trying to keep cost down since this job is for a good friend.

And no, it won't matter if I end up having to add around 3" in height up close to the house since there is a 6" step up into the doorway, thankfully!

So, from what I said above does this sound like I'm on the right track? And like I said before, I'm only doing this so I can lay slate tile on the porch flooring, so luckily my leveling job doesn't have to be all that pretty, just needs to be leveled out so water does sit against the house every time it rains.

6stringmason

How much do you have to add to get the right slope?

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

ProVolley9

I need to build up 1" next to the house, then gradually float it to nothing over about a 5 foot span toward the outside edge of the porch.

6stringmason

Ahhh.. that should be cakewalk then with some flexcrete material. Im sure you will have no problem.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

ProVolley9

Flexcrete? I know there are all different kinds of "cretes", but I don't really have experience with working with any sort of masonry repair.

With Flexcrete will I basically mix it to correct consistancy, pour and float/level out as need be?

6stringmason

Yep. It should have the consistancy of oatmeal or pudding. Make sure all the lumps are out. Also make sure you use a drill with mixing blade attachment like you would plaster or grout. You dont want that stuff gettin on your skin or clothes. Its a pain to get off skin and it wont come out of clothes. You can get it at any brick supply store. Home improvement stores might carry it too.

__________________
Kamps Masonry & Concrete Countertop Design Green Bay, WI
920-680-3195
Visit our website @
http://www.concretecountertopsdesign.com/

ProVolley9

Wonderful! Thanks for your help everyone!

Gilbert

I have a porch that due to settling is cracking in places. I want to add on top of the exisiting porch after I repair it, brick style concrete pavers. How do I go about this? Do I add about one to one and a half inches of sand and then secure to outer edge of the porch with Flexcrete? tia Gilbert

eoffmasonry

Gilbert,

What material Is the exisiting porch?

JumboJack

Holy old post batman!

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

Gilbert

It is a 20X30 ft concrete

Gilbert

12X30ft. concrete porch with some cracks, that I want to cover with brick style Concrete blocks.

eoffmasonry

Jumbo Jack is right, we are under a old post gilbert but I will try to answer your question even though we are both newbies in a old posted world.

Here would be my plan of attack for your problems. If the porch appears to be in somewhat of sound condition, meaning all settlement as occured, then I would start with a good cleaning with a pressure washer. After the cleaning grind all cracks out wide enough to fill with flex crete. Lastly I would spray the whole concrete surface with a good concrete bonding agent then lay all the new pavers with type s mortar.

The sand base that you were planing on would not work for this application due to rain water entering the sand joints around the pavers and getting traped by the hard layed border. In order to use sand there must be drainage for water below the sand, Like compacted crushed gravel. Still after laying the porch soild with mortar, cracks may show up in the mortar joints due to settlement.

Gilbert

Thanks for the info. You are right I am new to this site and I posted here because I was having a simular problem with a cracked porch as the old post. Where the porch has been enlarged over the years, it has raised slightly in spots and has cracked a little in other places. Not a huge problem; just needs a little fix. The problem in laying the pavers is, if I use the morter will it give a little, is it [Flexable], I live in Ohio and get a lot of rain and snow in the winter. The porch is totally covered but the front of the porch still gets wet depending on the wind. Is type [s] morter flexable? Trade is wordworker, but wifes handyman and I am not familiar with anything but caskrete. I should learn alot here.
Thanks..... Gilbert

eoffmasonry

Gilbert,

The type s mortar is less flexable due to it being more stronger in compression strength. If the porch is mostly covered besides a few cases of wind driven rain, I would use type n mortar. Type n will give you a little more flexability. After the pavers have been laid, wait 7 days and clean it with a product geared for the paver style you laid from prosoco.com. Then 24 hrs later seal it with a sealer from prosoco. Prosoco has a product application chart on their website to narrow down the right product to clean and seal any paver you use. I can't guarantee that you won't have any cracking due to expansion, contraction and possibily settlement, but I think it will be small if it does. With out future settlement involved, the porch will last a very long time if you keep it sealed every 5 years with prosoco.