Leveling concrete floor

I need to level my concrete floor for laminate install. I have some dips that from 1/16 to 3/4 in one spot.
A couple of questions. Can I do the leveling in sections? It's 300sf , amnd i don't see how I can mix enough leveler at one time to do the whole thing at once. Second the floor has some adhesive left on it. I scraped it with a 4" razor scraper and the stuff that's left is old hard and dried ,and like a rusty brown transparent residue. Do I have to get every bit of adhesive off or can I leave old hard dried up stuff and put a good coat of primer. Could I use a concrete patch as a filler in the deep spots and use leveler as the finish coat to save some money and not have to try to mix many bags of leveler.

[Floorguy]

Self levelers are not very DIY friendly and really not needed for what your trying to accomplish. Find all the high spots first, with a straight edge at least 8 ft long. Grind the high spots down and keep checking and verifying your there. Then find all the low spots. Mix and pour floor patching compound in the low spots and use your straight edge(screed) to drag, mixed floor patching compound flat across the low areas, called screeding.

All the high spots are along the wall. Generally the very center of the room is low. It reminds me of a bowl. The room is 15ft x 20 ft. I stretched a string on the floor at the wall across the 15ft width and the center is 3/4 " low on one end of the room , 3/8 low in the middle of the 20ft lenght to only about 1/16" on the other end. From the low spots in the center of room it tapers gradually to the high spots at the wall. I have no high spots to sand , basicly just fill in all the lows which seem quite extensive.

[stullis]

You are going to spend a fortune to put in laminate.

[doublebonus]

Already bought the flooring. Just have to get the floor flat for it.

[Bud Cline]

All the high spots are along the wall. Generally the very center of the room is low. It reminds me of a bowl. The room is 15ft x 20 ft. I stretched a string on the floor at the wall across the 15ft width and the center is 3/4 " low on one end of the room , 3/8 low in the middle of the 20ft lenght to only about 1/16" on the other end. From the low spots in the center of room it tapers gradually to the high spots at the wall. I have no high spots to sand , basicly just fill in all the lows which seem quite extensive.

Seems like a job for SLC to me!

[stullis]

SLC for sure. About a $1000 in materials will about cover it.

Perhaps a bit more than you paid for the laminate?

[Bud Cline]

Everything is relative I suppose!

There is no way laminate will survive on that substrate the way it is now. Besides, the guys/gals first post says "unregistered" but it doesn't say anything about being without means.

[stullis]

Lets face it Bud, people usually put in laminate and DIY because of lack of funds and they don't have a clue of how expensive prepping can be.
Nor do they have a clue of just how important that part of the job is.

Heck most "pros" don't have clue to importance of prep.

AND that is exactly what the manufacturers pushing these DIY products fail to mention and rely on so they can weasel their way out of warrantying the product. SURPRISE!!!

[Bud Cline]

Lets face it Bud, people usually put in laminate and DIY because of lack of funds and they don't have a clue of how expensive prepping can be. Nor do they have a clue of just how important that part of the job is.

Agreed! As always.....you get what you pay for. If you don't properly prep and pay that price then anything can happen.

[Floorguy]

stullis said Lets face it Bud, people usually put in laminate and DIY because of lack of funds and they don't have a clue of how expensive prepping can be. Nor do they have a clue of just how important that part of the job is. Heck most "pros" don't have clue to importance of prep. AND that is exactly what the manufacturers pushing these DIY products fail to mention and rely on so they can weasel their way out of warrantying the product. SURPRISE!!!

Bingo, we have a winner. Bring your card to the front of the room.