How to Raise the Height of a Concrete Slab for Tiling

I want to lay tile continuously over my adjoining kitchen and dining room floors, but the concrete slab in the dining room is 1/4″ lower than the kitchen. How can I make both floors the same height before tiling? -Melissa

Hi Melissa,

The simplest way to make both floors the same height is to add a layer of floor leveling compound to the lower dining room floor. Here’s how to go about applying floor leveling compound to a concrete slab:

• Clean the floor thoroughly to remove any dirt or grease.
• Apply a coat of the special latex primer, if called for in the leveling compound instructions.
• Allow the primer to dry thoroughly, following the instructions.
• Mix the leveling compound with water in a 5-gallon bucket using a paddle mixer chucked in a drill until the compound is a soupy consistency.
• Pour the compound on the floor starting at one corner of the room. Setting time is usually only 10-15 minutes, so you have to work fast.
• Mix up and apply more compound as needed, working backward toward an open doorway.
• Allow the leveling compound to set and cure as recommended in the directions (usually 12 hours or more).

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of raising the height of the entire floor, you can apply floor leveling compound just to the area around the doorway. Apply the compound and feather it out with a trowel for several feet or more into the dining room. Use a long straight edge (4’ or 6’) or level from the doorway to make sure the compound is flat and even.

Good luck with your project,

Further Information

• How to Level a Subfloor (video)
• How to Lay Tile on a Concrete Slab (article)
• How to Lay a Tile Floor (article)
• Installing Tile Over a Wood Subfloor (article)