K 80 Industrial Levelling Compound
Smoothing compound for industrial floors · NZ · manufacturer-sourced
How long before you can install flooring over ARDEX K 80 Industrial Levelling Compound?
Short answer
Return-to-use gates
Walk, furniture and full traffic open at different times
- Apply the Smoothing compound for industrial floors to a clean, dry subfloor
- Stay off until the foot-traffic time
- Bring in furniture and heavy use later
This product’s stated stages Quoted at 73°F
- Working time ends10 minutes
- Light foot traffic2 hours
- Ready for flooring1 day
- Heavy traffic2 days
Worth noticing: Working time is only 10 minutes; the next stated stage, light foot traffic, is 2 hours.
Common mistake: Moving furniture back the day after, while the surface is still soft.
Return-to-use gates
Open the surface gradually instead of treating cure as one moment
Time returning to use
Your countdown
Stated times
- Working time ends10 minutes
- Ready for floor covering1 day
- Light foot traffic2 hours
- Heavy traffic2 days
From ARDEX data sheet · checked 2026-10-25. Anything not listed isn’t stated by the manufacturer.
Manufacturer website: ardex.com
Conditions & fine print
- Stated conditions: 73°F (23°C)
- Floor times assume the stated temperature and humidity. Cold slabs, thick coats and damp subfloors lengthen them. Follow the current data sheet.
- Apply at 50°F or above
- Region NZ. Formulas can differ between countries; check your container.
- Working time ends: The subfloor must be at least 10°C.
- Ready for floor covering: The source gives no conditions for this time.
- Light foot traffic: Indoor concrete installations.
- Heavy traffic: The source gives no conditions for this time.
- Entered from the cited manufacturer documentation. Check the current label for the exact formula and region. Report outdated information
- Actual results depend on preparation, thickness, ventilation, temperature, humidity, mixing and substrate.
Confirm this is your product
Closely named formulas, colors and regional versions can use different times. Match these details to your container before starting a countdown.
- Exact listing
- ARDEX K 80 Industrial Levelling Compound
- Variant
- Smoothing compound for industrial floors
- Region
- NZ
- Listed use
- industrial floors, levelling
- Timed stages recorded
- tooling, floor ready, light foot, heavy traffic
- Source checked
- 2026-10-25
Documentation: Technical data sheet · Datasheet, September 2011
Condition attached to the stated time: The subfloor must be at least 10°C.
About this product
An industrial levelling compound with a 10 minute work limit and a 48 hour wait for heavy foot traffic.
Using this specific product
ARDEX K 80 Industrial Levelling Compound is listed here as the Smoothing compound for industrial floors version for industrial floors and levelling. For installing or finishing a floor, the useful question is not simply whether the surface looks finished—it is whether the exact next-action milestone shown above has been reached.
Before you start
- Confirm the package says Smoothing compound for industrial floors; related versions can use different timing.
- For industrial floors and levelling, pay particular attention to subfloor condition, trowel coverage, room temperature and traffic plan.
- The subfloor must be at least 10°C. The source gives no conditions for this time. Indoor concrete installations.
How to check readiness
Test the least-ventilated area before walking, covering or replacing furniture. The sheet says not to rework after 10 minutes. The sheet says the surface can be coated after 24 hours. Try a protected edge first and avoid turning, dragging or concentrated loads.
Avoid this mistake
Foot traffic, furniture and rugs can have different return times.
Compare with similar products
- Compare with SikaLevelLight foot traffic: 2–3 h there, 2 h here.
- Compare with LATICRETE SPARTACOTE FLEX SBLight foot traffic: 2–4 h there, 2 h here.
Questions
How long before you can install flooring over this product?
ARDEX states: The sheet says not to rework after 10 minutes. Conditions: The subfloor must be at least 10°C.. The sheet says the surface can be coated after 24 hours. Conditions: The source gives no conditions for this time.. The sheet gives walk-on at about 2 hours. Conditions: Indoor concrete installations.. The sheet permits heavy foot traffic after 48 hours. Conditions: The source gives no conditions for this time.. These are the manufacturer’s stated times, not a guarantee.
How long before heavy traffic on ARDEX K 80?
The sheet gives 48 hours.
How long do I have to work with this product?
ARDEX states: The sheet says not to rework after 10 minutes. Conditions: The subfloor must be at least 10°C.. These are the manufacturer’s stated times, not a guarantee.
How long before I can walk on tile set with this product?
ARDEX states: The sheet gives walk-on at about 2 hours. Conditions: Indoor concrete installations.. These are the manufacturer’s stated times, not a guarantee.
How long before heavy traffic is safe on this product?
ARDEX states: The sheet permits heavy foot traffic after 48 hours. Conditions: The source gives no conditions for this time.. These are the manufacturer’s stated times, not a guarantee.
What affects how long this product takes to dry or cure?
Floor times assume the stated temperature and humidity. Cold slabs, thick coats and damp subfloors lengthen them. Follow the current data sheet. Follow the product label for your conditions.