Floor Screed Companies in the UK

Types and Uses of Floor Screeds

Floor screeds are highly important yet are hardly given a second thought in a completed building. Only if something goes wrong and the screed starts to break up, does it get noticed. The screed – a thin layer of material applied on top of a concrete floor – provides a smooth surface on which to lay the specified flooring or finish, or if an abrasion resistant screed is specified, it can be left as a finished surface.

Screeds are traditionally a mix of cement and sharp sand. Sometimes there will be additives to give them specific properties, for example to make the screed faster drying or more durable in extreme conditions. Many of the modern ‘self levelling’ poured screeds use materials other than cement as their binder.

They can be directly bonded to the base, laid unbonded onto a suitable damp proof membrane, or applied as a floating finish over a layer of rigid insulation material. The required thickness of the layer varies according to its application and whether underfloor heating pipes are involved. If reinforcement is needed for crack control, this is usually achieved with polypropylene fibres or a fine steel mesh. BS 8204 provides advice and information about specification of screeds, bases and in-situ floorings.

For convenience, polymer screeds are generally available pre-packed or site batched. Polymer products include levelling screeds, wearing screeds, floating screeds and fine concrete screeds.

Some floor screeds include an additive to make them fast drying; other additives give a self-smoothing finish or rapid strength gain.