Floor Screeds
A floor screed is a thinner, fine-aggregate cementitious topping or base layer laid over a concrete slab or substrate to provide a smooth, level surface ready for final flooring (tiles, carpet, timber, vinyl or resin). It differs from structural concrete in that the aggregate size is smaller, finished surface quality is higher and the role is primarily to provide accurate levels and surface finish rather than large load-bearing capability.
Technical details
- Typically uses fine sands, graded aggregates, often with additives (e.g., plasticisers, fibres, rapid?drying compounds) depending on specification
- Screeds may be traditional (wet) or pumped, may include polymer modification for resin finishes, or fast-drying variants where early finishing is required
- Thickness can vary – from 40 mm up to 100 mm or more, depending on overlay system, insulation etc
- Screed must be placed, levelled and cured correctly to avoid cracking, surface defects, or poor adhesion of the final floor covering
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Typical applications & key benefits
Typical applications
- Domestic and commercial floor slabs requiring accurate level for timber/laminate flooring, carpet, vinyl
- Resin or epoxy floor systems in commercial/industrial settings (requiring flatness and low tolerance)
- Overslips, leveling layers over services, ducts or infill zones
- Renovation works where a new floor finish is laid over existing substrate.
Key benefits
- Provides a smooth, level finish ready for the final floor covering – essential for high-quality finishes
- Allows services, ducts and underfloor heating to be embedded and covered
- Can incorporate rapid?drying or additive systems for accelerated programmes
- Separates structural slab from final finish layer – improving design flexibility.
Specification & durability considerations
- Ensure correct specification: depth, mix design, strength, additive type, allowable shrinkage
- Flatness and level tolerances must match the flooring system requirements (e.g., SR values, TR values for parquet, epoxy)
- Curing is essential: screed drying times depend on thickness, mix, humidity and ambient conditions. Final floor finish should only be laid once moisture content is compliant
- Expansion joints, movement joints, isolation joints must be correctly detailed to avoid cracking transferring into final floor
Ordering & delivery advice
Provide: area, thickness, type of final floor covering, whether pumped, any rapid drying requirement, any under-floor heating or embedded services, finish tolerance required, access for pump/placement. Discuss early finishing schedule and coordinate with floor-covering trades.
