The Incredible Advantages Of Liquid Screed Over Sand And Cement

When you are undertaking any sort of building contract, whether it is a new build or restoration work, when you lay a new concrete floor it will need screeding. For many years, sand and cement has been the traditional sort of screed that has been used, but it has many disadvantages.

Not the least of these is that it takes a lot of man hours to do it because the whole thing is carried out by manual labour. First, you have to mix the sand and cement in a cement mixer. Then it has to be transported in a barrow to the floor area and tipped out, and then it has to be spread across the concrete surface manually using hand tools. Meanwhile, more sand and cement is being mixed in the mixer. If you have a large area of flooring to cover, the whole process can take forever. Well, perhaps not forever, but nonetheless a very long time.

Fair enough, some sand and cement mixes are now being delivered to site ready mixed, especially for larger areas, but even so the process is very long-winded.

Hence the development of liquid screed, which is also delivered to site ready mixed, but is then poured on to the concrete substrate using a pump. The whole process is amazingly quick compared with sand and cement: at Liquid Screed we have laid 100 square metres in 45 minutes and have been known to cover up to 2,000 square metres in a single day. Compare that with doing it by hand!

Not only that, liquid floor screeding in London has so many advantages over sand and cement, especially when you are laying underfloor heating. It totally covers the heating pipes without leaving any gaps, so that the heat is spread evenly in the room above. Furthermore, a liquid screed has almost double the heat transference capabilities of sand and cement, so it requires less energy to produce the same level of heat in the room. This means that there is an ongoing benefit to the environment and also to the occupier who will spend less on heating.

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Key Advantages of Liquid Screed

While screeds have been used for a long time in the construction industry to be applied over structural elements to provide a smooth and level surface, liquid screeds are a relatively new innovation.

As well as offering the same benefits as traditional screed, allowing floor finishes such as carpet, tile and wood to be installed, liquid screed comes with additional characteristics that make it a highly popular material in property renovation and new builds today.

Types of liquid screed

Liquid screeds can be referred to by a number of different terms. Pumpable screed, calcium sulphate screed, anhydrite screed and gypsum screed are all terms that can be used for liquid screed with some options denoting different qualities in the substance, such as drying times.

While each type may have its own advantages, liquid screeds in general offer a much thinner application and faster drying times compared to traditional screed options. Below are the overall pros and cons of using liquid screed.

Pros of liquid screed

Quick to pour and low labour costs due to the shorter time taken to lay the material

Depth can be modified to suit various requirements, including underfloor heating systems that need thin surfaces

Extremely level surfaces that come without bumps or inconsistencies compared to traditional screed options

Less prone to cracks and shrinking

Easily poured around heating systems and pipework so heat transfer is more effective

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What’s the Difference Between Concrete and Screed?

You might already know that screed is simply a thin layer of material laid over the top of a concrete subfloor. However, you may not know the difference between screed and simple ready mix concrete, used for hundreds of different purposes across the construction industry.

We’ve outlined some of the major factors to be aware of if you’re looking at using screed for your next project.

Components

It may be difficult to understand the difference between concrete and floor screeds because they are made up of such similar components; cement aggregates and water.

The basic process of making and applying these materials is also similar, in that cement and water when mixed forms a substance that can be used in combination with sand and aggregates to create a hardened mass that is extremely durable and high strength.

 Different applications

The major difference is in the intended use of each material and the quantities of components used, such as aggregates, to create different effects. Concrete is extremely durable and high strength and is used across the construction industry for structural purposes in several different types of buildings and external spaces, such as structural foundations, pathways, driveways, fences and paving.

On the other hand, a screed is typically designed for internal uses and has been used for decades on top of structural subfloor to provide a more even level on which various floor finishes such as tile, wood or carpet can be set.

(Note: Contact your supplier of liquid anhydrite screed in Northampton, Kettering or Milton Keynes for more information about the application of this liquid screed option.)

Screed types

Today, there are many different screed types. Traditionally, a screed would have been laid by shovelling in the screed mix and then levelling it with a screeding bar. However, liquid screed now allows liquid to be pumped and spread more easily, drying quicker and creating a perfectly level surface suited to underfloor heating.