Floor Screed

I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. Today I’m here to give you a little more insight into the Datum Level; the Datum Level is a crucial part of any construction project. Let’s get started. What is a Datum Level? A Datum Level is an arbitrary horizontal plane on a construction project used as a reference point for all other vertical dimensions to be measured. It is used to highlight differentials between vertical heights of floor levels along with differing levels of two separate points on the site. It is often the case that the Datum Level is given a 0.000m designation (though this doesn’t have to be the ground level outside; the ground floor could be 0.650m with a first floor at 4.650m for example. A basement would be below the Datum Level so would be shown as a minus number, -2.950m for example. It is not uncommon, however, for the minus sign to be missed or misrepresented (as a dash for example) so often a temporary benchmark...

Damp Proof Membrane – protection from damp in domestic and commercial construction Hi, my name is Andy Parkin. I am the Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. Today I am here to tell you about damp proof membranes. Damp-proof membrane (often called DPM) is used in construction to prevent moisture from entering the building, usually through capillary action. You will often see these membranes installed as part of damp coursing on external walls, but they are also vital in ensuring that moisture cannot enter a building via the floor. Damp causes several issues when it is found in buildings, these can include visible damp patches, areas of mould (which can cause breathing issues and allergies), damage to décor, and, importantly, it can undermine the structure of the building. With this in mind, making sure you look at the types and uses of different damp proof membranes takes on new importance. Why bother With A  Damp Proof Membrane? Most of t...

D49 Mesh: Minimise Cracking and Shrinking I am Andy Parkin Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed and I am here today to help you minimise the problem of shrinkage cracking using D49 mesh. Cracking of floor screed is often associated with curling or shrinking as well, and using a reinforcement such as D49 Mesh can help. Keep in mind that the goal of this article is to help you guide in the right direction. There are a lot of factors that can cause a screed to crack, so always consult with a professional before proceeding. Reinforcement According to the British Standard BS 8204-1:2003, reinforcement is used to reduce the severity of the cracks. It’s often used with unbonded or floating screed to control the shrinkage and cracks. D49 Mesh complies with all the standards, and it will help minimise those shrinkage cracks How Does D49 Mesh Work? Reinforcement mesh such as D49 Mesh is put inside cementitious screed to reduce stress on the screed...

All about Python LR I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award-Winning Speed Screed. Today I’m here to give you a little more insight into Python LR. What is Python LR? Python FL is an ultra-swift setting and drying, flexible self-levelling floor compound. It has been uniquely formulated using advanced binder technology and selected additives for a fast-track solution. Python LR has exceptional flow and adhesion properties, making it sufficient for commercial and domestic applications. It is suitable for use over a broad range of substrates along with sand/cement screeds, concrete, flooring grade asphalt/bitumen, ceramic, porcelain and terrazzo tiles, epoxy damp proof membranes and plywood. The uses of Python LR Python LR is also excellent for encapsulating electric underfloor heating elements and for usage over underfloor heated screeds. Python LR is quick setting, meaning ceramic tiles can be equipped after as little as 3 hours, and fancy floor coverings can be installed ...

The Concrete Screed Minimum Thickness? I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. We are often asked about, what is the concrete screed minimum thickness? Often people are having issues with thresholds and the heights of ceilings (not having a lot of floor make-up), and they want to know what is the minimum. Laying the screed too thin may result in failure, leading to the possible replacement of the screed. Concrete Screed Minimum Thickness – Construction Types A traditional screed as defined by the British Standard for screed, can go down to 40mm bonded. Bonded That would be 40mm onto a concrete substrate. Unbonded If laying on top of a membrane, that would be classified as unbonded, and the minimum would be 50mm. Floating Laying onto the insulation, so that would be classed as floating construction, domestically the British Standard recommends 65mm minimum and 75mm commercially. Specialist Concrete Screed Minimum Thickn...

Concrete floor screed – is it the one for your project? I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I’m here to talk about  Concrete Floor Screed? Everyone knows what concrete is, but how many people understand the difference between screed and concrete?  Although many people think they’re the same, they do have some differences.  Both concrete and screed are used widely in the construction industry but outside of that people really don’t know much about them. Concrete floor screed – it’s all in the mix If you look at the ingredients used to make concrete and screed they are pretty much the same: Cement Water Aggregates This similarity means that most homeowners don’t really understand the difference, however, it is important to be aware of what these are because each is more suited to a set of particular tasks. Telling the difference between concrete and screed can be done in a few different ways by looking at: Use case Composition Physical appearance ...

Screeders – Choosing the best for your project My name is Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I'd like to take some time to tell you about the great reasons why Speed Screed provides the very best screeders to the construction industry. Choosing Screeders can be a challenge With all the focus on getting the screed mix right, it is easy to forget that to get the most from your screed you will need to hire the very best screeders. In fact, no matter how good your screed if it is installed incorrectly your floor with not stand the test of time. To help you look at why Speed Screed is one of the best screeding services in the UK today, I've put together some of the reasons why we consistently win awards and customer recommendations. High standards All our work meets the British Standard BS 8204-1:2003 for screed. In fact, in many cases, it exceeds this standard. Take a look at our great customer reviews and you will see that...

What is Cemfloor Screed? Cemfloor Screed is a cement-based flowing screed. Cemfloor Screed is effectively a mixture of cement, sand, superplasticizer, Cemfloor binder, and water. Cemfloor Screed is the result of the partnership between McGraths Limestone and Cemexa Technologies. The sole distributor of the product across the UK is McGraths Limestone. It’s a great additive for screed and it helps the screed to stay clean, avoid shrinkage, improve flowability, and achieve an overall amazing finishing. The Types There are three main types of Cemfloor Screed that you can get your hands on. All three of them have some unique characteristics and they cater to different needs when it comes to flooring. Cemfloor Therm Designed specifically for use with underfloor heating systems, Cemfloor Therm encapsulates the underfloor heating pipework and leaves no voids.  Combined with the screeds density the product ensures the best thermal conductivity around. Cemfloor ...

Cemex Supaflo - Flowing Screed Choice I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed, and I’m here to talk about CEMEX Supaflo GENERAL OVERVIEW CEMEX Supaflo is a calcium sulphate based flowing screed. APPLICATIONS Perfect for: Residential/Commercial/Retail/Healthcare buildings Schools Floating, bonded and un-bonded construction Incorporation of electric or wet underfloor heating systems Timber, concrete and steel frame Supaflo is not suitable for: Permanently wet areas, such as commercial changing rooms/swimming pool surrounds Areas that require falls MIXING/SUPPLY CEMEX Supaflo is supplied directly from the screed manufacturer.  Supplied in ready-mixed truck mixers.  4/6/8/10 wheelers. The screed is then discharged into a specialist screed pump and then pumped into place. DRYING TIMES Approximately 1mm per day, up to 40mm. Beyond 40mm, 0.5mm per day. This is based on 20 degrees and 60 relative humidity After 7 days the screed can be forced dried to speed ...

Screed Fall From 90mm to 0mmScreed Fall From 90mm to 0mm.  Is that possible? I'm Andy Parkin Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. Thank you very much for your question, Dean. Your question is: "Screed to fall from 90mm to 0mm, Is that possible? Watch Andy's video to find out his answer: Transcript: Hi, I'm Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the multi-award-winning Speed Screed. Thank you for your question, Dean, and that question is "screed fall from 90mm to 0mm. Is that possible?" It is with a single product. So you can do it with a single product, you could do it with modified sand and cement or a traditional screed . It would involve what they call a "toe" at the bottom end. So what you can't do on a level surface is have 90mm to 0mm. Indeed, there isn't a product on the market that will go down from 90mm to 0mm. So you can use multiple materials, so you could use two different materials to achieve that. You could a...

Just What Is Cement Screed? I'm Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I'm here to talk about Cement Screed. Cement screed is one of the most traditional and well-known flooring materials.  It is easy to use and can be placed onto a precast concrete floor. The manufacture of the screed is a mixture of 1:3 or 1:4:5 of cement to sharp sand.  There are a wide variety of cement screeds available and the exact composition and use of these will be detailed by the individual manufacturer. Advantages of Cement Screed The screed can be bonded to a concrete base or alternatively, it can be placed directly onto a damp proof membrane.  It works well on underfloor heating projects which require cast-in pipes. The screed is strong but can be further reinforced by mixing in metal mesh, or polypropylene fibres. Cement screed may be left as the final finished surface in some mixes or it can be smoothed and used to lay a final floori...

I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I’m here to talk about “floor screed drying time before tiling”. We know just how hard it is to wait for the screed to dry so that you can lay your floor tiles.  With today’s technology, you don’t have to wait, drying time can be controlled to suit your program. Typical Floor Screed Drying Time The range of floor screed drying times before tiling is quite wide, and here are examples based on 75mm think application. Standard Calcium Sulphate – 110 days Traditional Sand and Cement – 75-100 days Cementitious Belitex – 21 days Mapescreed 704 – 7 days Hydraulic Binder Fast Drying Screed – 24 hours Ardex A35 – 4 hours Moisture Testing The method for moisture test will depend on the screed type, however, the used methods are: Carbide bomb Hair hygrometer Protimeter Before laying any tiles, a moisture test needs to be carried out, as this is the only way to be sure that the screed is dry enough to receive the tile...

So, can you let Speed Screed just lay in the Screed? Yes, you certainly can, we will be happy to do that. What I would say is that we do provide a 10 Year Guarantee which would only cover the Screed.  If we were to lay the insulation, membranes, underfloor heating, acoustics, etc then they would all be covered within the 10 Year Guarantee. The screed is only as good as the substrate that it’s sitting on. If the insulation is laid incorrectly with gaps that could cause thermal performance issues, you could also get induced cracking issues, where there might be steps, gaps or even rocking in the insulation, If you lay membranes, it is important to ensure that it’s correctly taped. If it’s a damp proof membrane, we ensure that there are no areas where there may be an ingress of moisture.  If we’re providing underfloor heating, we ensure the pipes are fully clipped, fully secured. If laying acoustic insulation, which may be on a domestic basis where we provide an edge strip to actually iso...

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Calcium Sulphate Screed - The Flowing Choice I'm Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. Let's talk about calcium sulphate screed.  Calcium Sulphate is the name of the binder that is used in the screed. Traditionally, all screeds generally are cement-based. This one is an exception and uses calcium sulphate rather than cement. Where Does Calcium Sulphate Screed Come From? It is a by-product of the chemical industry in the UK. Rather than going to a landfill, it gets milled and then is made available to the screed industry. What Are The Benefits Of Calcium Sulphate Screed? It certainly has a number of benefits over cement and we will just go over a few: Low-shrinkage Anything with water in will shrink as it dries, however with calcium sulphate screed there is far less shrinkage.    This is quite surprising as it is a liquid product in nature and it has a lot of water in mix so you would imagine the shrinkage is go...

All about Breedonflow Swiftscreed I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. Today I’m here to give you a little more insight into Breedonflow Swiftscreed; I’ll talk about some of the technical specifications as well as the benefits of the product itself. A brief description of Breedonflow Swiftscreed Breedonflow Swiftscreed can be used in both domestic and commercial build projects prior to the final finished floor type being laid. Breedonflow Swiftscreed is equally at home with bonded flooring systems, unbonded flooring systems and floating flooring systems. It is compatible with most underfloor heating systems. Breedonflow Swiftscreed is safe to carry all types of pedestrian traffic in line with BS8204 standards in both domestic and commercial properties. We can, of course, advise further on this matter if needs be. What are the benefits of Breedonflow Swiftscreed? Standard cement screeds have to be applied more thickly; you c...

I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director at Speed Screed, a Multiple Award-Winning screed solution provider. Today I am here to talk about BRE drop hammer test or Screed test as it is also known. Screed use is a common construction practice, it is important to test the strength and soundness of screed. BRE drop hammer test is such a test. It was developed by the Building Research Station in the 1970’. It’s still considered one of the best screed test methods for measuring the In-Situ crushing resistance for various types of screeds. What is the Soundness of Screed? The soundness of screed is defined by the ability to withstand loads and traffic in any service area without crushing. The BRE drop hammer test is a certified method according to the British Standard BS 8204-1:2003 Annex D and E. Multiple factors go into determining the soundness of screed. The quality and characteristics of the screed change differently for each of these parameters. They are: The level o...

Can I polish latex screed?Can I polish latex screed? I'm Andy Parkin Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. Thank you very much for your question, Terry. Your question is: "have a client who wants a polished concrete floor, but we do not have the height. Is there a latex we could polish?" Watch Andy's video to find out his answer: Latex screed isn't designed to be a final finish. It's just something there to smooth out the substrate, ready for the floor coverings to go on top. So if you are just looking to increase the height by a few millimetres, then what you really need is a micro cement. A micro cement can go down to around three millimetres. And once you've got the micro cement down, you can then polish, which will give you that polished concrete look. You can get it in different coloured pigments to get different appearances. Providing that the substrate is clean and tidy. You have got to watch out if there are any cracks o...

How long does floor screed take to dry? What is the average floor screed drying time? Click on the link below to find out more #screed #floorscreeding #screeddryingtime https://www.speed-screed.com/knowledge-centre/floor-screed-drying-time/

Floor Screed I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I’m here to talk about floor screed. Click the link to find out more: #screed #floorscreed #floorscreeding https://www.speed-screed.com/knowledge-centre/floor-screed/

info@speed-screed.com -  0800 242 5589 - www.speed-screed.com What Floor Screed Thickness Do You Need? I’m  Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi Award-Winning Speed Screed. Let us take a look at floor screed thickness. We are often asked: What thickness do I need? What thickness can I go down to? What is the thinnest? What is the maximum?” We need to put it into the context of the three main types of construction that you are likely to encounter when looking at floor screed thickness. Bonded First of all, you have got bonded.  That is where the screed is actually bonded directly to the substrate. Unbonded Unbonded, this is where the substrate has a membrane separating it from the screed. Floating And then floating. That is where you have got acoustic or thermal insulation in between the screed and the substrate, and you may also have a membrane as well. If we look at each different type, you’re going to have different floor screed thickness on the minimum and maxi...