At UK Screeds, we have been providing screeds and underfloor heating for building projects since 2002, so we are coming up to our 20^th anniversary next year. Founded in Oxford, we have now expanded to 11 branches throughout England and Wales, and we are planning to open more new branches so that we cover the whole of the UK.

When you are designing any sort of new building project, one of the many things that you need to consider is the levelness of the floors. For many years now, the answer has been to cover the substrate with a layer of screed in order to provide as flat a surface as possible on which to add the final flooring, whatever it may be.

If you are considering installing underfloor heating in your home there are benefits to be had, but also one or two issues to deal with. If it is a new build, then the main problem can be taken into account at the design stage, but if you are retro-fitting underfloor heating you need to consider it.

Liquid floor screeds are becoming more and more popular, and for a number of very good reasons. They are a highly versatile material and are especially beneficial when used in conjunction with underfloor heating because they make the system higher in thermal efficiency.

Liquid floor screeds are becoming ever more popular today as their many benefits over traditional sand and cement screeds have become more widely known and understood. This is especially the case when you are installing underfloor heating, which is becoming more common in new build properties today. This is because, although at one time it was thought that it was only suitable for high-end homes, underfloor heating has many benefits over and above a radiator system, and the installation costs can be reduced when it is used in conjunction with a liquid screed and force drying.

Although the heating radiator for buildings was invented as long ago as 1855 (would you believe it?) by a Russian businessman, the fact is that even in the mid-20th century they were not common in homes. Most people heated the home using fire and burning coal that was delivered by the coalman in half hundredweight sacks – not an easy job by any means.

When laying the final flooring in a new build project it may seem a little trite to say that it needs to be as level and flat as it can possibly be, yet that is always the case. While there is no legal requirement to lay a screed on the substrate before fitting the final flooring, it is the way to go, whether or not you are installing underfloor heating.

If you are considering installing underfloor heating in Gloucestershire, you have two choices – either electric or water-based underfloor heating. An electric system uses either heating cables or a heating mat which has cables running through it and a water-based system uses heating pipes through which hot water is pumped which have been heated by a heat source such as your boiler.

Liquid screeds have grown in popularity considerably over the last 20 years because of the distinct advantages that they have over and above the traditional sand and cement screeds. They are very easy to lay, simply being pumped into position with a long hose, and they can be laid far faster than sand and cement which is trowelled into position by hand.

If you are going to lay a liquid screed in a new building, there are certain conditions that have to be met before doing so. Before commencing, the windows and doors must have been fitted, as must the roof, because there must not be any chance of rain or water entering the building. If the external windows and doors have not yet been fitted, the gaps will need to be covered with heavy polythene. The floor surface also needs to be clean and dust-free.