Tag: sand and cement screed

Liquid screed has been the talk of the construction industry in the past few years, with people hailing its speed and suitability for underfloor heating. However, there are still instances where the old method still wins out. We still see projects here at UK Screeds Ltd. where cement screed in Cheshire is still the better option. Its tried-and-tested durability, flexibility, and performance in harsh conditions make it a foundation that still endures the test of time.

Heavy Load Environments: Strength Over Speed

For commercial and industrial constructions where machinery, shelving, or constant foot traffic is anticipated, compressive strength takes precedence. Conventional cement screed, when fully cured, provides a solid and strong surface that can support heavy loads without cracking under pressure. This makes it particularly ideal for warehouses, retail premises, and workshops where floor performance is as much of a concern as the building above it.

More Control Over Slopes and Gradients

Liquid screed’s self-levelling properties are an advantage in flush, large floors, but not all projects require a surface that is level to perfection. Some spaces need a conscious fall or gradient to take water away. For instance, consider garages, wet rooms, or outside-facing rooms. When this is the situation, old-fashioned cement screed gives installers the ability to shape and trowel a surface with accuracy, producing useful gradients that a flowable mix cannot.

Moisture Resistance and Exterior Use

The other field in which conventional screed has an advantage is water exposure. Liquid screeds, usually calcium sulphate-based, are susceptible in consistently wet situations and are inappropriate for work on the outside. Cement screed, by contrast, works well in bathrooms, utility rooms, and outside projects where moisture resistance is critical. This puts it in the more practical option when durability must be beyond the indoor setting.

Flexibility for Thickness and Finishes

Regular cement screed is also more flexible when it comes to permissible thicknesses, making it convenient for renovation work where subfloors differ in height or are not level. Its provision of a thicker build-up provides extra flexibility, especially when covering services or fitting the difference in floor levels between areas. For customers seeking a durable base but with flexibility in the finishing layer, regular screed still provides unparalleled flexibility.

Why UK Screeds Ltd. Continues to Trust Conventional Methods

Here at UK Screeds Ltd., we take pride in understanding when convention produces superior outcomes. While we are experts in liquid screed for most contemporary uses, we also have skilled teams who are proficient in hand and machine-laid cement screed in Cheshire. This enables us to suggest and implement the correct solution for every project, whether that involves the precision and efficiency of liquid screed or the robustness and flexibility of traditional methods.

For those homeowners looking for trustworthy moisture protection, or for commercial builders requiring floors to withstand decades of use, our experience with cement screed continues to show why the traditional method still has its place. Selecting UK Screeds Ltd. is selecting a partner who appreciates new technologies and the long-term value of established methods.

When you are in the process of constructing a building, one of the things that it will have is flooring upon which people can walk, or in the case of a warehouse or factory, on which vehicles such as a forklift truck may be driven. Either way, you want the final floor surface to be as flat and smooth as possible, and the way to achieve that is to lay a screed on top of the substrate.

When you are constructing a building, one of the most important jobs is to ensure that the flooring is as flat and level as possible and the way to do that is to lay a screed on top of the concrete base before fitting the final floor surface.

When constructing any new building, one of the most important considerations – among many others – is to ensure that the final flooring is laid on to a surface that is as smooth and flat as possible. This is always important, but especially so when the final flooring is going to be tiling or stone because if the subfloor is not level, then the tiles or stone will not last for very long before they begin to crack.

More and more properties today are being built with underfloor heating. It is becoming standard specification for higher-end homes, but is gradually being used in less expensive homes as well, as it becomes evident that the cost of installing radiator systems and underfloor heating is about the same, but that underfloor heating has several advantages.

At UK Screeds we are proud to have over 15 years of experience in the laying of liquid floor screeds throughout England and Wales. We have no less than 11 branches and we can lay a liquid screed for you at any construction site in the two countries.