Granolithic Floor Screed

I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award Winning Speed Screed. I’m here to talk about Granolithic Floor Screed.

What Is A Granolithic floor screed

Granolithic floor screed is sometimes called granolithic paving or granolithic concrete and is a durable floor topping that can be applied where there is already a hard surface in place.

Granolithic floor screed gets its name from the way that it is made.  The screed is formed using hard aggregates such as limestone, granite and even old building materials. It is combined with water, sand and occasionally polymers to give a good workable mix.

Granolithic screed is often where something hard wearing is needed and aesthetics is not the top concern.  While it is most commonly used as screed and on which tiles or other flooring is placed it can be used as a good, sturdy flooring where there is a lot of foot traffic.

It gives all the strength and durability of concrete with a much smoother walking surface and is popular in factories as well as for pavements and walkways.  Some brands of Granolithic floor screed come in colours other than grey for projects where some degree of creativity is required.

When placing Granolithic floor screed the substrate must be prepared.  This involves making sure it is clean and applying the manufacturer’s recommended bonding agent to the concrete base.

You will need to make sure you mix the screed with the appropriate amount of water and you need to mix it in the same way as concrete to ensure that there is proper bonding between the two surfaces.

Different manufacturers will make different recommendations about this so it is essential to follow their instructions.

The main considerations when considering a granolithic floor screed:

1. What is the flooring used for?

• Will the floor need to be cleaned regularly?
• Is the floor exposed to potentially harmful spills?
• Can it comply with environmental regulations?
• Will it react badly to contact with certain chemicals? Eg, cleaning fluids and so on.
• Can it withstand any extremes of temperature it may encounter?

2. Is the aggregate graded?

Granolithic floor screed can be weakened if there is too much air present and this occurs when particles of different sizes are mixed so it is essential to check this before mixing the screed.

3. Experience of the screed layer

Granolithic can be difficult to place so ideally you need a screed layer who has some experience on mixing, laying and finishing this specific type of screed.

A skilled operative will make sure that any sealers or hardeners are applied if necessary and that the flooring will be resilient enough to withstand any particular environmental issues when placed.

If you are considering granolithic floor screed for your factory, project or construction these few basic tips can help you make the right decision.

If you have any questions please contact us, we will be happy to advise you. We love to help!