How To Mix Screed By Hand?
How To Mix Screed By Hand
I’m Andy Parkin, Managing Director of the Multi-Award-Winning Speed Screed. I’m here today to let you know how to mix screed by hand.
Should You Mix Screed By Hand?
How to mix screed by hand? I think the easy answer is don’t. If it was just a very tiny little area, a quarter of a square metre, or half a square metre for example, and you just wanted to put a little bit of material in, then maybe, but the British Standard states that screed should not be mixed by hand, so this is something that we just wouldn’t recommend.
You are not going to get the consistency, it will not be mixed correctly, and it is very likely you will have problems at some stage with the screed.
How Should You Mix Screed?
You need to mix it using the two preferred methods. Certainly not by hand, not with a shovel onto a board or in a free-fall mixer. We see people doing that from time to time. The free-fall mixer doesn’t mix the screed correctly. What you get is balling of the screed, so you are not getting the consistency, and even distribution of the cement, of the water, of the fibres, etc.
The two methods of mixing are:
- Mobile electric paddle mixer which is a forced-action mixer. It must be forced-action, not a free-fall mixer. There are some diesel versions of this mixer, but mainly they are electric. When the mixing has been completed it is discharged directly into a wheelbarrow to move it to the laying area.
- The most popular method for mixing on site is a screed pump. The pump has its own forced-action mixer. Materials go into the mixer, and then when thoroughly mixed, it is then pumped into place.
British Standard states hand mixing is a definite no-no and it is something that we would not advocate, use a forced-action mixer and you’ll be all right, otherwise you’re dicing with inconsistency, pockets of sand and there are lots of reasons why the screed just might fail.
When thinking about how to mix screed by hand, don’t risk your project failing.
I hope that’s been of some use. If you have any further questions, I’d be glad to answer them. Contact us.
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