What is Screed Flooring?

Screed Flooring 101

My Name is Andy Parkin. I am the managing director of the multi-award-winning Speed Screed. Today I am going to answer one of the most commonly asked questions, what is screed flooring?

What it is and how to use it

One of the questions I hear daily is what is screed flooring? This is often accompanied by concerns about how and where and why to use it. I am going to try to cover some of the basics here to make you feel more comfortable about the uses and types of screed.

Screed is basically a material made by combining cement and sand which is then used as a base on top of a concrete floor. There are different types of screed which vary according to their use:

Levelling Screed

Levelling screed: This type of screed is designed to make sure that the floor reaches a set level and can form a reliable base for the final flooring. Levelling screed will not play a part in ensuring the structural stability of your floor.

Wearing Screed

Wearing screed can be used as a top surface level. It is used to provide a structural top surface to a floor but can also be used as the main wearing surface where additional flooring is not needed.

Bonded Screed

This refers to the way in which the screed is placed on the base. For bonded screed floors this means it is applied directly to a well-prepared base to form a good, strong bond.

Unbonded Screed

This type of screed is separated from the base/substrate by placing a membrane on the base before adding the screed.

Floating Screed

Mainly used where there is a need for thermal or sound insulation, for example, in a large office or industrial complex or in domestic settings where underfloor heating is being installed. This level sits above or ‘floats’ above the substrate. In the case of underfloor heating systems, it allows the builder to safely install the hot water pipe network.

Self-levelling/self-smoothing/pumpable screed flooring: These terms are often used interchangeable but all refer to the type of screed that is mixed to a specific consistency that allows it to be poured or pumped onto a base. These are really useful for quickly covering larger areas or those where there is some form of base surface fluctuations that need to be levelled out.

There are various additives and products which can be placed in screed to make the screed stronger, for example, metal mesh or glass fibres, or chemicals which can speed up the drying process making the screed flooring able to bear loads more quickly.

I hope this has helped you to understand what screed flooring is, and how and where it is used.  We are here to help, contact us.