Do I need a smoothing compound on top of the screed?

Here is our Managing Director, Andy Parkin, to give you more details.

Do you need a smoothing compound on top of the Screed before the floor coverings go down?

If you are laying ceramics, engineered woods or if you’re laying carpets, etc. then, the answer would be no. The finish would be perfectly adequate for all those systems.

The only time when a screed smoothing compound would be recommended is if you are laying any thin floor covering like vinyl.   Certainly floor coverings like Antico,  you would be recommended by the manufacturer to use one. The smoothing compound is just a 3mm covering that smooths out any slight blemish.

You can look at the Screed and think you can put the vinyl directly down. However, the light will catch the vinyls and see slight imperfections.

It is within the British Standard and it is something that is recommended by the final manufacturers and generally floor layers. This is why when the floor layer comes in, it is normally expected that a  screed smoothing compound will be laid to take out any small blemishes. It may be that you have an existing concrete floor and you just want a smoothing compound.

Why do you need a screed smoothing compound?

You would want a screed smoothing compound laid when you see a few odd differences in levels. After that, you are ready to lay your floor coverings. Essentially, however, you are looking that the majority of flooring that doesn’t require a smoothing compound. You also have that open textured Screed which is going to be fantastic for bonding. It covers the flowing Screeds as well as the calcium surface Screeds which still need a smoothing compound before laying thin vinyls.

Across the board, any of the Screeds may require a smoothing compound if you have got thin vinyls.  You need to take advice from your flooring contractor, but it’ll generally be the case that it would be a screed smoothing compound that’s required.

We love to help, contact us.