Underfloor heating is slowly becoming one of the most preferred ways to stay safe during times of cold. Not only is it more environmentally friendly than a radiator, but since it encompasses the surface, its warmth is unparalleled. With better thermal insulations in the buildings and an emphasis on condensing boilers and ground source heat pumps, underfloor heating is slowly becoming a favorite for keeping homes and commercial property warm.

However, to get the most out of underfloor heating, one must choose the right floor Screed.

Read about the types of floor screeds suitable for underfloor heating, what things you must consider before making your purchase, and a checklist of things to take care of when you are finally looking for a high-quality screed for the job.

What Are Different Types of Screed for Underfloor Heating

With underfloor heating, you get a subfloor made up of a layer of water pipes. All of them are attached to the insulation using a clip rail or tacker staples. A creed is applied over this underfloor heating subfloor.

Listed below are the two types of Screed suitable to apply on this heating apparatus.

1. A semi-dry screed. It is a hand-applied screed that installers finish by trowelling.
2. A free-flowing screed. It has a gel-like texture. This one gets pumped over the pipes depending on the needed depth.

The Screed is applied to a particular section, then cured, and once the floor surface is properly finished, the Screed is applied to the rest of the floor.

Screed’s installation over underfloor heating is not an instant process. Customers need to wait for the Screed to cure before pre-heating the floor. In the end, a floor finish is applied to complete the process.

What are the key things to consider when applying Screed over Underfloor Heating?

As we already mentioned, screed installation over a floor is not instantaneous but a gradual process. With that in mind, the following are the points one must consider before moving forward.

The Area Must be Smooth and Flat

Before installing the Screed, ensure the surface is smooth and flat. This way, the insulation can be leveled, and the correct screed floor will be available. Not having a flat floor beforehand can lead to you selecting the wrong amount of Screed – leading to extra costs later.

Consider HPSS

Heat output, Point loading, scale, and size – are the four factors you must consider to get the correct Screed. Another major factor to consider is the screed type and how much thermal movement there would be – for it can lead to Screed expanding and getting damaged.

Make sure that the project is set beforehand.

During the requirement analysis phase, you must understand the exact type, size, and perimeter strips you need to install. Based on your answer, the installer will mix the Screed and get ready to apply it.

Consider the Screed and Underfloor Heating

The installation and placement of the movement and expansion joints – required to prevent the Screed from cracking – must be designed after considering the Screed and underfloor heating.

Learn how the Screed reacts to the underfloor heating

Without the right knowledge about the building, installers will arrive in your facility with specific expectations. And not knowing what your building requires in terms of underfloor heating, they will install what they consider the best Screed for the price you provide. If the Screed is compatible, you will likely suffer from issues in your heated subfloor zone for years to come. And solving it won’t be easy because that would include peeling off the Screed, the flooring, and reinstallation.

After considering these factors, you must consider the points to inspect the building before calling the installer.

Checklist - What to Inspect Before the Screeding Begins

Before you start the screeding process, the following are the steps you need to consider.

Movement joints in the Screed

Does the Screed have movement joints installed? Movement joints exist between the screeds that are installed overheating circuits. There must be flexible insulation around the movement joints to prevent circuitry from creating an issue for the infrastructure – or those living inside the building.

Understand the impact of underfloor heating on Screed

Before you start, understand the impact of Screed on underfloor heating. Ideally, the screed thickness in a domestic property should be at most 65 millimeters. If the width is more than that, it will take more time to heat up the floor. Another factor to consider here is floor covering – tiles are the fastest to heat up.

The Condition of the Cellular Foam

If the cellular form is placed around the perimeter and there are protrusions in the Screed – it signals that the cellular foam is damaged. In that case, Screed must only be installed after you have placed the cellular foam.

Securing the Pipes

If the UHS’s (Underfloor Heating system) pipes are not affixed properly, they will start to float. Adequate sleeving of the pipes passing through the joints is a must.

There Should be No Rocking Of The Insulation

An insulation that’s non-flat, bridges over voids, and shows protrusions is not good for Screed. Make sure that you deal with them before you lay the Screed.

Reach out to Screed Easy for Assistance

We admit you have to take care of too many things when installing Screed for underfloor heating. So, why not let the experts help you? At Screed Easy, we will take care of everything from inspecting your property thoroughly to installation. Reach out to us to get high-quality Screed applied over your underfloor heating

Many builders rely on traditional speaking floor screed. Made by mixing cement and sharp cement, such a screed is sturdy and has the trust of many. However, times have changed, and people have realized that traditional screed is not the most efficient way to do it.

While efficient and versatile, traditional screed takes a lot of time to settle in, with 1 mm of screed taking a day to dry. It leads a 50mm thick screed to take 50 days to dry. However, impatience runs high in many construction projects, leading many to overlook the dryness and uneven floors.

Therefore, when selecting the right screed, decide how much you have to lay each day. Different types of screeds have different requirements. If you neglect to pay attention to that, the screed won’t dry properly. Consider the thickness and type of screed based on your time requirements beforehand. Here are the rest of the details to keep in mind.

Types of Screeds to Consider

Five types of screeds are there, each having a specific function.

Bonded Screed

It is bonded to the floor using a primer or a substrate agent and is good for thin flooring. It is durable and can hold up heavy objects. Their minimum thickness is around 25mm.

Unbonded Floor Screed

It is not directly bonded to the floor but is separated by a membrane. It can level itself and is made out of sand and cement with occasional calcium sulfate added. Its minimum thickness is 50mm.

Partially Bonded Floor Screed

If you are looking for affordable floor screed options, partially bonded can be your go-to screed. The trade-off is that it is not very durable, and you need at least 50mm of it to ensure it doesn’t break. For additional protection, it must be laid on a rough slab.

Liquid screeds or Cemfloors

Liquid screeds are novel screeds. They dry fast, set fast, and can be more expensive than the traditional screed. That said, because of the less time it takes, you’d offset most of the labor costs. It is the best screed in the market, capable of handling everything from domestic to commercial traffic.

Floating Screed

You apply this screed over insulation. However, care must be taken because it can crack due to shrinkage. You must use the right edging foam or insulation to prevent that.

Factors to Consider when Choosing a Screed

Time

Do you need the floor laid quickly? Are you willing to wait? It is the most common and critical factor when considering a screed. As we already mentioned, different types of screed take different types to dry. Liquid screed – fast drying screed – doesn’t take 24 to 48 hours, making it the quickest drying screed in the market.

On the other hand, traditional screed dries at a pace of 1 mm per day, taking 50 days for full drying. That said, there is a trade-off. Liquid screeds can be expensive, while traditional screeds are not.

Durability

Changing the floor screed is not something you can do every season, and you need to give it time to dry, and once it dries, the screed should be durable enough to handle the foot traffic. For instance, foot traffic on residential property would be far less than a commercial property. Add to that, commercial traffic would also have heavy machinery, which would require a stronger, more durable screed. Choosing a fast-drying screed may be more expensive, but it is more durable, not need you to repeat the same process for years to come.

Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating is the most undervalued factor considered when choosing floor screeds. However, its popularity has grown, especially in commercial properties. Liquid screed is the best option in this situation. It has less depth and higher thermal conductivity, with no air voids around the pipes or throughout the screed. 

Conclusion

Choosing the right screed is often difficult. However, this guide gives you enough details to get started. Assess your requirements and your budget before deciding. And call us if you have any more queries.

There are several options out there that can get used for enticing the surface flooring. One of these options is using liquid screeds. These help offer a smooth, level surface before applying floor finishing or polishing. At the outset, these are a preamble to adding the final texture and feel. These are apt for both commercial and residential outlets.

The essence

Today, liquid (or flow) screeds have become standard flooring options. Liquid screeds are a thick liquid mix that gets applied by pouring or pumping from a mixing truck straight onto the area of concrete that needs covering. These then are dappled using a dappling bar, ensuring to find their levelling without leaving any air bubbles or faults. Upon drying, the final flooring, be it tiles, carpet, wood or laminate, is laid on the top.

The composition

At the outset, liquid screeds get made of a sand and cement mixture. There are two primary types of liquid screeds - cement-based and calcium-sulphate or anhydrite screed. The liquid screed tends to be fine, easy to pour, and hence, sets smooth. Also, it is possible to add other things for decorative purposes or to strengthen the screed itself. Some of the options are shingles, stone or coloured glass.

Environmental-friendliness

With climate change and energy efficiency at the forefront of conversations, here is an assessment of what liquid screeds can offer.

Liquid screeds have high thermal conductivity. This aspect helps spread underfloor heating across the surface area, making the premises more energy-efficient. Easier for levelling, liquid screeds can be thinner, requiring fewer resources and less energy during production. A standout is that nearly 40 percent of recycled material gets used in liquid screeds.

A speciality of anhydrite screed is its high gypsum content. Additionally, it produces less CO2 than traditional sand and cement. ‘Green floor’ for consumers and producers. Everybody wins! Nonetheless, all liquid floor screeds help conserve energy costs. The reason is that flowing screed encases the pipes closely, rendering better thermal transfer from the heated pipes to the rooms above. Using liquid screeds marks a progressive step in combating the common conundrums - sustainability and climate change.

Any specific areas of use?

Although liquid screeds can get used anywhere, there are a few out-and-about peculiarities. It is a good bet in environments subjected to high temperatures. In residential buildings, these are particularly effective when laying new floors on top of existing ones. A word of caution - do not leave the screed floor uncovered. Also, liquid screeds are not ideal for damp areas such as wet rooms and bathrooms.

In the dry

A pertinent inquiry that merits consideration is the time taken for drying. There is no unanimous answer. Much depends on the mix and conditions inside the building. It may be dry enough to endure light footfall within 24 to 48 hours. However, seven days is the minimum before installing anything heavy or permanent. Anhydrite screeds can sometimes get force-dried with underfloor heating. Cement-based needs time before turning on the heat. It is imperative to know which type one possesses and then leave it to dry as per the laid-in instructions.

Driving the wave of environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient flooring, Screedeasy has much to offer. Their team of experts possess the requisite know-how and execution proficiency.

Concrete and screed are widely used in the construction industry, so how do they differ?

You need to combine cement, water, aggregates, and sometimes admixtures to make concrete. It is frequently employed in constructing foundations, floors, walls, and trusses. However, the screed contains no water and is made from a thinner mixture of cement and other particles. Underlayment and floor finish is frequently used together as a levelling layer.

As a general rule, the thickness and composition of concrete and screed are the fundamental differences. Screed and concrete are widely utilised in the building sector and have certain similarities. Cement, water, and aggregate are the essential ingredients (sand, stone or gravel).

However, there are some substantial distinctions in how they are used in construction. Screed is put to a concrete subfloor as a top layer surface and is used for building and structural purposes.

How Do Concrete And Screed Vary Physically?

Cement, water, and aggregate make both floor screed and concrete. Differences in aggregate type are the most significant variation between these two approaches.

Hardcore materials such as gravel are added to the concrete mix while preparing it. These little gems are typically no larger than 20 millimetres in diameter, and this is ideal for structural work because of their strength, longevity, and ease of use. As a side effect, the mixture becomes coarser.

It’s not the same aggregate used for screeds, which are made of sand and cement. You can mix fine, sharp sand, with a maximum grain size of roughly 4mm, into the cement. These specific characteristics make it the perfect choice for a concrete floor finish because of its fine, densely packed texture.

How Do Screed Concrete And Regular Concrete Differ In Appearance?

These two materials can differ in numerous ways. The coarse, hard core particles in the former give it a rougher texture than those in the screed. Even the untrained eye can notice gravel and stone fragments in the cement.

Screed, which resembles mortar but is finer-grained, is more suited for use within the home. As a result, a final floor finish with a smoother surface can be applied. Like dried-up hard-packed wet sand, its surface texture is coarse but refined simultaneously.

How Much Concrete Or Screed Should You Use?

With a specified thickness of at least 100mm for home usage and up to twice that thickness for areas with intensive use, concrete is typically laid significantly thicker than screed. The screed can be as thin as 50mm or as wide as 100mm (on average, 75mm).

Depending on the type of screed you’re using, the location, the expected foot traffic, and the desired finish, the appropriate screed layer thickness will change.

What Is The Purpose Of Concrete And Floor Screed?

With its tremendous compressive strength, concrete is an excellent building material. Additionally, this artificial material is long-lasting, non-combustible, and durable. Additionally, it is an extremely versatile product that may be used in applications from large-scale construction projects to small-scale house renovations.

In addition to these purposes, it can be used for:

• Walls
• Driveways
• Foundations/Footings
• Patios
• Roads
• Pilings
• Flooring
• Drainage layers
• Car parks

Instead of being used as a structural material, sand is placed on concrete floors as the top layer over the slab. Depending on your choice, it is possible to lay down a layer of screed before laying down a final floor covering like wood, resin, linoleum, or tiles. It’s built to last and can handle heavy foot traffic and regular use.

Protecting and levelling the floor will help it endure longer. Underfloor heating systems frequently use it because it’s highly insulating.

Screeds can be divided into three broad categories. The base can be glued directly to the bonded screed if desired. An unbonded screed is usually laid unbonded over a damp-proof membrane or as a floating screed layer on top of the insulation, such as a floor with underfloor heating. It is possible to add fine metal mesh or glass mesh to screeds to make them sturdier.

Benefits of Concrete and Screed

Because of its tremendous compressive strength, concrete is an excellent choice for construction. It can be found in many construction projects, from retaining walls and roadways to piling and flooring.

It is not only solid but also long-lasting, cost-effective, and valuable in a variety of contexts. A fire would be less likely to spread if it is non-combustible. The essential advantage is that volumetric mixers can batch it to your precise parameters and quantity.

When it comes to interior flooring or surfaces, screed is commonly used to smooth out any lumps or bumps. When it comes to concrete, screeding isn’t just a cosmetic upgrade; it may also extend the life span of concrete by creating an impermeable layer that protects the floor from the rigours of heavy foot traffic.

In commercial settings, screed is often used as a finish since it is both attractive and valuable. Resin flooring, for example, can be applied over it as a final floor finish. Underfloor heating pipes benefit greatly from screed’s qualities as an insulation material.

Concrete and Screed Additives

The characteristics of screed and concrete can be altered by adding admixtures. Adding plasticisers to screed can improve workability, bonding, shrinkage, or damp-proofing properties. We can employ admixtures to either speed up or slow down the setting process in some cases. You can add fibres and retarders to your screed products to keep them working for longer.

Thinking of renovating your home? If so, you must be looking for a liquid screed expert who can help you with the project. But before hiring any contractor, there are certain things that need to be considered. Need some guidance? Here are some tips on how to find the right liquid screed expert.

Do your research before hiring any screed expert

Whether you know what you need, or you need an expert to help figure it out for you, the first step is always to do your research. You won’t be able to evaluate your screed expert unless you know a fair amount about the field.

Once you have shortlisted a few companies who seem like they might be able to help with your requirement, take some time to check out how other clients have fared with them in the past.

Also, go through their website. Any screed expert worth their salt should have a website that provides at least basic information about the services they provide. If they don't, then it's probably not a good idea to hire them.

Think of it this way: a true professional will always invest in themselves and their business before expecting their prospective clients to do so.

Check the service provider's online profile

It is worth checking with several screeders to see how long they have been operating and whether they have built up a good reputation with previous clients. Whether you are looking to hire a plasterer or flooring expert, always check for references, testimonials, and reviews.

Screed experts will also often post client testimonials on their websites or social media pages. Look for a company with happy past clients and glowing reviews — these are indicators of true professionals who know how to do good work, communicate well with clients, and deliver projects on time and within budget.

Most importantly, ask for a list of completed projects so that you can reach out to the clients and find out whether the company has done a great job in the past or not. This way you will be able to feel confident about investing your money in them.

Check the company's accreditation and insurance status

Whether you are constructing a new house built or renovating an existing one, one of the most crucial steps in hiring a liquid screed expert is checking the service provider’s qualifications.

You want someone with experience and training for the job. You also want someone with the proper insurance coverage so that you are not liable if something goes wrong. This will ensure that you don’t end up paying more than what you signed up for.

Look for experience

Experience will always matter when it comes to liquid screed. It is only through experience that a company can learn the best techniques and practices for pouring floor screed.

The number of years a company has been in business is an indicator of its capabilities. The more years a company has been operating, the more likely they are to deliver high-quality services due to its experience in various areas of floor screeding.

Don't stay fixated on discounts and offers

Many companies offer super low prices to attract customers. But they do this by cutting corners — and in the case of liquid screed, this can mean that the job will be poorly done or the quality of the screed itself may be poor, which may even lead to problems with your floor after the screed has been laid.

It is a better idea to pay a bit more for a trusted company that uses high-quality materials and takes the time to do your job properly than to spend more on the rework.

Ask questions!

We cannot stress enough how crucial it is to ask relevant questions about everything from the quality of products being used to the benefits of the products. Make sure you and your liquid screed expert are on the same page regarding expectations for the finished product.

Ask if they offer any guarantees or warranties! If a problem does arise later down the line, you want to be sure that your liquid screed expert will take responsibility for it.

Finally, make sure you get an estimate of how long it will take for your flooring project to be completed. While deadlines are not always a guarantee, it is good to have an idea of how long things will take so you can plan accordingly.