How to Place Floor Screeds in Concrete Slabs

  

Floor screeds on a concrete slab are placed when a developer has finished the concrete for the slab. This is after all other building elements are complete. The screeds are the layers of cement and sand mix placed over the concrete as a finish. This will allow you to lay other flooring materials such as wood blocks, wooden parquet, laminated wood, PVC tiles, and ceramic tiles. The type of material to add determines the rule to place. This can be smooth or rough using a steel or wood float respectively.

The method used to place floor screeds on concrete is to cut the concrete first to remove the grout. This is the soft cement substance that appears in concrete after casting. Once this is done, a key is formed to ensure proper bonding of the new floor and concrete. The next thing is to wet the floor to avoid water absorption competition between the slab and the screed. Pour the cement grout and rub it over the slab to create a bonding agent between the two epdm rubber surfaces.

Mark the levels of the floor screed to drop or glide smoothly on the concrete slab. Pour the cement and sand mixture onto the concrete surface. Spread evenly with a rake and hit with a rammer to give a hard surface. Level the excess mortar with a ruler and follow the marked levels. Use a wooden float until the surface has reached the required level. Remember also if another finish will be added, be it wooden parquet or PVC tiles. This will ensure that the screed has a rough finish with a ceramic tile wood float. However, for PVC or parquet tiles, a steel float is used to add the layer of foam to lay them on.

A skimmer layer is usually a mixture of cement and water. This is applied with a steel float to make a smooth finish on the screed. It can be applied as a final floor finish. This also enables wood, rubber or carpet finishes to be attached using adhesives. After deciding on the desired finish on the floor, apply the required smooth or rough finish based on the material specifications. Let the floor screed dry. Cure it continuously by wetting it for about a week. When it is completely dry, it is cleaned and the next finish is added as parquet to finish it off.