TRADITIONAL SCREED

Levelling screeds that are cement based are typically described or specified according to their volume of cement to aggregate (for example 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5.) These products have a lower water content that most cement based mixes (concrete and mortar) in order that they can be formed to the required level and finished to give a durable and flat / planar surface that is ready to receive the final flooring finish.
Levelling screeds are typically applied to a ground supported concrete slab or precast concrete floor units. Increasingly these screeds are laid as floating floors onto thermal or acoustic insulation.
Ready mixed Screeds are produced under tightly controlled factory conditions; they are delivered to site ready to use they are produced with guaranteed mix proportions and thoroughly mixed to overcome any potential problems relating to site mixing.
Cement-based screeds can be finished to suite the proceeding floor finish with either a roughened surface or a smoother polished surface. Increasingly these screeds are used in conjunction with underfloor heating systems and services such as IT cabling in which the pipes and cable ducts are embedded in the screed. Cement based screeds can benefit from the inclusion of steel mesh fabric or polypropylene fibres to control drying shrinkage characteristics.