Specify the Right Screed to Solve Substrate Stress

The screed layer of a floor is integral to making sure that this aspect of the building looks and performs as intended, which means that installing the right screed for the location is as essential as installing the right floor finish.

Developers need to look at several key considerations about the chosen screed and the application method before verifying if the specified solution will meet the long-term needs of the site.

One of the first steps will be to analyse the quality of the underlying concrete slabs to ascertain what level of substrate preparation or repair will be required. For example in the case of bonded screeds the substrate will need to undergo preparation, typically by shot blasting or scrabbling, to provide a suitable surface for the screed to adhere to.

Once in place the screed will need to be able to not only support the finish that is applied on top, but also the everyday, on-going activity of the site. Inadequate screed layers will inevitably fail when subjected to heavy or intensive workloads, spoiling the seamless, attractive surface above it.

Flowcrete UK has built up an extensive amount of experience supplying screed solutions to some of the largest commercial and industrial sites in the country, meaning that it is well placed to advise on the optimum application for a new-build or refurbishment project.

The resin flooring specialist’s comprehensive selection of floor screeds includes a number ofheavy-duty, self-smoothing and environmentally friendly surface underlayments. For sites that want to get the most out of the screed layer, Flowcrete UK can provide its award-winning Isocrete K-Screed solution, which contains a plasticising and accelerating admixture to enhance the system’s performance.

The K-Screed solution exhibits high strength, excellent moisture control and rapid installation times to provide construction projects with a reliable screed layer that also allows for earlier follow-on work to speed up construction schedules.

Many high-profile, large-scale projects around the world, including the Dubai International Airport and Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, have utilised the K-Screed system to ensure that the final floor finish is effectively supported and bonded to the substrate.

K-Screed is often specified thanks to its ability to incorporate additional elements into the floor that provide extra benefits to a location. Recently both the Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre in Edinburgh and the Ryhope General Hospital combined K-Screed with Flowcrete UK’s Isowarm system to provide an efficient, targeted and space-saving underfloor heating solution.

Knowing the specific qualities and properties of each component within the floor is vital to ensuring that all the different sections work together. Flowcrete UK has developed the Floorzone, which minimises the risk of screed failures by giving clients the ability to source every floor layer from a single supplier.