Floor Screeding Portsmouth Hampshire (PO1): If you find yourself engaged in property or basement renovation, addressing a damaged or uneven floor, or exploring underfloor heating installation in your Portsmouth home, it is crucial to rely on the proficiency of a floor screeding contractor. The objective of screeding is to create a level and uninterrupted surface atop a concrete sub-base, offering a robust foundation for your favoured flooring material. This key process assures a high-quality and resilient finish for the entire floor structure, making it durable and long-lasting. By engaging the services of a floor screeding expert, you can be confident in achieving a flawless and enduring floor surface that meets your exact requirements.
FLOOR SCREEDING COMPANIES PORTSMOUTH
Supplying the expertise and correct working practices to establish a perfect base for your floor, a floor screeding company in Portsmouth can assist you no matter what size or shape of room you are remodeling. They will be able to advise you about the correct type of screed that your project requires, and how best to apply and install it.
They'll in addition assess if a structural engineer is necessary to make certain that any point loadings, flex strength and load requirements are satisfied as laid down in building and construction regulations.
The skills and training that a qualified screeding technician brings to your project should guarantee a high quality result and help to prolong the lifespan of your floors. The correct mix of screed and the way it is laid is also important to guarantee the final durability of your floor.
Make certain that you get 2 or 3 estimates for your Portsmouth based floor screeding project and also ask what standard of finish each quotation is for. The Surface Regularity (SR) finish is the number to look for when receiving an estimate from Portsmouth screeding contractors. SR2 and SR3 could be less expensive options, however the floor screeding finish could have errors and deviations, whilst SR1 guarantees a pretty much perfect finish. Any error in the screeding can cause problems in laying flooring due to ridges, flat spots, indentations in the surface.
British Standards BS8204 sets down the guidelines and regulations that all Portsmouth screeding installers are required to follow, and if applying specialist screeding solutions, (Gypsol, Flowcrete, Cemfloor etc), they ought to be approved by the manufacturers as being trained and skilled in their use. The testing and training of a screeding company by a manufacturer is highlighted by the use of this accreditation scheme, and guarantees safe working practices and reliability on any flooring project involving their materials.
For larger screeding projects in shopping centres, salons, hospitals, warehouses, factories and schools, dedicated commercial screeders in Portsmouth will be required.
TYPES OF SCREED
Standard Screeds - Used in residential flooring projects where the mix of cement and sand is perfectly acceptable for basic floor traffic use. This mix comprises a 5 to 1 ratio of sand to cement. After being laid a standard flooring screed dries out at a rate of just 1mm/day.
Fast Drying and Advanced Drying Screeds - If there is a need to use the floor as quickly as possible a fast drying screed might be a good choice. The majority of the fast or advanced drying screeds are of the fibre reinforced kind and are appropriate for a wide variety of projects where the swifter curing rate of 3-7mm is advantageous.
Industrial and Heavy Duty Screed - A screed that is designed for high load and heavy traffic areas where the maximum possible durability and strength is crucial.
Fibre Reinforced Screed - The professional's choice for domestic use over the top of underfloor heating. The increased strength and flex offered by the special fibres within the screed mix help protect the floor from cracking and shrinkage due to heat. The screed will set hard at a rate of 1mm/day.
Polymer Screeds - A high strength solution where a reduced thickness is required. The drying times for these vary as outlined by product guidelines.
Liquid or Self-Levelling Screeds - When a high standard of finish is required this mix of of cement and latex is used to produce SR1 level floor screeding. This self-levelling compound provides a smooth and clean surface over a damaged floor or rough substrate to enable all flooring materials to be laid. This liquid screed can be poured to a thickness of just 1mm, but still provides a strong surface to take a wide variety of flooring finishes.
SCREEDING PREPARATION AND INSTALLATION
Preparation is vital for a top quality screed surface that will be durable and hard wearing. It is important that any contaminants such as oil, paint, debris or grease is eliminated from the floor before laying any screed, as these can affect the bonding capability that a quality screed demands.
Any cleaning products used in this process shouldn't leave any residues, and the floor surface must be allowed to dry by itself naturally. If screeding over a cement or stone floor then all cracks should be mended to prevent them from "travelling" up through a screed layer and resulting in deviations on the final surface. A decent Portsmouth screeding specialist will take note of such aspects during a site survey and ensure that all preparations are complete before applying the next steps in the screeding process.
Before the screeding can be poured a DPM (damp proof membrane) must be installed to shield the screed and final flooring from moisture damage. Different gauges of polythene sheets might be used as a DPM and also act as a buffer for the screed and any insulation materials.
If your property is situated in an area where radon gas is present a supplementary barrier layer is needed to stop radon gas from getting through. If radon gas is present in severe doses then a complete ventilation system might be needed beneath the screed which will remove any gases that are seeping in from ground level.
As soon as the floor base has been properly prepared and all DPMs installed, a sealant or primer is then put on. Sealers and primers help with the bonding process and are specialist applications specifically designed for the sort of screed being applied. These substances require skilled technicians to apply them in the correct proportions by using tailor-made equipment, such as airless sprays.
If you are going to be installing underfloor heating, now is the time that it will need to be correctly laid out and installed. Insulation panels can be put in position and the cables and heating pipes will be securely mounted so there's no movement while the screed is being poured. Warmth is evenly spread across a floor area in an expertly fitted under floor heating system, and along with it being an effective choice of heating, it's a good choice for many Portsmouth home renovation projects.
Needless to say, if you're not installing underfloor heating, you can bypass this step and get on with applying the screeding. The specific requirements of the room will dictate the sort of screeding used. Remember that even advanced and quick drying screeds have a minimum of twenty four hours before you can walk over any laid surfaces and a minimum seventy two hours before any flooring can be fitted. Manufacturer's drying instructions for heavy duty and standard screeds should be followed so as to achieve a quality finish and end up with a stable and even floor surface.
You can assess the SR standard of the completed screeding as soon as it's solidified enough to walk on. The test involves using a 2m long straight-edge laid down upon the surface and any variations from true are calculated.
- SR1 - SR1 is the highest level and permits just three millimetres of deviation from the straight-edge.
- SR2 - If the screed has a deviation from the straight-edge of 5mm or less it is SR2 level and is the standard for industrial and commercial floors.
- SR3 - SR3 is basic utility standard where a quality finish is not required. This specification allows for a maximium deviation of ten millimetres.
If you need to check the screeded floor for load bearing, a structural engineer is needed to perform the tests. Using specialised equipment the engineer will verify the screed strength and suitability of use in a load bearing setting. A drop hammer test will be carried out at several areas on the screed layer and the outcomes noted. Only certified structural engineers observing the British Standards BS8204 guidelines are permitted to carry out these tests and sign off on the structural integrity of the screeding. (Tags: Screeding Portsmouth, Floor Screed Portsmouth, Floor Screeding Services Portsmouth, Floor Screeding Portsmouth).
Latex Floor Screeds Portsmouth
When the nature of your floor's surface means that a level of flexibility is necessary, it may be best to apply a latex self-levelling screeding, as opposed to one with a rigid finish. Latex floor screeds come in 2 parts - a bag and a bottle - with a bottle that contains liquid latex, and a bag that contains a cement based compound. The liquid latex additive replaces the water that would normally be used in a screed mix, and is quicker drying and more flexible than other types of screed.
This latex screed product is used to level-out a subfloor prior to the final decorative surface being installed. This screed is appropriate for sub-floors made from asphalt, wood, sand/cement, stone tiles or concrete, is ideal for the application of adhesives and gives a resilient, smooth surface. This type of screeding will provide a crack-free, flexible finish, even if there's movement in your sub-floor.
Latex screeds are not a suitable choice where a "floating" screed is required, for instance when a screed is being laid on top of a membrane of either acoustic or thermal insulation, such as may be the case when you are screeding over underfloor heating, and thicknesses of 50 to 75 millimetres may be needed.
Floor Screeding Near Portsmouth
Also find: Fratton floor screeding, Cosham floor screeding, Lee on the Solent floor screeding, Hilsea floor screeding, Eastney floor screeding, Hayling Island floor screeding, Widley floor screeding, Alverstoke floor screeding, Copnor floor screeding, Milton floor screeding and more.
Screeding Related Tasks
There is a variety of work that can be accomplished by your local Portsmouth floor screeding specialist including screeded bathroom floors in Portsmouth, floor noise dampening, underfloor insulation, school floor screeding, concrete floor moisture testing services, floor screeding tools in Portsmouth, floor screed aftercare, flow screeding, wet room floors, floor levelling, fibre reinforced screeding in Portsmouth, concrete screeding, rapid strength screeding, acoustic flooring solutions, external screeding, screed flooring Portsmouth, underfloor heating screed, screed reinforcement Portsmouth, polished floor screeding, floor restoration Portsmouth, damp proof membranes, quick-dry screeds, monolithic floor screeding, bonded concrete screeding, decorative floor screeding Portsmouth, acid etching concrete, unbonded screed, floating screed, floor screeding advice, pumped screeds Portsmouth, subfloor repair, waterproof floor screeding, screed floor removal, garage screeding, structural screeds, and more floor screeding tasks. Listed are just a few of the duties that are carried out by those installing floor screeding. Portsmouth specialists will be delighted to keep you abreast of their entire range of screeding services.
Other Trades Portsmouth Hampshire: When you're looking at doing improvements to your home or property in Portsmouth, Hampshire, the chances are you will need a number of tradespeople during the project, and although you may currently be looking for a local Portsmouth screeding company, you might also be in the market for vinyl flooring in Portsmouth, waste removal in Portsmouth, an underfloor heating specialist in Portsmouth, a bricklayer in Portsmouth, a general builder in Portsmouth, a floor tiler in Portsmouth, a roofer in Portsmouth, rubber flooring in Portsmouth, a plasterer in Portsmouth, cleaners in Portsmouth, a plumber in Portsmouth, an electrician in Portsmouth, a handyman in Portsmouth, a carpet layer in Portsmouth, SKIP HIRE Portsmouth, a carpenter/joiner in Portsmouth, and more.
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