Screeding: The Floor You Never Knew You Needed
PremiumLiquid screed costs £18–34/m²/m² and takes 8-12 weeks to dry. Your builder will underestimate both. Here's what to expect and how to manage it.
Do this first:
Your builder will quote you for sand-and-cement screed. The specialist liquid screed company will charge roughly double. That's not a rounding error. It's a different product at a different price, and the gap catches homeowners off guard every time.
Screed is the smooth, level layer that goes on top of your concrete floor slab. Your slab is structural, but it's not flat enough for tiles, LVT, or any finished flooring. The screed provides that flat surface. If you have underfloor heating, the screed also encases the heating pipes and distributes heat evenly across the floor.
Most homeowners don't even know screed exists until their builder mentions it. But it controls your project timeline more than almost any other single trade. A 50mm screed needs 8 to 12 weeks to dry before you can tile over it. Get the timing wrong and everything after it slides.
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