When you are engaged on any sort of construction project, one of the many important factors is that the floor surfaces need to be as flat and level as possible. You can’t start fixing tiles, or for that matter any other flooring, straight on to concrete.
So, the answer is to use a screed to cover the concrete and produce the level surface that you require. For many years, a screed has been a mix of sand and cement which is barrowed on to the concrete and then levelled out by a worker on hands and knees using a trowel.
As you might imagine, this is a very long-winded process, and also tiring for the worker. Not only that, but even then, it is almost impossible to get the screed as flat as it actually can be. The level, or otherwise, of screed is measured as SR1, SR2, and SR3 – SR1 being the highest standard. Using a trowel and levelling by hand will usually be no better than SR3, even with an experienced worker.
A New Generation
However, today we have a new generation of screeds which are in liquid form, and they have many advantages over and above the traditional varieties. They are known as liquid screeds, pumped screeds, and anhydrite screeds, among other names. These are the type of screed that we produce at Top Mix.
One of the very big advantages of using pumped screed in Bristol, is the speed of laying. Our screed is delivered to the site ready mixed and then simply pumped into place using a long hose and a pump attached to the delivery truck. So, there is no running back and forwards with barrow loads of material at all.
This means that we can cover very large areas in a day. Our pumped screed in Bristol can cover as much as 2,000 square metres, compared with perhaps 100 by a worker with a trowel. So, there is a huge time saving.
Because the screed is in liquid form when delivered, it is self-levelling. All we need to do once it has been pumped on to the substrate is to run over it with a dappling bar to remove any air bubbles and then leave it to dry.
It also dries far faster than a traditional screed. You will be able to walk on it within 24 – 48 hours, so there are no delays for other workers on the site. In addition, it will always achieve level SR2, and usually SR1.