How To Screed A Concrete Floor

Laying a level floor screed over a large area is difficult and to do so by eye requires years of experience.

How to screed a concrete floor.

However there is an easier way and this is where the word screed comes from. It is the first step in the concrete finishing process. Screed is a thinner layer of concrete which s typically poured over a base floor to help form a smooth floor coating to provide a strong foundation for the top floor. A floor screed is usually a cementitious material made from a 1 3 or 1 4 5 ratio of cement to sharp sand.

Under this size we find it easier to just screed the floor by hand with the 2x4 screed. Screed is not concrete while the chemistry between the two isn t too dissimilar the concrete creation process is almost identical there are a few key differences that separate the two. In most cases your builder will install your floor although it is possible to do it on a diy basis but it is not a one man task. A good screeding job should leave a surface uniformly flat between two guides without any low spots or holes.

The screed will need to cure for a week. My other favorite type of concrete screed is a vibra screed or vibrating screed. It was 4 6 of flooring grit and 1 of cement cast over underfloor heating pipes laid. This kind of screed is a great tool to have for leveling floors and slabs.

I only use it for bigger house garage and commercial floors. Floor screed was a family diy project it measured 5 3 x 3 5 x 75mm thick. Hardcore or a type 1 floor seal is compacted using a whacker. It may be applied onto either a solid in situ concrete ground floor slab or onto a precast concrete floor unit.

Screeding is the art of skimming freshly poured concrete floors and other surfaces. Davco floor screed eco provides good workability by simply adding water to mix on site and is ideal for casting onto new or old concrete floor. Before screeding a floor make sure the concrete is clean and free of dust so the screed can adhere to it. Then combine the screed mix with water so it s the consistency of paint.

There are many proprietary screeds on the market and information about these can be obtained from the manufacturer. Next pour about 1 inch of screed onto the floor and lay down long wooden battens to divide the room into 10 foot wide strips. The word screed actually means an accurately levelled strip of material laid on a wall or floor as a guide for the even application of a covering. Uses davco floor screed eco is suitable for use as a normal screed on new concrete substrates or to repair old worn out substrates in housing estates or industrial floors.