When laying a floor, it is important that the surface is not bumpy this is where self-levelling screed is important. If you are laying tiles or carpet or wooden floor it is vital to ensure that the floor beneath is level so the flooring is not bumpy.
In older houses when you look at the flooring it is not uncommon that the floor has been layed over poured concrete that is not level.
Before you can change the flooring, you will need to level the floor with a self- levelling screed compound. These can be used over concrete, ceramic, timber, plywood floors.
The self-levelling compound is poured over the area of the floor that needs levelling or indeed over the entire floor. Self levelling screeds come in two forms these are as follows;
- A powder format with a separate latex liquid which is then mixed together.
- A powder form that already contains the latex which you then add water to. The latex allows the floor to have a degree of flexibility which in turns helps to prevent cracks.
You will need to check the level of your floor using a spirit level this is used to check the gap between the floor and the raised end this tells you how far the floor is out. You can use chalk or pencil to check for ridges you missed. Self -levelling screed is great to level floors but does also largely depend on how uneven the floor is originally.
The self-levelling screed will explain the area that will be covered on the packet and what thickness it will be spread at. The majority of screeds will say that they level at differences of less than 5mm however in some circumstances self-levelling screed can level up to 10mm. It is also important to check what floor the screed is suitable for.
Before you can use self-levelling screed it is important that you do the following;
- Remove all of your furniture
- Ideally remove skirting boards
- Fill large cracks with a sealer
- Apply primer to help the screed to stick to the floor
- Clean the floor
If you are planning on laying new flooring and your floor is not level then we always advise to contact us so that we can help you ensure that your floor is perfectly level. We can use self-levelling screed and always pride ourselves on a high-quality finish and fully level floor.