When it comes to flooring, the result is only as good as the preparation you put into it. It’s the most important step in having your new floor laid, and something you should never skip. A well-prepared floor can make cheaper floor coverings last longer and look better – but a badly prepared floor can make expensive floor coverings look cheap and cause all sorts of problems with the new flooring. So if you’re having a new floor put in, you need to make its prepared properly.
At Warson Flooring we can do all sorts of floor preparation, and today we want to talk about one of our personal favourites, Anhydrite screed.
What Is Anhydrite Screed?
Anhydrite screed is a special material made of sand and a calcium sulphate binder. When it’s time to apply, it’s mixed with water and applied as a liquid, and then the binder absorbs the water as it sets, making it harden into solid form. During setting, any chemicals and excess water rise to the surface forming a layer called a laitance, which needs to be removed with a floor grinder before any flooring is laid.
It’s a self-levelling base option that’s become much more popular than cement-based screed for most flooring. It was first used in the construction market, but it’s become very popular in the domestic and commercial markets as well, especially if you’re having underfloor heating installed.
The Benefits of Anhydrite Screed
Full Coverage: Because anhydrite screed is applied as a thin liquid, it can fully cover any elements in the flooring without leaving gaps. Thanks to just how fluid it is, it’s much easier to get full coverage – unlike with traditional screed or cement, which can be a real pain to make sure all voids are covered.
Easy to Lay: Since the anhydrite screed is a liquid, it can be pumped straight into the floor rather than needing to be laid by hand, so it makes a much easier installation process.
Speed: It’s also quicker! Thanks to the fluidity and easy pouring, this type of screed can be laid in just a couple of hours. It also only takes 24-48 hours to dry. This means your flooring project can be completed more quickly, will less time between steps.
Density: Anhydrite screed is much denser than traditional cement screed. This means you get some extra soundproofing in the room, as well as a bit of extra insulation. This is especially useful if you have underfloor heating, as it dampens any noise and keeps everything protected if something does go wrong.
Heat Conductivity: One of the things about cement screed is that it isn’t very warm. If you’ve ever touched a concrete floor, you’ll know how cold they can get! Anhydrite screed has a much better thermal conductivity rating, which means heat can get through it more easily. Just another thing to keep your house a bit warmer in the winter!
Lightweight: Because this screed is so fluid, it can be applied in a very thin layer. This makes it much lighter in weight than traditional screed, so it doesn’t need the same sort of reinforcements (which can be expensive and time-consuming).
Environmentally Friendly: If all of that isn’t enough, anhydrite screed is much more environmentally friendly than traditional screed. Traditional screed is made from cement and hardcore, which means it’s corrosive to people and animals, and contains hazardous materials that could be dangerous for the environment. Anhydrite screed on the other hand is made up of 36% recycled materials, and produces significantly less CO2 than traditional screeds.
How Can We Help?
The thing is, most flooring companies don’t actually lay the screed. It’s builders who do that. And it might surprise you to know that a lot of builders aren’t 100% sure what the composition of the screed they lay is. Which means that it’s difficult for floorers to then prepare and lay the floor in the best way. Because we’ve spent years learning and understanding about the different types of screed, we can assess and identify the type of screed used on each unique site. If it’s anhydrite screed, that means we can buff off the laitance use the right preparations and the right glue to make sure the flooring is laid properly at every stage. That way, you get the best from your flooring now, and in the years to come. At Warson Flooring, we provide a wide range of preparations and screeding before we lay any type of flooring. Our experts have detailed knowledge of the materials and techniques used, so that we can create the best base possible for your new floor. If you’d like to find out more, just get in touch with the team today, and we’d be happy to help.