Birmingham Under Floor Heating

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Liquid Screed Floors

Liquid Screed - Underfloor Heating - Laitance Removal - Moisture Testing

About Liquid Screed Floors

Liquid Screed Floors Under Floor Heating is a privately owned company in Birmingham, specialising in areas such as Sutton Coldfield & Solihull that has a wealth of experience within its team. Our highly trained and professional team comprises of staff that share the same passion and take pride in all our work! The company has been shaped by a rigorous selection process when employing its people i.e. experience, professionalism & dedication are some key criteria when recruiting our people. Our employees possess all necessary qualifications to work on any site. Liquid Screed Floors has an ongoing commitment to Occupational Health & Safety which includes constant training for its employees to ensure safety practices are always employed in the field safeguarding its employees and other around them at all times.



Liquid Screed Floors Under Floor Heating Services

Liquid Screed Pump
Liquid Scrred Testing
Liquid Screed Finishing


Liquid Screed

Anhydrite liquid floor screeds are the latest in advanced technology screeding products. Anhydrite liquid screeding products are revolutionising the growing demand for underfloor heating systems. Anhydrite liquid floor screeds allow for faster installation, smoother, professionally levelled, screeds. We can cater for screeding projects of all sizes and provide a great solution when working in awkward and restricted areas, reducing damage risks. For over 20 years liquid floor screed has seen a significant growth in the UK.

An attractive benefit of liquid screed for homeowners is how quick and easy it is to install compared with other screeds. In fact, liquid screed flooring can be installed 10 times faster than sand cement screed! Not only does it require less manpower, it also requires minimal installation equipment other than some prior preparation and a concrete pump, which makes it an excellent hassle-free flooring option.

There’s no better way to capitalise on your underfloor heating system than liquid screed flooring. Liquid screed when poured coats the pipes entirely, eliminating air bubbles and maximising conductivity. Due to the fact that less depth of liquid screed is required when compared with more traditional screeds, heat also has less distance to travel through the floor, meaning that heat is much more effectively transferred throughout the floor.

One of the main benefits of liquid screed is that due to its improved flowability and liquid state, it easily reaches the corner of rooms and evens out any bumps on the surface of the floor.

If you want an internal flooring project done as quickly as possible, then liquid screed is the ideal choice, as liquid screed flooring can handle light foot traffic after just 24 hours!

Liquid screed flooring is specially designed to reduce the risk of cracking and curling, leaving you with an even surface finish each time!

Under Floor Heating

Underfloor heating involves the installation of pipework in the floor, so that the whole floor acts like a radiator, warming the room from the ground up. Wet underfloor heating system features pipes, filled by warm water and powered by a boiler or heat pump, concealed within the floor, and typically embedded within a screed.

As homeowners have become increasingly aware of the benefits of underfloor heating over conventional radiator systems, it’s no surprise that this is currently one of the fastest growing home improvement projects in the UK. One of the most popular reasons why people choose to install underfloor heating is simply because it very rarely ever requires any form of maintenance once it has been fitted. This is the case for both electric and water based underfloor heating.

Underfloor heating is generally far more efficient than old-fashioned radiators and consequently more cost-effective in regards to utility bills. Because the floor itself is heated it retains heat far better than traditional radiators which cool down very quickly when turned off, causing the heat they’ve produced to evaporate rapidly. With underfloor heating, the home will be able to retain heat much better and require less energy to maintain warmth.

A radiator will warm the air around it, causing it to rise to the ceiling. When this warm air cools, it will fall to the floor to be warmed again. This is an inefficient means of heating a room, and it also leads to hot and cold spots. Underfloor heating systems provide a much more even distribution of heat.

Laitance Removal

Before laying tiles or other finishes on to a calcium sulphate screed one of the most important tasks is the removal of laitance. Laitance is a weak layer of fine particles deposited on the surface of the screed as the anhydrite cures, this layer is too weak to tile onto and can also slow down drying times. Laitance should be removed by light abrasion using a suitable sanding machine. The best time to do this is 7 to 14 days after the installation of the screed. It will also help to dry the screed as it allows the moisture to escape.

Please contact us for a Laitance Removal / Screed Sanding quote.

Moisture Testing

It is paramount that a screed moisture test is carried out to ensure that the liquid screed has dried out to the recommended level to allow the subsequent floor coverings to be added. Failure to do so will result in several serious issues once the final floor is laid. Excess moisture levels within a liquid screed floor can result in condensation, adhesive degradation, movement and delaminating of the further floor coverings. If you have an underfloor heating system installed, there is the potential for severe damage to occur to said installation.

Before tiling onto calcium sulphate screeds it is vital to ensure moisture content is at the correct level for the floor finish. Typical values for moisture sensitive floor finishes is less than 0.5% water by weight, or a relative humidity less than 75%.

It is vital to ensure moisture content is at the correct level for the required floor finish. Typical values for moisture sensitive floor finishes are less than 0.5% water by weight or a relative humidity less than 75%





Liquid Screed Under Floor Heating Information

A Guide to Liquid Screed Drying Times

Our clients tell us that there are numerous advantages to working with liquid screed. These include its self-levelling qualities, blemish eradication, and the efficiency of installation using a small specialist team. Top of the list though, is the rapid drying time of flow screed. Traditional screed can take days to be dry enough to walk on, liquid screed takes just 24-48 hours. The process of drying is quicker with liquid screed because it can be laid in a thinner layer than traditional screed. This is due to the enhanced strength of the flow screed, making it more durable than traditional screed even when more thinly spread. Whilst the speedy drying times can normally be relied upon, no two installation environments are the same; temperature and humidity have an important part to play, as does moisture ingress. There are three stages to the drying process and it’s important to pay careful attention to each one to achieve the optimum drying results.

Liquid Screed – first 24-48 hours

This is the most important period for the drying process. Once the pour is complete the liquid screed needs to be left untouched for at least 24 hours. During this period, all doors and windows should be kept firmly closed. At the end of this period the floor screed is normally dry enough to walk on, although you should carefully check all areas before opening the space to ambulatory traffic. Heavier traffic should be avoided until testing shows that the screed can take it. We would recommend that storage of site materials on the screed flooring be avoided until the dry is complete.

Liquid Screed – post 48 hours

Whilst the early stages of drying are dependent on a draught-free environment, after 48 hours the opposite is true and cross ventilation is required to harden the screed. All doors and windows should be kept open to accelerate the drying process. Liquid screed dries at the rate of 1mm per day for the first 40mm and 0.5mm per day for any additional depth. This is contingent on an environmental temperature of 20℃ and 65% relative humidity. As a rule of thumb, the higher the temperature and the lower the humidity the faster the drying time.

Liquid Screed – force drying

Underfloor Heating – If liquid screed is being used as part of an underfloor heating installation the water pipes can be used to speed up dry times after 7 days. This should begin with a water temperature of 25℃ for 3 days, rising to 55℃ for a further 4 days. Humidity should be kept to a minimum throughout the force drying period, so good ventilation is essential.

Dehumidifier – If your liquid screed is being used as foundation to a flooring finish a dehumidifier can help reduce drying times if used in conjunction with the heating of the area. It is important to estimate the number of humidifiers needed to work effectively for the space in which the screed has been laid. Overall, the relative strength of liquid screed necessitating thinner layers than those required for traditional screed mixtures, and the ability to force dry the flooring to complete the dry, makes liquid screed the most cost effective and efficient floor screed currently available.

Preparation

Anhydrite screed often dry with laitance on the surface, the laitance is a weak layer that is often shiny in appearance and looks like a hard crust. The laitance must be removed before tiling commences by mechanically sanding and/or abrading the surface of the screed using a floor sander with a diamond cup. One the laitance has been removed, the screed should be vacuumed to remove all the loose dust, dirt and contaminants

Moisture testing & drying of the screed

Anhydrite screeds must be confirmed dry via consistent moisture readings across the whole floor. When using Anhyfix adhesive. The residual moisture content of the screed must be less than 1% or alternatively the relative humidity must be 85% or below. When using cement-based adhesive the residual moisture content must be less than 0.5% or the relative humidity below 75%. As an approximate guide for drying times, allow 1 day per mm up to an overall depth of 40mm and2 days per mm for anything above 40mm.

The drying of anhydrite screed can be assisted and accelerated once the screed is 7 days old by commissioning the underfloor heating system. Commission the system by turning on the heating at a low temperature and then gradually increase the temperature by no more than 5℃ per day until the maximum temperature of 25℃ on the thermostat is achieved. Maintain this temperature for a minimum of 3 days and then switch of the heating off 48 hours prior to tiling to allow the substrate to cool sufficiently. Alternatively, in cold conditions, reduce the temperature of the screed to below 15℃ prior to tiling

The drying of anhydrite screeds can also be accelerated with the use of dehumidifiers.

Priming

All screeds require priming with a suitable acrylic primer. This is done to stop the adhesives drying too quickly, so maximum strength is obtained. If cement-based adhesives are to be used the floor will need priming until screed is no longer porous. Anhydrite based adhesives generally only require 1 prime.

Laitance removal, vacuuming, moisture testing in preparation for fully bonded flooring applications are all services currently offers by liquid screed floors ltd please ask sales for further information.

Get A Free Quote From Liquid Screed Floors Under Floor Heating


No job too big or small, Liquid Screed Floors are happy to offer a free quotation for work carried out. If you're in Birmingham or surrounding areas give Patrick at Liquid Screed Floors a call or email for a free no obligation quote today.

Liquid Screed Floors Birmingham

07861 362837

liquidscreedfloors@gmail.com

Liquid Screed Floors

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