Fast Liquid Floor Screed Installation
Also Known as:
- Flowing Floor Screed
- Flo Floor Screed
- Anhydrite floor screed
- Hemihydrate
- Gypsum.
Brand Names include:
Gyvlon – Truflow – High Flow – Cem Flo.
Liquid Flowing screed can be used in both new build and renovation projects, it is suitable for domestic and commercial buildings and has been used in hospitals, schools, colleges, department stores, hotels and airport buildings.
Liquid floor screed continues to grow in popularity and is the market leader in most western European counties for many of the reasons listed below:
A Flat Screed Floor:
The standard installation tolerance for liquid floor screed is SR2 +/- 5mm under a 2m level. A traditional floor screed is generally installed to an SR3 tolerance which is +/- 10mm under a 2m level. The flatter the floor screed the easier it is to lay floor finishes.
Quality Control:
Liquid floor screed is pre mixed and the viscosity is checked prior to installation to ensure it is consistent and in line with the manufacturers installation guidelines. It is very difficult to put quality control measures in place with traditional screed as there can be wide variations during site installation. Gyvlon floor screed has extremely low shrinkage which reduces the risk of cracking and will not curl.
Depth:
Flowing Floor Screed can be laid at lower depths than traditional screed, 25mm bonded, 40mm on to insulation and 50mm on to underfloor heating. The reduction in depth can result in liquid screed being a more competitive option than sand and cement, the reduction in depth also means that the screed is ready to receive floor finishes quicker than a traditional screed. See our technical stuff page to make direct comparisons for your project. Lower depths in screed will also make an under floor heating system more responsive during heat up and cool down.
Minimum depths:
Fully Bonded: 25mm
In contact with the substrate / Unbonded 30mm
Floating commercial 40mm
Floating domestic 35mm
Cover to conduits / underfloor heating pipes 25mm (Pipes are usually 16mm to total depth 41mm)
Strength:
Liquid flowing screed can achieve a standard strength of C30N/mm2 we also supply and install extra strength flowing screed floors that can achieve C35 to C40N/mm2 Liquid Flowing Screed Floors do not require any reinforcement or fibres to add to their strength.
Liquid Floor Screed Soundness category:
Soundness category A according to BS 8204: Part 1 (BRE Screed Test)
Liquid Flowing Floor Screed Health and Safety:
Liquid Flowing Screed is Protein free and will not harbour bacteria.
Installation:
Screed will be delivered in a large mixer truck and our installers will use a pump to lay the liquid floor. The flow rate is approximately 5 minutes per m3.
The surface of the screed will then be dappled with a T-bar, which will remove any air bubbles and produce a smooth surface for the final finish.
Immediately after installation, and until the screed has hardened, you will need to ensure the surface is protected from direct sunlight, water ingress, and severe draughts.
After 3 days it is recommended that doors and windows are opened (in good weather) to assist with drying and the release of moisture
Speed:
A four man team can install over 800m2 per day of liquid screed, compared to 150m2 of traditional screed.
You can walk on a liquid screed floor within 24-48 hours compared to 7 days for traditional sand cement.
Gyvlon screed will dry at a rate of 1mm per day up to a screed depth of 40mm if the drying conditions are good.
Preparation:
Installation requires preparation and should be made up with the following prior to screed being poured. DPM (damp proof membrane),Slab, Insulation, Vapour Barrier, and then the Floor Screed can be laid.
If underfloor heating is installed, the makeup of the floor should be as follows:
DPM, Slab, Insulation, Vapour Barrier, Underfloor Heating Loops, Floor Screed.
We can also install on upper floors where a beam and block construction, or concrete plank is used. Where this is the case, you will not need to install a DPM, However, the vapour barrier is still required. This is because the vapour barrier is required by the manufacturers of the insulation, to prevent contamination by floor screed. However, the vapour barrier also forms a separation layer to minimise cracking should movement occur below the screed.
You will need to ensure the Vapour barrier does not have creases, as this could result cracking of the screed
Edge insulation, (perimeter strip) should be placed around all walls to separate the floor screed from the walls and any vertical pillars that extend into the floor.
Installation:
Screed will be delivered in a large mixer truck and our installers will use a pump to lay the liquid floor. The flow rate is approximately 5 minutes per m3.
The surface of the screed will then be dappled with a T-bar, which will remove any air bubbles and produce a smooth surface for the final finish.
Immediately after installation, and until the screed has hardened, you will need to ensure the surface is protected from direct sunlight, water ingress, and severe draughts.
After 3 days it is recommended that doors and windows are opened (in good weather) to assist with drying and the release of moisture.
Don’t forget the joints….especially with under floor heating:
Liquid screed can be installed in bays up to 900m2 without joints (flowing screeds have a thermal expansion of c.0.012mm/mk) with consideration to aspect ratio and re-entrant corners. Further consideration needs to be made with respect to zones for under floor heating.
Midland flooring are so confident that our installation will be defect free that we offer a 5 year insurance backed guarantee with our installations. We complete quality assurance documentation, specific to each installation, which is available on request. Our installers also install under floor heating systems, so when we arrive on site if we see something is incorrectly fitted we will usually highlight this before it is embedded into the screed we install.
Good for the environment!
Liquid Flowing Floor Screeds contain very high amounts of recycled material some up to 36% making this product environmentally friendly.
What can I walk on the floor screed?
Liquid Flowing Floor Screed can be walked on in around 48 hours dependent on the temperature maintained in the building.
Fire Risk?
Liquid Flowing Screed Floors are non-combustible (tested ZB5476 part 4)
Why Choose Midland Flooring?
As experts in the installation of all kinds of concrete and screed flooring, we are confident that we can install a defect-free liquid screed floor. This is why we offer a 5-year insurance on all screed floors we install, backed by our no-quibble guarantee.
Our installation team have vast experience of laying screed floor with underfloor heating systems too. You can trust us at Midland Flooring to have the know-how, experience and technical expertise to complete the installation and complete it well!
Choose Liquid Screed Floors:
Using up to a third of recycled materials, liquid screed floors are becoming the most sought after flooring solution for both domestic and commercial customers. Screed floors are robust, hardwearing and are non-combustible too, tested to part 4 of ZB5476.
Why would you choose any other king of flooring? To find out more, contact the friendly team at Midland Flooring on 01675 465110 or email info@midlandflooring.biz
