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In the world of building materials, almost none are as versatile as concrete.
Alongside its high strength and affordability, concrete is renowned for its role in a huge variety of project types. It can assist with a vast array of different construction projects, of almost any size and scope.
A prime example of this is screed, and the benefits that it brings to concrete flooring projects.
For this purpose, there are two types of concrete available – traditional floor screed, and liquid screed. But, what are the differences between these two screed types, and which represents the best fit for your property?
Below, we’ve answered all of our most common floor screed FAQs, and shared our complete guide to liquid screed VS traditional floor screed.
What are the uses of liquid screed?
Liquid screed is another type of concrete, which is also used to create concrete flooring.
Liquid screed (also commonly known as self-levelling screed) is a high performance flooring screed, which is widely used in the construction industry, to achieve a sleek, flawless finish.
Most common liquid screed uses:
- As a flooring substrate – the primary purpose of liquid screed is as a final layer for concrete flooring. It achieves an extremely smooth and level finish, even filling in any gaps or other irregularities in the subfloor.
- For designer concrete flooring – thanks to the flawless finish that it achieves, liquid screed is widely used in premium concrete flooring. This includes commercial buildings, restaurants, cafes, and bars, for example.
- As a smooth layer, to sit underneath floor coverings – these most commonly include carpet, wooden flooring, tiles, and vinyl or laminate flooring.
- Alongside underfloor heating systems – to further enhance its thermal performance
- To repair, refurbish or renovate old subfloors
- For construction projects that have a tight timescale – because liquid screed is self-levelling and has a faster installation time (compared to traditional floor screed) it is often used in projects that have tight turnaround times.
Benefits of liquid screed:
- Self-levelling, thereby ensuring a neat, smooth and even finish
- Can seamlessly smooth out any gaps or irregularities in an existing subfloor
- Quick and easy to work with
- Has a rapid drying time
- Can be laid at a significantly thinner thickness than other screed types
- Boasts an exceptionally high degree of strength and durability
- Has an excellent level of thermal conductivity, meaning it also partners very effectively with underfloor heating systems
- Has a very low level of cracking or shrinkage
What are the uses of traditional floor screed?
Traditional floor screed is widely used in the construction industry.
Most common traditional floor screed applications:
- As a flooring substrate – applied on top of the base layer, to create an even finish, ready for the final flooring. It can then be topped with
- decorative coverings like wooden floors, tiles, carpet, laminate or vinyl flooring
- To level uneven subfloors
- Alongside underfloor heating systems – to further enhance its thermal performance
- To repair uneven or damaged floors
- To help improve sound insulation
Benefits of traditional floor screed:
- Achieves a very smooth and level finish
- Helps to improve the final finish of floor coverings
- Readily compatible with a wide range of floor coverings, and it is widely used as a layer underneath carpet, wooden floors, tiles, and laminate or vinyl flooring
- Readily compatible with underfloor heating
- Affordable and readily available
- Extremely strong, with a high load-bearing capacity
What are the differences between liquid screed and traditional floor screed?
Although both liquid screed and traditional floor screed can both be used for flooring applications, they each have their own unique properties, making them better suited to different use cases.
The main differences between traditional floor screed and liquid screed are:
Composition
Liquid screed is made from sand, a binder, water and other additives, to enhance its performance and give it its self-levelling capabilities. It also has a higher ratio of binder to sand.
Traditional floor screed, meanwhile, is made from sand, cement and water, and has a higher content of sand than liquid screed.
Method of installation
Traditional floor screed is installed by mixing the concrete on-site, so that it achieves a medium thickness. Then, the screed is spread manually onto the desired area, before being compacted and levelled.
Liquid screed is poured directly onto the floor. It then spreads out itself, and its self-levelling properties ensure the area is filled evenly and smoothly.
Final finish
Liquid screed is designed to achieve a much more flawless, pristine finish than traditional floor screed.
Speed of installation
Liquid screed has a significantly faster drying time than traditional floor screed. Plus, because it is self-levelling, it can be installed much faster, too.
Thinness of application
Liquid screed is typically applied in a much thinner layer, whereas traditional floor screed requires a thicker application.
Load-bearing capacity
Traditional floor screed is best-suited for applications that require a high load-bearing capacity.
Thermal conductivity
While both screed types offer high levels of thermal conductivity, liquid screed offers higher thermal conductivity. As a result, it is ideally suited to use alongside underfloor heating systems.
Risks of cracks and shrinkage
Liquid screed has a lower risk of resistance and shrinkage than traditional screed.
So, the matter of which screed type offers the best fit for your project depends on a variety of different factors. When deciding your screed type, consider the timeline of the project, how much traffic the area will be subject to, and the quality of the finish that you require.
If you have any further questions about the respective benefits of liquid screed and traditional screed, or you would like to enlist our specialist concrete services for your upcoming project, place an order with iMix Concrete today.
