One for the builders/tilers

What should a properly laid floor cement/sharp sand screed be like?

Had a guy lay the screed in the conservatory and it's really soft/weakly bonded. Should it be as hard as (say) normal concrete?

Secondly, given the above, will a selft leveling screed over the complete area sort it out?

I'm going to tile over the lot at the end.

Thanks

TRis

depends when it was laid.. and if they mixed it or had it ready mixed etc....

ready mixed screed will usualy come with small fibres in it and is dropped off a back of a lorry, but its ready to use... all they need do is SPR/Uni-bond the floor.. and lay the screed and trowell it down... when it dries.. it will be as hard as concrete.. BUT it can take a good two days at least before it has dried properly.. if you start walking on it within a day and not carefull, you could end up leaving footprints in it.. its only laid damp, and takes bloody ages to dry...

if they self mixed.. then god knows... depends what they put in the mix.. still, it should dry rather hard...

ohh, forgot to add, screed should be a minimum of 40 mm thick (i think) anything thinner than this and it may end up cracking... you could use self leveler and all that over the top.. but as you said, if your tiling it, then does it really matter ?

Usually the floor base will be a coarse concrete about 100mm thick, on top of that will be a 'weaker' sand/cement screed about 65mm thick. This is runnier (softer?) and helps to achieve a level floor for whatever finish you use but is strong enough (and thick enough) not to easily break up, particularily if laid over the insulation (if any). It should 'dry' to hard finish but will take time unless it is a rapid setting specialist product

A self levelling screed is very runny and as with all liquids should finish level to lay floor covering. It isn't structural and will be whatever thickness is required to form the level finish. Not always required if floor is laid well. - will still dry hard though

All the screed we ever used was delivered semi-dry (damp) off the back of a 16ton lorry... lol the tradesmen would then fight over who would get the best trowell to finish it down.. was their job to make sure it was finished level then, we did that by leveling some batten around the room at what the finished floor level we wanted... and they would go around trowelling and checking with levels etc to make sure it was going to plan.....

You will find if you walk on it early the smooth finish on the top may loosen and the wear area will continue to spread like a rash. If it was laid properly it will be hard and wont break up. I had some wear patches/boot size and a week or so later they were huge. If its the same throw some cardboard down or something to cover it so it doesnt increase in size if its in use. Mine was mixed in a concrete mixer - dry mix - and was fine to walk on 24 hrs later. Complete drying time is suppose to be 1mm per day.

Originally Posted by Gmonsta

You will find if you walk on it early the smooth finish on the top may loosen and the wear area will continue to spread like a rash. If it was laid properly it will be hard and wont break up. I had some wear patches/boot size and a week or so later they were huge. If its the same throw some cardboard down or something to cover it so it doesnt increase in size if its in use. Mine was mixed in a concrete mixer - dry mix - and was fine to walk on 24 hrs later. Complete drying time is suppose to be 1mm per day.

Cheers Gmonsta, that's exactly what I've got

So the question I have is - will a coat of self leveing screed over everywhere sort the problem and provide a good base to tile on?

If not I'll have to get the gut to rip it up and start again wich could proove interesting