Boards, ply and tiles in Bath conversion flats
Latex screed is a name used on site rather than a different material. It is a levelling compound supplied in two parts, and the latex liquid gives the cured layer a little flexibility and a firm grip that plain water would not. That is why it is chosen over awkward surfaces rather than clean, plain concrete.
A house divided into flats has usually been altered more than once. Under one kitchen there may be original boards, a sheet of ply from an earlier refit and a patch of concrete where a wall once stood. Latex cannot go straight onto bare boards, because they flex and would crack a thin cement layer. The boards are screwed down, any loose ones replaced, and the floor is overboarded with flooring grade plywood fixed at close centres. Latex then covers the ply and the other surfaces in one continuous layer. That fixing work sits within our floor preparation service.
Old tiles are a different case. A quarry tiled kitchen or scullery in an older house can take latex if every tile is firmly bonded and any wax or polish has been cleaned off. Hollow or loose tiles come up first and the gaps are filled. A primer suited to dense, glazed surfaces then goes down, and the latex follows.
The finishes that need this work are the thin, flexible ones: sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber, safety flooring and carpet. Each follows the shape of what lies beneath, so a board edge or grout line soon shows through.
Damp, movement and depth in older Bath floors
Many original floors in Bath's Georgian and Victorian houses were laid without any damp proof membrane. Latex does nothing to hold moisture back, and vinyl or LVT glued over a damp base can blister and lift. We take readings before quoting. If they are high, the floor needs rebuilding with a membrane, usually as a hand-laid replacement floor, and in a listed house that build-up should be agreed with your advisers, since changes may need consent.
Movement is the second limit. A timber floor that bounces will crack any compound, whatever ply goes on top, so joists and boards are made firm first.
The third is depth. Latex is meant to be thin, so a floor that drops well beyond a few millimetres needs repair or a new screed before latex is worth laying. The wider choice between compound and screed is covered on our Bath levelling page.
In a hospitality kitchen in the historic centre, safety flooring is a common choice, and it needs a smooth, firmly bonded base. If the base there is a calcium sulphate screed, its laitance is sanded off and a compatible primer applied before any latex goes on. Towns nearby are covered too, for example latex screed in Corsham.
How we price latex screed in Bath
A fixed written price within 24 hours, once we know the area and the base. See our floor screeding cost guide.
Who lays your latex screed in Bath
K & B Screeding’s own team, led by director Donatas Bardisevicius. Founded 2019, company 12298780.
See what customers say in our Google reviews and on our testimonials page.
Latex Screed from Slough to Bath
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 74.7 miles from Bath, which lies to the west. Postcodes here include BA2 and BA1, and Trowbridge (7.9 miles), Corsham (8.3 miles), Melksham (9.6 miles) and Frome (10.6 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.