Latex over boards and old tiles in Borehamwood refits
Latex screed is a trade name rather than a different kind of floor. It is a levelling compound sold in two parts: a cement based powder and a container of latex liquid that is mixed in where water would normally go. The latex gives the cured layer a little flexibility and helps it grip surfaces that a water mixed compound would struggle with, which is why it is chosen for bases that are not plain concrete.
In Borehamwood the obvious candidates are kitchens and bathrooms in the post-war terraces and semis. When one of those rooms is stripped, the floor underneath can turn out to be a mix of materials: old quarry tiles in one corner, ceramic tiles where the units stood, a cement patch where a pipe was moved. Provided each part is firmly bonded and clean, a primed latex layer pulls them into one smooth surface for sheet vinyl or LVT.
Suspended timber floors work differently. Latex never goes straight onto bare floorboards, because the boards move and the compound would crack along every joint. The boards are first covered with flooring grade plywood, screwed down firmly, and the latex goes over the plywood.
Tell us the finish you have chosen. Safety flooring in a bathroom, rubber, lino and thin vinyl all show the smallest bump, while carpet is more forgiving. For the wider choice between compound and a new screed, see our Borehamwood floor levelling page.
When latex is the wrong answer in Borehamwood
Latex covers a sound base. It does not repair an unsound one, and three problems in particular need sorting before any compound goes down.
Springy boards are the first. If a floor bounces underfoot, the movement will break a thin layer however good the product, so loose boards are screwed down, failed joists are dealt with by a joiner and the floor is overboarded.
Damp is the second. Latex does not stop moisture rising through an old solid floor, and vinyl laid over a damp base can lift or blister. We check before pricing, and where moisture is coming through, a membrane and a new screed are the proper fix.
The third is level. Latex is a smoothing layer a few millimetres thick, not a way to fill a floor that drops away across the room. A slab that is badly out, cracked through or hollow needs screed repairs or relaying first.
Primer is chosen for the base: plywood, tiles, concrete and calcium sulphate each need their own, and a calcium sulphate screed in a newer flat must have its laitance sanded off before it is primed. Elsewhere in Hertsmere, latex screed in Bushey follows the same checks.
How we price latex screed in Borehamwood
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 Borehamwood
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 Borehamwood
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 18.4 miles from Borehamwood, which lies to the east-north-east. Postcodes here include WD6, and Potters Bar (4.1 miles), Bushey (4.2 miles), Barnet (4.4 miles) and Watford (5.4 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
