Stone cottages and post-war houses in Calne
Older stone cottages near the centre of Calne need the most care. Solid walled buildings of that age were often built without a damp proof membrane, so moisture moves through the ground and walls. Laying a straight concrete slab and a dense screed across such a floor can trap that moisture and drive it into the walls. A breathable floor build-up may be needed instead, so the first step is to understand how the building handles damp before choosing any screed.
Post-war homes raise a different issue. Almost a quarter of Calne's housing, 24%, was put up between 1945 and 1972. In houses of that era an original solid ground floor can crack, settle or lose its damp protection. The usual repair is to dig it out and rebuild with hardcore where needed, insulation, a membrane and a new screed.
Hand-laid screed fits that kind of rebuild well. It is mixed in small batches, wheeled through a hall and laid room by room, following walls that are rarely square. Floated on insulation, a domestic floor wants roughly 65mm, rising to 75mm for commercial use. If the slab is solid and only wants a thin topping, 25 to 40mm can be bonded directly to it.
If cracking is a concern, fibres can be mixed in, which our fibre reinforced screed page explains.
Wet rooms, garages and drying times in Calne
Wet rooms need sand and cement. A level access shower depends on a screed laid to falls towards the drain, and on a base that will not be weakened by water. Calcium sulphate screeds do not meet that second need, so cement is the standard choice under the tanking.
Turning a garage into living space is the other job it suits. A garage slab usually sits a little below the house, so insulation and a membrane go down and the screed is laid thick enough to meet the hall level. Every layer of that is covered in the garage floor screed guide.
The catch is how long it takes to dry. Traditional screed loses its water more slowly than the pumped kind, and any heating in it must stay off for 21 days or more. Plan the tiler around the screed, and keep the room ventilated but free of draughts while it dries, because a screed that dries too fast at the surface can crack or curl.
Not every uneven floor needs a new screed. If the base is sound, levelling an existing Calne floor can be quicker and cheaper. For a job in Devizes, about six miles away, see sand and cement screed in Devizes.
Sand and Cement Screed prices in Calne
Sand and cement screed: £18 to £25 per m² supplied and laid (MyJobQuote, August 2026), so £450 to £630 for 25 m². MyJobQuote does not say whether these figures include VAT. See our floor screeding cost guide or screed calculator.
Who lays your sand and cement screed in Calne
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.
Sand and Cement Screed from Slough to Calne
On the map, Calne sits west of Slough, about 59 miles from our base in a straight line (postcodes including SN11), next to Chippenham (4.9 miles), Devizes (6 miles), Melksham (7.3 miles) and Corsham (7.8 miles).
More on sand & cement screed, part of our screeding services.
