Latex over boards and tiles in Enfield refits
In the trade, "latex" means a levelling compound supplied in two parts: a bag of cement powder and a drum of latex that replaces the mixing water. The result is a smooth, slightly flexible layer that grips bases a plain compound can struggle with. It goes down thin, normally a few millimetres, and its job is to perfect a surface, not to build height.
That suits kitchen and bathroom refits, where the old floor stays put and a new sheet finish goes over it. Timber is the classic case. Bare floorboards move and have gaps, so latex never goes straight onto them. The boards are screwed down and covered with flooring grade plywood first, and the latex then hides the board joints and screw heads so nothing shows through the vinyl.
Old quarry and ceramic tiles are another. Where they are firmly bonded, we degrease them, prime them and lay latex over the top, which saves breaking them out and disturbing whatever lies beneath. The same applies to older concrete that is sound but pitted, and to some old adhesive that is still well stuck.
Finishes that benefit include sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber, safety flooring in a utility room and carpet. Each one shows faults in the base in its own way, and all of them wear better on a smooth, primed surface.
Whether the house is in Grange Park, Oakwood, Enfield Wash or Freezy Water, the order of work does not change: check the base, fix anything loose, prime, then pour.
When latex is not enough in Enfield homes
A thin compound is only as good as the floor beneath it, so three checks come before any latex job in Enfield.
Movement first. Boards that bounce or creak underfoot will crack a latex layer however carefully it is mixed. They need fixing down, rotten lengths replacing and a plywood overboard before latex is worth laying.
Damp next. In Edmonton and Ponders End, an older terrace may have no membrane at all beneath its ground floor slab. Moisture coming up through that slab will lift any thin compound, latex included. A damp solid floor has to be rebuilt, usually with a membrane, insulation and a hand-laid replacement screed, before any thin finish goes on.
Then flatness. Where a floor falls or dips by more than a few millimetres across a room, latex is the wrong tool. A deeper levelling compound pour or screed repairs come first, with latex as the final skim if the finish calls for it.
The primer has to match the base. Timber, tiles and concrete each take their own, and if the base turns out to be a calcium sulphate screed, its weak top skin is sanded away and a suitable primer applied before any latex is mixed.
17% of the borough's homes were built between 1945 and 1972, and floors of that age can carry anything from old tiles to several layers of glue, so lifting a corner of the existing covering before we price saves surprises later.
How we price latex screed in Enfield
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 Enfield
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 Enfield
On the map, Enfield sits east-north-east of Slough, about 25.5 miles from our base in a straight line (postcodes including EN2, N22, EN3 and EN1), next to Waltham Cross (3.3 miles), Cheshunt (4.1 miles), Haringey (4.5 miles) and Waltham Forest (5 miles).
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
