Latex over old tiles and boards in Gillingham kitchens
The name confuses people, so it helps to be clear. Latex screed is not a screed in the usual sense. Two parts go into it, a cement based powder and a latex liquid that takes the place of water, and the result grips hard and goes down in a layer only a few millimetres deep. It has no strength of its own to bridge a weak base, so everything depends on what sits underneath.
That base can be a surprise in any older Gillingham home. Lift the vinyl in a kitchen and you may find quarry tiles, a ceramic floor laid over them, or concrete patched at several different times. Where those old tiles are still bonded firmly, latex can go straight over once they are degreased and primed. We tap every area first, because one hollow tile under the compound will crack it later.
Timber is handled differently. Latex never goes onto bare floorboards, since boards move with every footstep and with the seasons. They are screwed down and covered with flooring grade plywood, and the latex then smooths over the sheet joints and screw heads.
Sound old adhesive can sometimes stay, but soft or thick residue has to come off first, which falls under our floor preparation work. Once finished, the surface suits sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber, safety flooring or carpet. For the broader choice between compound and a new screed, read our Gillingham floor levelling page.
Damp, bounce and dips in Ham and Wyke cottages
Latex is good at hiding small faults and poor at hiding big ones. Three problems need sorting before it is worth laying.
Damp comes first. Ham, Peacemarsh and Wyke still have old roadside cottages among the newer cul-de-sacs, and a solid floor in a cottage of that kind may have little stopping ground moisture. Latex does not cure damp, and vinyl or LVT over a wet base can lift or smell. We test before quoting, and if moisture is the issue the fix is a membrane or a new insulated floor, which our traditional screed page for Gillingham explains.
Movement is second. If boards bounce, plywood fixed over them will bounce too, and the latex will crack along the sheet joints. Loose joists or boards are dealt with first.
Level is third. Because latex is laid so thin, a floor that falls across the room or has a deep hollow needs building up with screed before any compound goes on. Broken patches of slab come under concrete floor repair.
Some newer homes have calcium sulphate screed, and that always needs its laitance removed and a primer before latex. In Gillingham, 13% of homes date from 1945 to 1972, and a floor of that age can carry any of these faults, so we look before we price.
How we price latex screed in Gillingham
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 Gillingham
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 Gillingham
Gillingham is about 78.5 miles west-south-west of our Slough base as the crow flies, with postcodes including SP8. The nearest towns to it are Warminster (12.3 miles), Frome (13.5 miles), Westbury (15.9 miles) and Trowbridge (19.7 miles).
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
