Thin latex finishes in Hackney conversions
Splitting a De Beauvoir, South Hackney or Clapton terrace into flats usually means new kitchens and bathrooms laid over old floors. Latex screed is one way to get those floors ready, chosen when the base is sound and the aim is a smooth face rather than a change of level.
The name comes from how it is made. The powder is cement based, and it is stirred into a latex emulsion rather than tap water, so the cured layer grips hard and copes with slight movement. It is spread a few millimetres thick and smooths itself out before it sets.
Timber floors in a flat are where latex is most useful, but only after preparation. Bare boards move too much. They are screwed down tight and overboarded with flooring grade plywood, and the latex goes over the plywood to fill joints and cover screw heads. In a kitchen or bathroom with old quarry or ceramic tiles that are still firmly stuck, latex can go straight over once the tiles are cleaned and primed, which spares the neighbours below the noise of breaking them out.
The finishes that need this kind of base are the thin, flexible ones: sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber, safety flooring in a communal area, and carpet tiles laid without underlay. For homes just west of the borough, see latex screed in Islington.
What gets checked before latex in Hackney
A few millimetres of compound cannot fix a floor that is moving, damp or badly out of level, so those come first.
Movement shows up as bounce or creaks. Loose or springy boards need fixing and overboarding before any latex goes on, or the new layer will crack along the joints.
Damp is a ground floor question. In a converted terrace the lowest flat often needs a membrane under a new slab, and latex laid over a damp floor only hides the problem. Rebuilding with a membrane and a hand-laid screed for ground floor flats comes first.
Shape matters too. Where a floor drops by more than a few millimetres across the room, a deeper levelling compound pour in Hackney or a repair has to come before latex.
Primers are matched to the base: plywood, tiles, concrete and calcium sulphate each need their own, and a calcium sulphate screed must have its laitance removed first. Old adhesive is scraped or ground back until what remains is thin and firmly stuck, part of our floor preparation service.
Bathrooms need one more thought. Latex smooths a floor but does not waterproof it, so a level access shower still needs its own tanking and falls.
21% of Hackney homes were built between 1945 and 1972, and post war blocks of that age generally have concrete floors, a sound base for latex once old coverings are lifted.
How we price latex screed in Hackney
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 Hackney
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 Hackney
Hackney is about 25.1 miles east of our Slough base as the crow flies, with postcodes including N4, E5, N16 and E8. The nearest towns to it are Islington (2.1 miles), Tower Hamlets (2.5 miles), Haringey (3.5 miles) and Camden (3.8 miles).
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
