Rebuilding ground floors in Haringey's Victorian terraces
Terraced houses make up 26% of Haringey's homes, and many of the borough's flats sit inside terraces that have been divided. In old houses like these the solid ground floor is often the weak point. Many were laid without a damp proof membrane, and over time they crack, sink or let moisture through to the flooring above.
The repair is a rebuild. We break up the old slab and cart it away, prepare the ground, then lay a membrane, insulation and finally the screed. Our insulation and membranes page explains how that layer is chosen and laid.
This is work that hand-laid sand and cement does well. Each batch is made up on site for the depth a given area needs, handy where the floor changes level from one room to the next. Hand compaction followed by power floating leaves it dense and level. It gives a cement substrate, which suits tiles and wet areas.
Floated on insulation in a house, it is laid 65mm thick; commercial floors take 75mm. If the concrete beneath is sound, a thinner bonded layer of 25 to 40mm stuck straight onto it may be all you need. A thin bonded layer onto good concrete is £12 to £18 per m² (trade2base, June 2026) at 2026 UK rates, a saving on the £18 to £25 per m² charged for a full depth sand and cement floor.
The screed thickness guide sets out how depth is decided for each type of floor.
Wet rooms, garages and small rooms in Hornsey and Harringay
Some rooms suit hand-laid screed whatever the age of the house. Every wet room and walk-in shower in a split terrace needs a fall to its drain, and a hand-trowelled screed can be shaped to give it. Water does it no harm, which is not true of calcium sulphate.
Garages are another case. A converted garage normally needs its floor built up to the level of the house, with insulation and a membrane going in on the way. The steps are laid out in our garage screeding guide.
Small rooms, landings and hallways often come down to cost. Setting up a pump for a few square metres rarely makes sense, and a hand-mixed screed is usually more economical.
The trade-off is drying. Hand-laid screed gives up its moisture slowly, about a day for each of the first 40mm and longer for the rest, so a full domestic depth needs weeks before wood or LVT goes on. It can take early foot traffic, and quick drying screed is an option where time is short. Fibres can be added for toughness at about £1 to £3 per m².
Sand and Cement Screed prices in Haringey
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 Haringey
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 Haringey
Haringey is about 23.1 miles east of our Slough base as the crow flies, with postcodes including N22, N11, N2 and N10. The nearest towns to it are Islington (3.1 miles), Hackney (3.5 miles), Camden (3.5 miles) and Barnet (4 miles).
More on sand & cement screed, part of our screeding services.
