What latex screed can sit on in Hoddesdon homes
Latex screed is the trade name for a levelling compound supplied in two parts. A cement based powder is mixed with a latex liquid rather than with water, and the latex helps the thin layer hold onto bases that a plain compound would struggle with. It goes down thin, usually a few millimetres, and its job is to make a sound floor smooth rather than to build up height.
That suits the refits that come with Hoddesdon's post-war and later twentieth century houses. Lift the old vinyl in a kitchen or cloakroom and you might find quarry tiles still stuck fast, patches of black adhesive, a strip of concrete where a wall once stood, or timber boards. Latex can cover most of that. Quarry and ceramic tiles need to be firmly bonded, with no hollow ones, and are cleaned and keyed before priming. Old adhesive can stay if it is thin and well stuck; thick or soft residue comes off first, which is part of our floor preparation service.
Timber is the base people most often get wrong. Latex should never be poured straight onto bare floorboards, because boards move with the seasons and a thin layer cracks along every joint. On an upstairs bathroom the right base is flooring grade plywood, screwed down at close centres over the boards, and the latex then goes over the primed plywood. If the boards themselves bounce, they are fixed before anything else happens.
Damp, primer and level checks before latex in Hoddesdon
Before latex goes down in a house in Turnford, Glen Faba, Dobb's Weir or anywhere else in Hoddesdon, three checks come first.
Damp is the first. Latex does not stop moisture coming up through a ground floor, and vinyl or rubber stuck to a damp base can blister or lift, so we test the floor and deal with any damp before smoothing it. Priming is the second: the primer is chosen for the base, and a calcium sulphate screed always has its laitance removed and is primed before latex touches it. The third is how far out the floor is. A few millimetres can bury trowel marks, grout lines and shallow hollows, but cannot turn a sloping or dipped floor flat. Where a floor is badly out, the deeper options on our floor levelling page for Hoddesdon or a new screed are the way forward.
The finish is why this is worth doing. Sheet vinyl, LVT, safety flooring, lino and rubber all copy whatever lies under them, so a smooth latex base stops lumps and ridges showing through. Carpet is more forgiving, though underlay still wears faster over a broken surface. If the existing screed is cracked or loose, it is put right first through our screed repairs service.
How we price latex screed in Hoddesdon
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 Hoddesdon
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 Hoddesdon
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 31.4 miles from Hoddesdon, which lies to the east-north-east. Postcodes here include EN11, EN10 and CM19, and Hertford (3.8 miles), Ware (3.9 miles), Cheshunt (4.1 miles) and Harlow (4.7 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
