Which screed fits which Islington building
Census 2021 counted 216,589 people in the London Borough of Islington, the second smallest borough in London. Few places in Britain pack in as many front doors per acre, so a floor job here usually means one flat, one basement or one storey rather than a whole house on its own plot.
Most floor work here happens inside converted period houses. When a Barnsbury terrace is taken back to its joists, the basement or ground floor often turns out to have no damp proof membrane at all. The cure is a membrane and insulation with a new screed laid on top. In tight basement rooms reached by a narrow stair, hand-laid sand and cement screed for period floors is often the practical answer, although a pumped screed can work where the hose can reach.
Newer blocks are a different job. On schemes such as Holloway Park, where 985 homes are approved on the site of the old Holloway Prison, the usual specification is a thin pumped liquid screed over underfloor heating. If the drawings name a calcium sulphate grade, our anhydrite flow screed page explains the testing and sanding that comes with it.
Where one house has become three flats, the separating floors need acoustic treatment before any screed goes down, so the build-up is planned from the joists upwards. And a floor that is sound but simply uneven may only need levelling compound before new flooring, which is quicker and cheaper than a fresh screed.
Homes in Islington at a glance
Flats make up 82% of the 96,496 households in Islington, followed by terraced houses at 13%. The largest group of homes here was built before 1919 (44%), and a further 17% between 1945 and 1972.
| Homes in Islington | Share |
|---|---|
| Detached houses | 1% |
| Semi-detached houses | 3% |
| Terraced houses | 13% |
| Flats | 82% |
| Built before 1919 | 44% |
| Built 1919 to 1944 | 4% |
| Built 1945 to 1972 | 17% |
| Built 1973 to 1999 | 15% |
| Built since 2000 | 19% |
House types from Census 2021 (table TS044); building age from the Valuation Office Agency council tax stock of properties, 31 March 2026 (table CTSOP 4.1). Figures cover the London Borough of Islington (E09000019).
Screeding services in Islington
- Liquid ScreedNew blocks at Holloway Park and opened-up Islington flats suit pumped liquid screed: flat, dense and walkable in 24 to 48 hours.
- Sand and Cement ScreedFailed basement floors in Islington's period houses are rebuilt with hand-laid sand and cement screed, room by room.
- Underfloor Heating ScreedTight floor heights in Islington period flats decide the screed over underfloor heating: right pipe cover, gradual heat-up.
- Anhydrite & Flow ScreedCA-C25-F5 and other anhydrite grades for Islington apartment floors and new build plots, with laitance and moisture advice.
- Floor LevellingFloor levelling for uneven Islington flats and Angel Central shop units, with compound to SR1 or SR2 before LVT, vinyl or tiles.
- Latex ScreedPlywood overboarding or firm old tiles under an Islington kitchen refit, skimmed with latex so vinyl lies flat.
- Concrete Floor GrindingKing's Cross and Angel unit refits, lipped slabs in Islington flats: diamond grinding of glue, paint and laitance, dust extracted.
We also offer fibre reinforced screed, quick drying screed, high strength screed, bonded screed, floor preparation, screed repairs, concrete floor repair, screed pumping, insulation & membranes, commercial screeding and residential screeding in Islington.
Access, parking and timing a pour in Islington
Islington's streets set the terms for any pumped screed. The mixer and pump have to stand within a hose run of the door, and on a residential street that usually means a parking suspension or a bay arranged in advance. Tell us about controlled parking, a basement reached by an outside stair, a shared entrance hall or a lift in a block of flats when you ask for a price. A hose can climb a stairwell or pass through a window, but the route has to be agreed before the lorry arrives.
Timing matters as much as access. The room should be weathertight, wet plastering finished, and any heating pipes laid and pressure tested before the pour. In a block, the freeholder or managing agent may also want notice of working hours and of how the common parts will be protected. After the pour, drying time depends on depth and screed type, so book the flooring fitter around the screed. Our page on screed over underfloor heating covers the heat-up period that follows.
Commercial floors sit mostly on the borough's southern edge and on its big redevelopment sites: King's Cross Central, which crosses York Way into Islington, and the Angel Central shopping arcade. A unit there may need commercial screeding or a levelled floor when a tenant changes.
Screeding prices for Islington floors
Sand and cement £18 to £25 per m², liquid £24 to £31 per m², supplied and laid (MyJobQuote, August 2026). MyJobQuote does not say whether these figures include VAT. See our floor screeding cost guide.
Who lays your floor screed in Islington
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.
Reaching Islington
On the map, Islington sits east of Slough, about 23 miles from our base in a straight line (postcodes including N1, EC1R, WC1X and N4), next to Camden (1.7 miles), Hackney (2.1 miles), Westminster (3 miles) and Haringey (3.1 miles). Neighbourhoods we cover in Islington include Barnsbury, Canonbury, Clerkenwell, Finsbury and Finsbury Park.
See our screeding services for every screed type we lay.