Latex over timber and tiles in older Kempston houses
In the trade, latex screed means a levelling compound in two parts. One is a cement based powder; the other is a latex liquid used in place of water. Mixed together, they make a smooth layer, usually just a few millimetres deep, that bonds closely to a sound base.
Ground floors in the town's Kempston New Town era houses can be suspended timber or solid, and an owner swapping carpet for sheet vinyl or LVT has to decide what to do with either. A suspended timber floor in good order can be kept: the boards are screwed down tight, overlaid with flooring grade plywood, and the latex is spread across the plywood. Pouring it straight onto bare boards is a mistake, because the gaps and seasonal movement crack it.
Old tiles are the other familiar base in older kitchens and bathrooms. Quarry or ceramic tiles that are still firmly bonded can stay, as long as the glaze is cleaned and a primer for tiled surfaces goes on first. Latex hides the grout lines that would otherwise print through a thin floor.
Some sound old adhesive can also be covered once it has been scraped back and primed, though thick, soft or patchy glue is better removed by grinding back old adhesive.
Finishes that call for this treatment include sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber, safety flooring and carpet. For general levelling and the SR flatness classes, see levelling a Kempston floor.
Damp, bounce and dips in Kempston ground floors
A thin compound is only as good as what lies under it, so the survey counts for more than the pour. In a Kempston house we weigh up three risks before agreeing latex is right.
The first is damp. An early solid floor that has lost its damp protection will push moisture into anything laid on it, and latex does nothing to stop that. A hygrometer reading settles the question; if the slab is wet, the answer is a membrane and a new floor, which our page on sand and cement replacement floors describes.
The second is bounce. Joists or boards that flex under foot will crack latex along every board line. They are fixed, repaired or overboarded first, and only a rigid deck is coated.
The third is level. Latex smooths a floor; it does not correct one that falls badly from one wall to the other. That floor needs a deeper repair or a new screed.
Recent conversions and remodels add one more point. Where the newer floor is a calcium sulphate screed, its laitance comes off and a suitable primer goes down before any latex. For the town across the River Great Ouse, see latex screed in Bedford.
How we price latex screed in Kempston
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 Kempston
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 Kempston
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 40.8 miles from Kempston, which lies to the north. Postcodes here include MK42, MK40, MK43 and MK45, and Bedford (2 miles), Flitwick (7.8 miles), Sandy (9.1 miles) and Newport Pagnell (9.6 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.