Latex over awkward bases from Notting Hill to Brompton
Whether the home is in Notting Hill, Brompton or Kensal Town, the same question comes first: what is the new floor going onto? Latex is suited to bases that are firm but uneven in texture, and thin finishes are the reason it is needed. Sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber and carpet all follow the surface beneath them, so joints and ridges show through.
Timber is an awkward base in a period building. Boards on their own move too much for latex, so they are first screwed down and overboarded with flooring grade plywood. The latex then fills the plywood joints and screw heads to leave a single smooth sheet.
Old ceramic or quarry tiles can stay where they are if every one is firmly bonded. Lifting them in a flat with a neighbour below means noise, dust and possible damage to the acoustic layer, so cleaning, priming and skimming over them is often the quieter route.
Uneven older concrete and sound, well stuck adhesive can also take latex once loose material is scraped away and the correct primer applied. A calcium sulphate screed must have its laitance sanded off and be primed before any latex touches it.
Where the heating is under the floor, latex can follow a thin heated screed. Our screed over underfloor heating page explains the layer beneath it.
Checks before latex goes down in Kensington and Chelsea
Only 13% of the borough's homes are terraced houses, and most floors in Kensington and Chelsea belong to flats, many in subdivided period buildings. That shapes the checks we run before any latex is mixed.
Is the floor stiff? Latex will not stop boards bouncing. If a floor in a converted flat flexes underfoot, the boards and joists are fixed or overboarded first, and the acoustic layer between flats is kept intact.
Is it dry? A period lower ground floor may have no membrane beneath it at all. Latex cannot hold back damp, so a damp floor needs tanking, insulation and a new screed instead, which our sand and cement screed in the borough page describes.
Is it close to level? A latex skim is a few millimetres. A floor that runs badly out of level across a room needs a deeper fix, either a levelling compound or a new screed. Our Kensington and Chelsea floor levelling page covers flatness classes and when a thicker compound suits.
When all three answers are yes, latex gives vinyl or LVT a smooth bed with the least added height.
How we price latex screed in Kensington and Chelsea
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 Kensington and Chelsea
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 Kensington and Chelsea
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 19.6 miles from Kensington and Chelsea, which lies to the east. Postcodes here include SW7, SW3, SW5 and W10, and Hammersmith and Fulham (1.2 miles), Westminster (1.6 miles), Camden (3.4 miles) and Wandsworth (3.8 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
