What latex screed does on Maldon kitchen floors
Latex screed is a trade name rather than a separate material. It is a levelling compound sold in two parts: a cement based powder, and a latex liquid that is stirred in where an ordinary compound would take water. We pour and trowel it a few millimetres thick, so it smooths a surface without building one up.
That makes it suited to bases a normal screed cannot sit on. Lifting the old units and flooring in a Maldon or Heybridge kitchen can expose almost anything underneath, and three bases are common in refits of any age:
- Timber floors that have been overboarded with flooring grade plywood, screwed down firmly. Latex never goes straight onto bare floorboards, because the boards move and the joints open. - Old quarry or ceramic tiles that are still stuck fast. Rather than chipping them out, we clean and prime them and lay latex over the top. - Concrete that is sound but rough, patched or pitted, sometimes still carrying a thin film of old adhesive that is itself firmly attached.
On any of these, the latex fills the grout lines, board joints and small hollows, so a thin finish does not telegraph them. Sheet vinyl, LVT, safety flooring, lino and rubber all show what lies beneath, which is why they need this kind of base. Carpet is more forgiving but still lies better on a smooth floor. Where a refit only needs a skim over an already sound screed, our page on levelling floors in Maldon explains the general compound work.
Checks before latex goes down in Heybridge and Maldon
A thin layer cannot fix a bad base, so the floor is checked first. Three things stop a latex job.
Damp is the first. Latex is not a damp proof membrane, and older cottages near the High Street and Hythe Quay often have damp floors that need taking up and rebuilding with insulation and a membrane. Covering that kind of floor with latex simply traps the moisture under the new vinyl.
Movement is the second. Boards that bounce underfoot will crack a rigid skin within weeks, so the joists and boards are fixed and the floor overboarded before any compound is mixed.
Level is the third. Latex is designed for a few millimetres. If a Maldon floor falls away across the room or has a deep dip, the high spots may need grinding back first, or the floor needs repairing or a new screed laid before latex has any part to play.
Priming comes next, matched to the base. Plywood, tiles, concrete and old adhesive each take a different primer, and a calcium sulphate screed always has its laitance removed and is primed before latex touches it. Flowing screed can be calcium sulphate or cement based, so in a newer home we confirm which one is down before choosing. Similar refits a few miles inland are covered on our page for latex screed in Witham.
How we price latex screed in Maldon
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 Maldon
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 Maldon
Maldon is about 58.6 miles east-north-east of our Slough base as the crow flies, with postcodes including CM9. The nearest towns to it are Witham (5 miles), South Woodham Ferrers (6.5 miles), Chelmsford (8.8 miles) and Rochford (10.4 miles).
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
