Latex over boards and tiles in Oxted refits
Think of latex screed as a skin, not a floor. It is mixed from two parts on site, the latex taking the place of water, and spread only a few millimetres thick over a base that is already sound. Its whole purpose is to give sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber or carpet a smooth, even face.
Bathrooms on upper floors are the classic case. They sit on timber joists and boards, and boards move as the house warms and cools. A thin coat spread directly on them would crack along each board edge. So the boards are screwed down, sheets of flooring grade plywood are fixed over them, and the latex then fills the sheet joins and screw heads to leave one flat surface.
Kitchens are the other common job. In a post-war house that has been refitted before, taking out old units can reveal ceramic tiles in one area, bare concrete in another and a strip of filler where a wall came out. If the tiles are firmly bonded, they are cleaned, primed and covered in the same pass as the concrete.
Old adhesive is judged on its condition. A thin, hard film that will not scrape off can stay under a suitable primer. Soft, powdery or lifting residue has to go, and grinding old adhesive off Oxted floors is usually the quickest way to remove it without damaging the base.
Where latex stops: damp and soft floors in Old Oxted
Older ground floors in Old Oxted, and in New Oxted streets such as Chichele Road, may have no damp proof membrane, or a timber floor that is failing. Latex cannot help with either.
A thin coat over a damp slab traps the moisture under the new vinyl. The adhesive softens, the latex loosens and the floor lifts. We test before agreeing to latex, and a floor that is wet from below is dug out and rebuilt, with a new damp proof membrane and insulation under a fresh screed.
A springy or rotting timber floor is just as unsuitable. Plywood screwed onto boards that flex, or joists that have dropped, will move under the latex until it cracks. The structure is put right first.
Level is the third limit. Latex is meant to smooth, not to fill. A room that falls away by more than a thin coat can make up needs a deeper levelling product or a new screed, and our Oxted floor levelling page explains how flatness is measured. Areas of broken screed are cut out under screed repairs first.
Every base takes its own primer. A calcium sulphate screed, which an extension may have, has its laitance sanded away and is primed before any latex goes on. In East Grinstead, see latex screed for East Grinstead floors.
How we price latex screed in Oxted
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 Oxted
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 Oxted
Oxted is about 33.6 miles east-south-east of our Slough base as the crow flies, with postcodes including RH8 and CR3. The nearest towns to it are Caterham (3.6 miles), Redhill (7.4 miles), Croydon (8.2 miles) and Sevenoaks (8.5 miles).
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.