Latex over boards and tiles in Rayleigh semis
Latex screed gets its name from the liquid half of the pack. The powder is cement based, much like an ordinary levelling compound, but it is mixed with a latex liquid instead of water, and the result bonds well as a thin smoothing coat. We lay it a few millimetres thick, enough to bury joints and hollows without changing the floor height in any noticeable way.
Kitchen and bathroom refits are where latex earns its keep in Rayleigh, because the floor revealed under old units or an old suite is rarely ready for a thin finish. Common bases include:
1. Suspended timber, such as the floor of an upstairs bathroom. Latex is never laid on bare boards. The boards are screwed down tight, overboarded with flooring grade plywood, and the plywood is primed. 2. Ceramic or quarry tiles that are still well bonded. Any loose ones are lifted and the gaps filled, then the surface is degreased and primed for latex. 3. Older concrete that is sound but uneven, perhaps patched where a wall or fireplace once stood. 4. Old adhesive residue that is firmly attached; loose or soft adhesive comes off first.
Once the latex has cured, the new floor goes on a surface free of ridges and joints. It counts for a lot with sheet vinyl and LVT, and with the safety flooring often chosen for a bathroom, which shows every board edge if laid straight onto timber. For broader levelling work over existing screed, see our page on Rayleigh floor levelling.
Rayleigh flats, primers and when latex will not do
Flats account for 11% of Rayleigh's homes. In a flat, raising the kitchen or bathroom floor even slightly can foul the front door, the units or the threshold into the hall, so a layer only a few millimetres thick suits it well.
Primer choice is part of the job, not an extra. Plywood, tiles, concrete and adhesive each take their own primer, and a calcium sulphate screed must have its laitance sanded off and be primed before latex goes on. In a newer house the existing screed may be calcium sulphate or cement based, so we confirm which before choosing the primer.
Latex is also the wrong answer more often than people expect:
- If the floor is damp, latex will not stop it. The cause is found and dealt with first. - If the boards spring when you stand on them, a skin of compound will crack. The structure is firmed up and overboarded. - If the floor is badly out of level, latex poured thick will not hold. High spots may need diamond grinding, or a new screed may be needed instead.
When we look at a Rayleigh floor, the advice covers which of these applies. Homes in nearby towns get the same checks, including latex screed in Rochford.
How we price latex screed in Rayleigh
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 Rayleigh
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 Rayleigh
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 54 miles from Rayleigh, which lies to the east. Postcodes here include SS6, and South Woodham Ferrers (4.1 miles), Wickford (4.1 miles), Rochford (4.4 miles) and Southend-on-Sea (5.6 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.