Latex over boards and old tiles in Stratford-upon-Avon refits
In the trade, latex screed means a compound supplied in two parts: a sack of cement based powder and a container of latex liquid used in place of mixing water. Combined, they flow out into a layer that bonds hard and copes with slight movement better than a plain water mixed compound, so it suits the mismatched surfaces left under old floor coverings.
Picture a kitchen being stripped in one of Stratford's inter-war houses, which account for 10% of the housing stock. Under the lino there might be red quarry tiles, a concrete patch where a wall once stood, and hardened glue around the edges. Tiles still locked to the floor do not need breaking out. They are washed, tapped for hollow spots and primed, then covered wall to wall so the new vinyl lies on one continuous surface.
Boards upstairs get different treatment. Timber moves through the year and gives slightly underfoot, and a thin coat poured straight on top would split along each gap. So the boards are screwed firm, sheets of flooring grade ply are fixed over them, and the latex is spread on the ply.
Old adhesive is judged case by case. A thin, hard film can stay under a primer designed for it, while anything soft or flaking is scraped back first; where the surface is badly contaminated, preparing the floor becomes a separate step.
The finishes that depend on all this are sheet vinyl, LVT, lino, rubber, and the safety flooring fitted in kitchens of the restaurants and hotels serving Stratford's visitors.
When latex is the wrong answer in Stratford-upon-Avon
Latex finishes a floor but cannot rescue one, so three faults are dealt with before anything is mixed.
Movement comes first. Boards that spring when walked on will crack a thin coat whatever the mix, so joists and boards are made solid and the floor overboarded before levelling.
Moisture is next. A skim of latex is no barrier to damp rising through an old solid floor, and vinyl on a wet base will lift and start to smell. Floors are tested before a price is given, and one without a working damp proof membrane is usually rebuilt, typically with Stratford sand and cement screeding.
Slope is the last. Latex handles millimetres; a room that falls away or dishes in the middle needs a deeper screed or a dedicated levelling pour, and flatness classes for Stratford floors explains the tolerances.
The historic centre, from Henley Street through Bridge Street to Church Street, adds a step of its own. Its timber-framed and listed buildings usually call for thin or lightweight systems, and listed building consent conditions can limit what is fixed to an old floor, so the owner confirms them before we quote.
New streets at Shottery and Bishopton raise a different question. Those homes suit liquid screed over underfloor heating, and where that screed is calcium sulphate and sheet vinyl comes later, the laitance is sanded off and the surface primed before latex goes down.
How we price latex screed in Stratford-upon-Avon
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 Stratford-upon-Avon
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 Stratford-upon-Avon
On the map, Stratford-upon-Avon sits north-west of Slough, about 64.4 miles from our base in a straight line (postcodes including CV37), next to Warwick (8 miles), Royal Leamington Spa (10 miles), Kenilworth (11.7 miles) and Evesham (12.4 miles).
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.