Latex over old tiles and boards in Lower Sunbury
Builders call it latex screed, but the material is a levelling compound supplied in two parts. A cement based powder is stirred into a latex liquid, with no water added. That liquid gives the cured layer a little flexibility and a strong grip, which is why it is chosen for bases that are sound but awkward rather than for a clean new screed.
Houses of the 1930s to 1960s, the norm in Lower Sunbury, are where awkward bases tend to turn up during a refit. Lift the lino in an original kitchen of that age and there may be quarry tiles still bedded firmly underneath. Strip out an upstairs bathroom and you are standing on timber boards. Each needs its own preparation before latex goes on.
Firmly bonded quarry or ceramic tiles can stay. We tap them to find hollow spots, clean off grease and polish, and prime with a product made for dense, non-porous surfaces. A few millimetres of latex then hides the grout lines. Any tile that sounds hollow is lifted and the gap filled first.
Timber is another matter. Latex never goes straight onto bare floorboards, because boards move and the compound would crack along every joint. The boards are screwed down, overboarded with flooring grade plywood, and the latex is laid on the primed plywood.
Old adhesive left behind when vinyl comes up can sometimes remain too, if it is thin, hard and well stuck. Soft or patchy residue has to be removed, and our floor preparation service covers that stripping work.
When latex is not enough on Sunbury Common floors
Sunbury Common's terraces and flats bring a separate set of checks. In a flat refit, the floor under the old covering could be a sand and cement screed, a concrete slab or, in some blocks, a calcium sulphate screed. Calcium sulphate always has its laitance taken off and a compatible primer applied before latex touches it. Concrete and cement screeds take their own primer, chosen for how porous they are.
Damp comes next. Latex is a surfacing layer, and it will not hold back moisture rising through a slab that has no membrane. We test the base before pricing, and a damp floor needs a membrane or a rebuild rather than a skim.
Then there is how far out the floor is. Latex is laid thin, so a floor that dips badly across a room, or a screed that sounds hollow, needs repair or replacement first. In older houses that often means hand-laid sand and cement for a failed base. Springy boards need fixing and overboarding, never a thicker coat.
Homes built from 1973 to 1999 make up 14% of Sunbury, and the same checks apply to their kitchens and bathrooms when they are refitted. Where the problem is wider than a single room, such as an extension join or a general flatness target, our Sunbury floor levelling page is the better starting point.
How we price latex screed in Sunbury-on-Thames
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 Sunbury-on-Thames
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 Sunbury-on-Thames
As the crow flies, our yard in Slough is about 12.5 miles from Sunbury-on-Thames, which lies to the south-east. Postcodes here include TW16 and TW17, and Ashford (2.1 miles), Walton-on-Thames (2.3 miles), Weybridge (3.7 miles) and Chertsey (4.1 miles) are close by.
More on latex screed, part of our screeding services.
