Floor preparation

Sub Floor Preparation

Free no obligation quotation and advice

If you are looking for your  sub floors to be prepared expertly ready to receive any covering we can help. We are happy to work on projects of all sizes, having a ton of experience in the commercial industry and domestic. Our professional and reliable fitters are highly experienced and will make sure that you are delighted with the results.

Ply wood sub floor preparation

If you want to install solid flooring in the same direction as the subfloor planks, be sure to install a layer of plywood over the plank subfloor to increase strength and durability.

Latex / Floor Levelling for sub flooring

If your floors are uneven, a latex self-leveling compound (sometimes called latex screed or mortar) can help smooth over areas that are not level. This is usually done before painting, tiling, or carpeting a subfloor.

Before you begin, you will need to identify where your floor dips or rises. Clean the floor before applying a thin layer of latex mortar to the floor. Latex only takes a day to dry, so you can continue with your project the very next day.

Anhydrite Screed Sanding

Calcium Sulphate or anhydrite screeds have grown in popularity over the last decade. This is due to the fact that they can offer substantial benefits when compared with traditional sand, cement screeds. Easy to lay, low cost, fast-drying, pump-able, self-levelling and offering minimal shrinkage, anhydrite screeds are perfect for domestic or commercial projects. They are also compatible with underfloor heating once the pipes and associated heating elements are covered with at least 25mm of screed.

Before laying tiles or other finishes onto Calcium Sulphate screed one of the most important tasks is the removal of laitance. Laitance is a fragile coating of fine particles deposited on the surface of the screed as the anhydrite cures. This layer is too weak to tile onto and can also inhibit drying of the screed. Many of the failures we see are as a result of contamination of the adhesive by laitance – highlighting the importance of carrying out this step.

Laitance should be removed by light abrasion using a suitable sanding machine i.e. a rotary floor scarifier and a 60’s grit sandpaper. Remove excess dust completely with a vacuum cleaner. Abrading the surface is best carried out 4-6 days after the application of the screed and can assist in the drying out process. Scarifying the surface is even recommended with low laitance Calcium Sulphate/anhydrite screeds as this further aids adhesion.

Damp Proofing

Damp proof membranes are vital for floors that are subject to damp, it provides a water tight barrier to stop moisture penetrating the floor covering.