Liquid Anhydrite Screed & Underfloor Heating Installation - Draycott, Derbyshire

Swipe

We were recently brought in to carry out a specialist floor screeding and underfloor heating installation as part of a private renovation project at an older property in Draycott, Derbyshire.

The existing floor had been completely dug out and removed by the main contractor, and a new concrete sub-floor had been installed in its place.

Our scope of work covered everything from the damp proof membrane through to the installation of the underfloor heating manifold and pipework, right through to the final liquid anhydrite screed pour across the whole property.

The customer was delighted with the results, and we completed the entire screed installation in a single day.

Level Variations In An Older Property

Older properties present particular challenges when it comes to floor screeding, and this job in Draycott was no exception.

With a property of this age, varying floor levels between rooms and across thresholds are common, and achieving a consistent, smooth finish that ties all of these different levels together cleanly requires both the right material choice and a thorough understanding of how to apply it.

This is precisely where liquid anhydrite screed excels, and it was our chosen solution for this project from the outset.

Floor Build-Up: DPM, Insulation, Underfloor Heating

Before any screed could be poured, we completed a full floor build-up from the new concrete sub-floor upwards, working through each stage methodically.

Damp Proof Membrane

The first stage was the installation of a damp proof membrane across the full floor area of the property. The black polythene sheeting was laid carefully across the concrete sub-floor and turned up at the perimeter walls, with blue edge trim fitted to seal the junction between the floor and the wall.

This is a critical stage of any ground floor build-up, making sure that ground moisture cannot migrate upward through the floor construction and cause damage to the screed or any floor finishes applied on top.

Unilin Insulation Boards

With the DPM in place, we then installed a layer of Unilin rigid insulation boards across the full floor area.

The boards were laid, tightly butted together to form a continuous, thermally efficient layer so that the heat generated by the underfloor heating system below is directed upwards into the room rather than being lost into the ground beneath. Getting the insulation layer right at this stage is fundamental to the performance of the finished underfloor heating system.

Underfloor Heating Manifold & Pipework

Once the insulation was in place, we installed the underfloor heating manifold and laid the pipework throughout the property. The characteristic red pipe loops were laid in tight, even runs across the full floor area of each room, connected back to the central manifold ready for commissioning further along the build programme.

The system was laid correctly so that the pipework is fully encased within the screed once poured, achieving even heat distribution across the entire floor surface.

The Liquid Anhydrite Screed Pour

With all preparatory work complete, we carried out the liquid anhydrite screed pour across the full property. Liquid anhydrite screed was the right specification for this job for several reasons.

Why Liquid Anhydrite?

Liquid anhydrite (calcium sulphate) screed is a self-levelling flowing product that is pumped directly onto the floor and allowed to find its own level.

Unlike traditional sand and cement screed, which is hand-laid and trowelled, liquid anhydrite flows into every corner and around every obstacle, making sure complete coverage and an exceptionally flat, smooth surface.

Critically for a property with varying floor levels, it also has the ability to flow and self-level across changes in height, producing a consistent, seamless finish that would be extremely difficult to achieve with a hand-laid product.

Completed In A Single Day

One of the key advantages of liquid anhydrite screed on a project of this scale is the speed at which it can be installed.

We completed the full screed pour across all areas of the property in a single day, with the finished surface walkable the following morning so that other trades could return to site and continue with the wider renovation programme without delay.