Liquid Screeding Project

How to Budget for a Liquid Screeding Project

Liquid Screeding is more affordable than you think. However, if you’re a UK-based contractor or a liquid screed Gloucestershire project manager, you’ll want to know your upfront costs. This article will cover how liquid screeding is priced and what you can expect for your money.

Liquid Screeding Project

About Liquid Screed

Liquid screeding is a fast and convenient way to install new flooring. It’s environmentally friendly and waterproof. It’s perfect for liquid screed Gloucestershire projects that want to reduce costs on insulation. Unlike traditional cement screed, liquid screed can be applied in fragile layers. This makes it conducive for optimal heat transfer. It’s also a highly flexible medium and can cover ground in record time.

A rapid cure screed can cover 100 square metres in as little as 45 minutes. As much as 2,000 square metres in a day. Liquid screed is also self-curing. This means mixing and preparing the screed requires a minimal amount of time. Moreover, the self-levelling quality of the liquid means you can expect a smooth and reliable finish for commercial and residential projects.

Materials and Equipment

First is the cost of the screed itself. There are many different types of liquid screed on the market. All with varying benefits and properties. One of the most popular screeding choices is the rapid cure varieties.

Here we’ll look at our favourite choice for rapid liquid screeding – Gypsol Rapide screed. This is created by the LKAB Minerals. On average, liquid screed costs £80 to £120 per 25kg. But it is more common to estimate this cost by floor area (see below).

There are many advantages of this type of screed in terms of costs and benefits compared with cement screeding:

  • It doesn’t need any reinforcements or fibres. Traditional cement screed can bend structures under the floor, such as heat systems. To compensate for this weight, contractors must pay for structural reinforcers to prevent damage. With liquid screed, it weighs less because it is applied more thinly. This means it doesn’t require any additional supporting frames.
  • No spray-on curing membranes and screed power tools. Again, with cement screed, a lot is needed to achieve a smooth finish. The cement must be mixed to remove air, and bubbles or cracking will occur. This extensively requires power tools and physical labour to smooth the screed. Moreover, with cement screed, the curing process generates a lot of heat. As the warm air cools down, vapours are released. When this vapour hits a cool area, it turns back to a liquid. And this can cause dampness or rot in the underlying structure. This is where a membrane becomes a necessary part of cement screeding. But that isn’t the case for rapid screeds because the curing time is much faster. And this reduces the time vapour has to form. In short, less equipment is needed and less labour. This saves on costs. So instead, things you will have to consider are:
  • Screed liquid pump hire: One of the most convenient aspects of liquid screed is bringing premixed liquid screed and pouring it directly on site. To do this, you will need to hire a liquid pump to fill the floor space.

Level Measuring Equipment

Another step is using levelling tripods to measure the depth of the liquid screed as it pours. A liquid screed is designed to cover floors in a thin layer. Going over the correct depth defeats the points and adds unnecessary material costs.

Labour

Let’s say you’re looking for flooring screeding contractors in Newbury. If we’re talking about hourly wage, labour costs for liquid screed are significantly lower than cement. This is because the screed can be laid out much faster. An average screed labourer makes £12.14 an hour. But, liquid screed can be laid in as little as 45 minutes per 100 square metres. So a shorter work time means fewer out-of-pocket expenses.

Floor Size

Our flooring screeding contractors in Newbury ask us for a floor size. On average, the cost of materials for liquid floor screeding works out at £21.50 per m2. Comparatively, cement costs an average of £19. But when you add up the prolonged cost of labour and equipment expenses, liquid screed is much cheaper.

Hiring a Liquid Screeding Service

To get an all-inclusive liquid screeding quote in your area, visit UK Screeds LTD today.