Screed types · checked 29 October 2026
Types of floor screed
Every kind of floor screed side by side: binder, depth, drying, and the floors each suits.
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Figures checked against each source on 29 October 2026. How we check
There are three families of floor screed: traditional sand and cement, laid and compacted; flowing liquid screeds on a calcium sulphate or cement binder; and specialist screeds, such as fast-drying, polymer-modified and lime. Levelling compounds sit on top for the last few millimetres.
The type sets the minimum depth, the drying time and what has to happen before the floor finish goes down.
Every type at a glance
| Screed | Binder | Floating depth in a house | Drying | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand and cement | Cement | 65 mm (MPA) | 1 day per mm to 50 mm (BS 8204-1) | Falls, small areas, repairs, bonded screeds |
| Liquid, calcium sulphate | Calcium sulphate | 35 mm (Gyvlon) | 1 mm a day to 40 mm, then 0.5 mm (Gyvlon) | Underfloor heating, large floors |
| Liquid, cement-based | Cement | 35–45 mm (Cemfloor, Roadstone) | 1 day per mm to 40 mm, then 2 (Roadstone) | Underfloor heating, cement adhesives, wet areas |
| Fast-drying | Special binder | 35–60 mm unbonded (Topcem) | About 4 days (Mapei) | Tight programmes |
| Fibre-reinforced | Cement | 65 mm; may drop to 50 mm over heating (DB Wiki) | As sand and cement | Floating screeds over insulation |
| Polymer-modified | Cement + polymer | Product data | 10 days at 50 mm (Ronafix) | Thin bonded screeds, repairs |
| Lime screed and limecrete | Natural hydraulic lime | 100 mm limecrete on 150 mm foamed glass (Tŷ-Mawr) | About 3 weeks before heating pipes (GreenSpec) | Old solid-wall houses |
| Levelling compound | Cement or gypsum | 5–30 mm (Larsen) | Floor coverings after a day (Larsen, Ardex) | Flattening an existing floor |
Sources: Mineral Products Association, Mortar Data Sheet 22: Screeds (Issue 3, October 2023); Gyvlon flowing screed general data pack (Anhydritec); Cemfloor Complete technical data sheet (2023); Roadstone FlowPlus cement liquid screed brochure (RS.BRO-19 Rev 01, March 2022); Mapei Topcem technical data sheet; Designing Buildings Wiki, Screed over underfloor heating (last edited 15 September 2020); Ronacrete, Drying of Screeds; Tŷ-Mawr, What is the Sublime floor (22 March 2024); GreenSpec, Limecrete floors for old buildings; Goodwins: Larsen SLC 2000 floor levelling 25 kg; Tubs & Tiles: Ardex K 15 HB leveller 25 kg. Checked 29 October 2026.
By the job
- New house or extension with underfloor heating: screed for underfloor heating: liquid, or sand and cement with fibres.
- Wet room or a floor to falls: sand and cement.
- Low floor height, or a repair: polymer-modified screed or levelling compound.
- Tiler booked next week: fast-drying screed.
- Old stone or solid-wall house: lime screed and limecrete.
How the screed sits matters as much as what it's made of: see bonded, unbonded and floating screed.
Questions people ask
What are the main types of floor screed?
Sand and cement; liquid screeds on a calcium sulphate or cement binder; and specialist screeds such as fast-drying, fibre-reinforced, polymer-modified and lime. Levelling compounds finish the last few millimetres.
Which screed suits underfloor heating?
It depends on the floor. Liquid screeds need only 25 mm over the pipes and surround them fully; sand and cement needs 65 mm or more in a house, or about 50 mm with fibres.
Which floor screed dries fastest?
Fast-drying binders: Mapei Topcem takes tiles after a day and timber after 4 days. Standard screeds take about a day per mm.
Sources (11)
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.
- Mineral Products Association, Mortar Data Sheet 22: Screeds: mortar.org.uk
- Gyvlon flowing screed general data pack (Anhydritec): specifiedby.com
- Cemfloor Complete technical data sheet: cdn.shopify.com
- Roadstone FlowPlus cement liquid screed brochure: roadstone.ie
- Mapei Topcem technical data sheet: cdn.shopify.com
- Designing Buildings Wiki, Screed over underfloor heating: designingbuildings.co.uk
- Ronacrete, Drying of Screeds: ronacrete.co.uk
- Tŷ-Mawr, What is the Sublime floor: lime.org.uk
- GreenSpec, Limecrete floors for old buildings: greenspec.co.uk
- Goodwins: Larsen SLC 2000 floor levelling 25 kg: goodwins.ie
- Tubs & Tiles: Ardex K 15 HB leveller 25 kg: tubstiles.ie
Get your floor priced
Four taps about the job and one screeding contractor who covers your county rings you. Or call 087 162 1846, lines open 8am to 8pm.