Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed — Christow, Devon
Christow builders sometimes need a screed that can be laid in a bucket-and-barrow operation with no pump access, or that has to tie into an external step, drain or wet room upstand. That is exactly where sand and cement wins over a liquid pour.
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Christow builders sometimes need a screed that can be laid in a bucket-and-barrow operation with no pump access, or that has to tie into an external step, drain or wet room upstand. That is exactly where sand and cement wins over a liquid pour.
Sand and cement screed is laid in bays with day joints, which we set out to avoid future cracking at natural stress points such as doorways and changes in depth. It is a more labour-intensive process than liquid screed, but it is proven, robust and unaffected by moisture the way calcium sulphate screeds can be.
Most of our Christow jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Christow sits Exeter (10 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Christow — how it works
We mix a semi-dry sand and cement screed on site or bring it in via a screed pump, lay it to string lines or laser-set pins in bays, then compact and trowel it to a flat, dense surface. It is slower than a liquid pour, roughly a day of drying time per millimetre of depth once you get past the first 50mm, but it tolerates a much wider range of site conditions.
Unlike a self-levelling liquid screed, sand and cement is placed and compacted by hand, so we control the fall towards a drain, form an upstand at a threshold, or feather it into an existing floor level in a way a pumped pour cannot.
EX6 access, routes and logistics
County
Devon
District
Teignbridge
Postcode
EX6
Nearest city
Exeter (10 mi)
Nearest motorway
M5 (J31, ~13 mi)
Primary A-road
B3193
Local industries
upland farming, holiday lets
Common builds
granite cottages, farmhouse conversions
What Christow builds usually need
- Granite cottages — a regular brief in Christow
- Farmhouse conversions — a regular brief in Christow
- Moor-edge new-builds — a regular brief in Christow
- Annex extensions — a regular brief in Christow
- Upland farming — a regular brief in Christow
Latest jobs across Devon
What to expect on pour day in Christow
- 1
Site visit to assess substrate, falls, depth and access, since sand and cement can be barrowed where a pump truck cannot reach
- 2
Substrate prep, priming or DPM, and setting out of bay lines and laser levels
- 3
Mix and place the screed in bays, compacting as we go to remove voids
- 4
Hand float or power trowel to a flat, dense SR2 finish
- 5
Protect and allow to cure, typically a day per millimetre of depth after the first 50mm
- 6
Follow-up inspection before floor coverings or tiling begin
What backs our Christow work
Christow-area service radius
Materials and systems we use in Christow
Sand and cement (typically 4:1 or 5:1 mix)
Semi-dry, hand-compacted mix ratio adjusted to depth and loading.
SBR bonding agent
Slurry-brushed onto the substrate for bonded screeds under 40mm.
Polypropylene fibre reinforcement
Added to reduce shrinkage cracking on larger bays.
DPM and separating membrane
For unbonded or floating screeds over insulation.
Falls formed to drain outlets
Built into the screed thickness for wet rooms and balconies.
Edge and movement joints
Set at bay lines, doorways and around columns.
Christow screed questions, answered
What thickness do you lay for a bonded sand and cement screed?+
Bonded screeds go down from 25mm minimum, unbonded or floating builds from 50mm, and thicker still where we are making up a significant fall or a dug-out sub-base.
Will the screed crack?+
Bay joints and fibre reinforcement control shrinkage cracking. We set bay sizes and joint positions at doorways and depth changes to minimise the risk on any Christow job.
What SR rating do you achieve on a trowelled screed?+
We finish sand and cement to SR2, within 3mm under a 2m straight edge, which is suitable for most tiled finishes. If you need SR1 flatness for large-format tile or resin, liquid screed is usually the better route.
How is sand and cement screed different from liquid screed in Christow?+
Sand and cement is a semi-dry mix, hand-laid and trowelled in bays, whereas liquid screed is pumped and self-levels. Sand and cement suits deep fills, external areas and wet rooms; liquid screed suits large flat internal floors that need to dry quickly.
Can you match an existing sand and cement floor level?+
Yes, we set datums off your existing finished floor level and build the new screed to match, allowing for whatever covering goes on top.
How long does a sand and cement screed take to dry in Christow?+
Roughly a day per millimetre of depth once past the first 50mm, so a 65mm floor is typically ready for coverings in around six to eight weeks, depending on ventilation and site conditions.
Book a bay-laid screed in Christow
Hand-trowelled screeds take longer to schedule around drying and access. Get your Christow job in the diary early.
Ready to get a price?
Tell us the rough size and location — we'll come back with a fixed quote today.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
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