Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed — Exeter, Devon
Exeter 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.
Get a fixed price for Traditional Sand & Cement Screed — Exeter, Devon
30 seconds. We'll come back same-day with a fixed price and next available date.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
Exeter 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 Exeter jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Exeter sits Exeter, and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
What we plan around in Exeter
County
Devon
District
Exeter
Postcode
EX1–EX6
Nearest city
Exeter
Nearest motorway
M5 (J29/J30)
Primary A-road
A30 / A38
Local industries
Marsh Barton trade park, university research builds
Common builds
Victorian terraces in St Leonard's, new-build apartments at Marsh Barton
Where liquid screed earns its keep in Exeter
- Victorian terraces in St Leonard's — a regular brief in Exeter
- New-build apartments at Marsh Barton — a regular brief in Exeter
- City-centre retrofits — a regular brief in Exeter
- Edwardian semis in Pennsylvania — a regular brief in Exeter
- Marsh Barton trade park — a regular brief in Exeter
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Exeter — 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.
Cemfloor systems for Exeter
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.
Latest jobs across Devon
Adjacent areas — usually same-week diary
What backs our Exeter work
Exeter screed questions, answered
Is sand and cement screed suitable for a wet room in Exeter?+
Yes, it is the standard choice for wet rooms, shower rooms and balconies because it tolerates sustained water contact in a way gypsum-based liquid screeds do not.
How is sand and cement screed different from liquid screed in Exeter?+
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.
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.
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 Exeter job.
Do you use a screed pump for sand and cement in Exeter?+
On larger jobs, yes, a screed pump can deliver the semi-dry mix into the building, which speeds up placement while keeping the hand-trowelled finish.
How long does a sand and cement screed take to dry in Exeter?+
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.
Pin a date for your Exeter sand and cement pour and we'll bring the crew, the mix and the levels, then leave you a floor built to last.
Wet room or balcony screed in EX1–EX6?
Falls to drain, external thresholds, deep fills, we quote Traditional Sand & Cement Screed for homeowners and contractors alike jobs across Exeter and the surrounding villages.
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
Related on this site