Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Great Torrington Traditional Sand & Cement Screed Specialists
For Great Torrington jobs where gypsum-based screed is ruled out, wet rooms, balconies, timber-sensitive junctions, we lay a semi-dry sand and cement mix, bay by bay, finished to SR2 with a hand float or power trowel.
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For Great Torrington jobs where gypsum-based screed is ruled out, wet rooms, balconies, timber-sensitive junctions, we lay a semi-dry sand and cement mix, bay by bay, finished to SR2 with a hand float or power trowel.
For Great Torrington wet rooms, balconies and any area with sustained water contact, sand and cement is usually the only sensible screed choice, since gypsum-based liquid screeds are not designed to tolerate standing water.
Most of our Great Torrington jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Great Torrington sits Barnstaple (12 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Great Torrington — how it works
For Great Torrington wet rooms, balconies and any area with sustained water contact, sand and cement is usually the only sensible screed choice, since gypsum-based liquid screeds are not designed to tolerate standing water.
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.
EX38 access, routes and logistics
County
Devon
District
Torridge
Postcode
EX38
Nearest city
Barnstaple (12 mi)
Nearest motorway
M5 (J27, ~50 mi)
Primary A-road
A386
Local industries
Dartington Crystal, agriculture
Common builds
Georgian terraces, Dartington Crystal works
What Great Torrington builds usually need
- Georgian terraces — a regular brief in Great Torrington
- Dartington Crystal works — a regular brief in Great Torrington
- New estates — a regular brief in Great Torrington
- Dartington Crystal — a regular brief in Great Torrington
- Agriculture — a regular brief in Great Torrington
Floors poured around Great Torrington
How a Great Torrington pour runs
- 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
Proof from the Devon workload
Hundreds of square metres poured around Great Torrington in the last 12 months
Single-team continuity — same crew, same standards, every job
Written fixed-price quotes — no day-rate creep
Moisture-test handover record so flooring contractors take the slab on without dispute
Great Torrington-area service radius
Specifications suited to Great Torrington builds
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.
Common Great Torrington build questions
Can you form a fall to a drain with sand and cement?+
Yes, this is one of the main reasons to choose it. We build the fall into the screed thickness during placement, which liquid screed cannot do since it self-levels flat.
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 Great Torrington 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 Great Torrington?+
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.
How long does a sand and cement screed take to dry in Great Torrington?+
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.
Do you use a screed pump for sand and cement in Great Torrington?+
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.
EX38 coverage for traditional screed
From Great Torrington out to the surrounding villages, we carry both liquid and sand and cement screed crews, so you get the right one for the job.
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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