Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Cemfloor-Certified Traditional Sand & Cement Screed Across Heavitree
Deep make-up floors in Heavitree, especially where the sub-base has been dug out or old floor coverings stripped back to an uneven slab, are still best served by a traditional sand and cement screed built up in layers.
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Deep make-up floors in Heavitree, especially where the sub-base has been dug out or old floor coverings stripped back to an uneven slab, are still best served by a traditional sand and cement screed built up in layers.
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.
Most of our Heavitree jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Heavitree sits Exeter (1 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
Heavitree at a glance
County
Devon
District
Exeter
Postcode
EX1
Nearest city
Exeter (1 mi)
Nearest motorway
M5 (J30, ~3 mi)
Primary A-road
B3183
Local industries
RD&E hospital, student lets
Common builds
Victorian terraces, hospital-adjacent flats
Typical Heavitree use cases
- Victorian terraces — a regular brief in Heavitree
- Hospital-adjacent flats — a regular brief in Heavitree
- Conversion HMOs — a regular brief in Heavitree
- RD&E hospital — a regular brief in Heavitree
- Student lets — a regular brief in Heavitree
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Heavitree — how it works
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.
For Heavitree 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.
Cemfloor systems for Heavitree
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.
Heavitree-area projects
Within easy reach of Heavitree
Why Heavitree clients pick us
- 01Cemfloor-certified, fully insured, CDM-aware
- 02Coordinated with most South West UFH installers
- 03Pre-start meeting standard on every commercial job
- 04Local knowledge — we know the M5 (J30, ~3 mi) access window and B3183 traffic patterns
What people in Heavitree usually ask
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 is sand and cement screed different from liquid screed in Heavitree?+
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 Heavitree job.
Do you use a screed pump for sand and cement in Heavitree?+
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 Heavitree?+
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.
Sand and cement screed still has a firm place in Heavitree building work, wet rooms, external thresholds and deep fills all reward a hand-laid, trowelled finish over a fast liquid pour.
Fixed-price sand and cement screed near Heavitree
One quote covers prep, mix, lay and finish. No day-rate surprises on your Heavitree 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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