Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Ipplepen Traditional Sand & Cement Screed Specialists
Not every Ipplepen floor wants a pump on the driveway. A traditional sand and cement screed, hand-laid to bays and trowelled flat, still earns its place on deep fills, external thresholds and jobs where a wet-mix, robust finish matters more than speed.
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Not every Ipplepen floor wants a pump on the driveway. A traditional sand and cement screed, hand-laid to bays and trowelled flat, still earns its place on deep fills, external thresholds and jobs where a wet-mix, robust finish matters more than speed.
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.
Most of our Ipplepen jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Ipplepen sits Exeter (20 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Ipplepen — 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.
TQ12 access, routes and logistics
County
Devon
District
South Hams
Postcode
TQ12
Nearest city
Exeter (20 mi)
Nearest motorway
M5 (J31, ~19 mi)
Primary A-road
A381
Local industries
agriculture, equestrian
Common builds
stone cottages, new estates off Orley Road
What Ipplepen builds usually need
- Stone cottages — a regular brief in Ipplepen
- New estates off Orley Road — a regular brief in Ipplepen
- Equestrian outbuildings — a regular brief in Ipplepen
- Agriculture — a regular brief in Ipplepen
- Equestrian — a regular brief in Ipplepen
Latest jobs across Devon
How a Ipplepen 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
What backs our Ipplepen work
Ipplepen-area service radius
Specifications suited to Ipplepen 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.
Ipplepen screed questions, answered
Can you lay sand and cement screed externally in Ipplepen?+
Yes, external thresholds, patios tying into internal floor levels and step-downs are common sand and cement jobs, since the mix tolerates exposure that a liquid screed is not designed for.
How is sand and cement screed different from liquid screed in Ipplepen?+
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 Ipplepen job.
Do you use a screed pump for sand and cement in Ipplepen?+
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.
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.
Need a hand-trowelled screed in Ipplepen?
Tell us the depth, falls and access, and we'll come back with a fixed price for your Ipplepen sand and cement floor.
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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