Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed — Modbury, Devon
Deep make-up floors in Modbury, 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.
Book a bay-laid screed in Modbury
Hand-trowelled screeds take longer to schedule around drying and access. Get your Modbury job in the diary early.
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Deep make-up floors in Modbury, 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 Modbury jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Modbury sits Plymouth (12 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
Right fit for Modbury rural self-builders and farms
Modbury sits rural — barn conversions, self-builds, agricultural sheds, equestrian floors. Access is usually fine, but power and water on site need confirming up front. We do that at the site visit.
Modbury at a glance
County
Devon
District
South Hams
Postcode
PL21
Nearest city
Plymouth (12 mi)
Nearest motorway
M5 (J31, ~37 mi)
Primary A-road
A379
Local industries
independent retail, agriculture
Common builds
Georgian high-street, small new estates
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Modbury — how it works
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.
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.
How a Modbury 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
Recent work near Modbury
Specifications suited to Modbury 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.
Within easy reach of Modbury
FAQs from Modbury clients
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 Modbury job.
How is sand and cement screed different from liquid screed in Modbury?+
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.
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.
Do you use a screed pump for sand and cement in Modbury?+
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 Modbury?+
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.
Trust points for a Modbury brief
- 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 (J31, ~37 mi) access window and A379 traffic patterns
Book a bay-laid screed in Modbury
Hand-trowelled screeds take longer to schedule around drying and access. Get your Modbury 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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