Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Dorset
Sherborne Traditional Sand & Cement Screed Specialists
For Sherborne 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.
Talk through your Sherborne sand and cement job
No pump access, an awkward fall, or a wet area, call and we'll talk through the right build-up for your Sherborne floor.
Call 07791 51084907791 510849 WhatsApp usGet a fixed price for Sherborne Traditional Sand & Cement Screed Specialists
30 seconds. We'll come back same-day with a fixed price and next available date.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
For Sherborne 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 Sherborne 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 Sherborne jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Sherborne sits Yeovil (5 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
Right fit for Sherborne homeowners and contractors alike
Sherborne runs a healthy mix of residential renovation and small-to-medium commercial fit-out. We price both, and run both with the same fixed-price approach.
Why Sherborne site context matters
County
Dorset
District
Dorset
Postcode
DT9
Nearest city
Yeovil (5 mi)
Nearest motorway
M5 (J25, ~30 mi)
Primary A-road
A30 / A352
Local industries
independent retail, market-town hospitality
Common builds
Georgian townhouses, stone cottages
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Sherborne — how it works
For Sherborne 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.
How a Sherborne 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
Floors poured around Sherborne
Specifications suited to Sherborne 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.
Nearby villages and towns
Common Sherborne 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.
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 Sherborne?+
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.
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 Sherborne job.
Do you use a screed pump for sand and cement in Sherborne?+
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 Sherborne?+
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.
Proof from the Dorset workload
Hundreds of square metres poured around Sherborne 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
Talk through your Sherborne sand and cement job
No pump access, an awkward fall, or a wet area, call and we'll talk through the right build-up for your Sherborne 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
Related on this site