Traditional Sand & Cement Screed · Devon
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Totnes
For Totnes 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 Totnes 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 Totnes 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 Totnes jobs sit within 30 minutes of base, so site visits stay simple and pour days run to time. Totnes sits Exeter (25 mi), and we work the surrounding villages on the same week's diary.
What Totnes builds usually need
- Medieval high-street stock — a regular brief in Totnes
- Eco self-builds — a regular brief in Totnes
- Barn conversions — a regular brief in Totnes
- Independent retail — a regular brief in Totnes
- Creative industries — a regular brief in Totnes
Built for Totnes rural self-builders and farms
Totnes 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.
Traditional Sand & Cement Screed in Totnes — 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.
Cemfloor systems for Totnes
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.
Step-by-step for a Totnes job
- 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
Latest jobs across Devon
Totnes-area service radius
What backs our Totnes work
Hundreds of square metres poured around Totnes 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
Totnes screed questions, answered
Is sand and cement screed suitable for a wet room in Totnes?+
Yes, it is the standard choice for wet rooms, shower rooms and balconies because it tolerates sustained water contact in a way gypsum-based liquid screeds do not.
How is sand and cement screed different from liquid screed in Totnes?+
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 Totnes 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.
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 long does a sand and cement screed take to dry in Totnes?+
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.
Talk through your Totnes 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 Totnes 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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