Screed depth compared
30mm vs 50mm Liquid Screed Depth
The depth of your pour drives drying time, UFH response and floor loading capacity — it's not a number you should let slip by default.
Get your screed depth confirmed on survey
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Screed depth gets specified early in a project, often before UFH loop centres or floor coverings are finalised, and it's one of the easiest numbers to get pinned down wrong. Go too thin and pipe cover or loading fails; go too thick and you add unnecessary drying time and cost.
30mm and 50mm are the two depths we see quoted most often for liquid screed, and they sit either side of a real performance line — 30mm is the minimum bonded depth for Cemfloor, while 50mm is the more typical unbonded UFH residential figure.
Here's how the two compare on the things that actually affect your programme and your finished floor.
30mm vs 50mm at a glance
Bonded, no UFH
30mm minimum use
Unbonded, UFH loops
50mm typical use
Roughly +2–3 weeks at 50mm
Drying difference
Higher at 50mm
Loading capacity
30mm vs 50mm side by side
| Factor | 30mm vs 50mm |
|---|---|
| Application | Bonded, direct to substrate vs unbonded, over insulation/separating membrane |
| UFH suitability | Not viable with pipework vs standard for UFH cover |
| Drying to <75% RH | ~3–4 weeks vs ~5–7 weeks |
| Point-load resistance | Lower vs Higher |
| Typical use case | Commercial refurb, thin renovation vs new-build residential UFH |
Reasons a project ends up at 30mm
- No UFH in the build — screed is purely a flatness/wearing layer
- Renovation with almost no finished floor level allowance
- Bonding directly to a sound, prepared concrete substrate
- Commercial refurbishment where programme speed is critical
Get your screed depth confirmed on survey
Send your floor build-up and UFH drawings — we'll confirm the correct depth for your project and quote the pour.
Choose 30mm when there's no UFH and floor height is tight — it's the fast, thin option over a bonded substrate. Choose 50mm whenever UFH pipework needs proper cover, or where loading and acoustic performance matter more than programme speed. Test it against your UFH design drawing before committing.
— Exeter Liquid Screeders
30mm vs 50mm Screed Depth — questions we get asked
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Get your screed depth confirmed on survey
Send your floor build-up and UFH drawings — we'll confirm the correct depth for your project and quote the pour.