Preparing a liquid screed floor for its final covering

Large-format tiles and thin resilient coverings such as LVT are generally less forgiving of minor unevenness than carpet, so the acceptable flatness tolerance should be checked against the specific flooring being used rather than assumed to be a single standard.

Where a floor doesn't meet the required tolerance for the intended covering, a levelling compound or further preparation may be needed, which is best identified during this stage rather than once the flooring installer has already started work.

Flooring installers benefit from knowing the screed type, depth, and the location of any movement joints or underfloor heating pipework, since these can affect fixing methods, adhesive choice and where joints in the new floor covering should align.

Where records were kept during the pour, such as photographs of underfloor heating loops before covering, these are a useful reference to pass on at this stage so the flooring installer knows where not to drill or fix into the floor.

A methodical inspection of the whole floor, rather than a quick glance, is more likely to catch localised issues such as cracking near doorways, residual contamination from other trades, or areas where protection boards have trapped moisture against the surface.

Any issues found at this stage are generally easier and cheaper to address than once flooring has been installed over the top, so time spent on a thorough inspection is usually worthwhile even where the floor looks broadly ready.

A short walk-round with both the screed installer and flooring installer present, where practical, allows any questions about the floor's history or known features to be answered directly rather than relying solely on written notes.

This meeting is also a useful point to confirm final moisture readings, agree who holds responsibility for the floor from that point onward, and flag anything the flooring installer should be aware of before starting.