Commercial Project Types
Liquid Screed for Office Fit-Outs
A fast, low-height liquid screed system suited to office refurbishments where programme certainty and a genuinely flat floor matter more than anything else.
Planning an office fit-out?
Talk to us early about programme and access so the screed sits comfortably within your critical path.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
Office fit-outs are almost always run to a tight, fixed handover date, and the floor build-up is one of the few elements that has to be right first time because so much sits on top of it — raised access flooring, cable containment, carpet tile grids and glazed partitions all depend on a level substrate.
Liquid screed is well suited to this environment. It self-levels across large open-plan floor plates far more consistently than a hand-trowelled sand and cement mix, reducing the amount of remedial grinding or patching needed before floor coverings go down. On Cat A and Cat B fit-outs the procurement route often runs through a main contractor or fit-out specialist rather than directly with the landlord, so specification and programme information usually arrives via a project manager or contract administrator rather than the end occupier.
Because office work is frequently phased floor by floor within an occupied or partially let building, we plan pump routes, drying ventilation and access carefully with the principal contractor so that other trades can pick up their sequence with minimal disruption. Where a building has other tenants in place, lift bookings, goods access hours and out-of-hours working restrictions all shape how and when a floor can be poured.
Office Fit-Out Screed — the points that decide it
- Fast-flowing pumpable screed suited to large open-plan floor plates
- Genuinely flat, level surface reduces grinding before floor coverings
- Low floor build-up helps protect ceiling heights and door thresholds
- Works well with underfloor heating where offices specify it for comfort
- Floor-by-floor phasing planned around lift cores and hoist access
- Compatible with raised access flooring, carpet tile and LVT finishes
- Site logistics agreed in advance for pump hose routes through lobbies
- Procurement typically runs through a main contractor or fit-out specialist
- Drying programme coordinated against the fixed Cat A or Cat B handover date
- Access hours and lift bookings agreed with building management on occupied sites
Working around an active fit-out programme
Office fit-out programmes are typically compressed, with screed sitting on the critical path between the strip-out and the M&E first fix above floor level. We agree pour dates well in advance so that ventilation, containment and dust control can be arranged around the pour and the drying period that follows, and so the programme built by the fit-out contractor has a realistic drying allowance rather than an optimistic placeholder.
Where a building remains partly occupied during the works, we schedule around building management access hours, lift bookings and any restrictions on wet trades near finished areas. This can mean deliveries and pump set-up happening early or working within a defined goods lift booking slot, so confirming these details before the pour date is fixed avoids delays on the day.
Flatness for modern floor finishes
Carpet tile, LVT and raised access floor systems all show up an uneven substrate quickly, so the flatness a liquid screed provides is one of the main reasons it is specified for office work. We finish to agreed tolerances and hand over a floor ready for the next trade with minimal preparation, which helps keep the flooring contractor's own programme on track.
Raised access floor pedestal systems in particular rely on a consistent starting surface to set out from; a screed that varies in level across the floor plate forces installers to pack or adjust individual pedestals, adding time that a compressed office programme rarely has spare.
Procurement route and information flow
On most office fit-outs the screed package is instructed through a main contractor, project manager or specialist fit-out company rather than directly by the tenant or landlord. This means specification details, programme dates and access arrangements are usually confirmed through a single point of contact, and we work to whatever information is issued through that channel to keep the wider team aligned.
Early engagement matters here: the earlier we see floor plans, structural information and the proposed programme, the more accurately we can advise on drying times, thickness and any sequencing constraints before commitments are made to other trades further down the line.
Handover and follow-on trades
Once the screed has reached a suitable moisture level, we hand the floor over for the next trade, whether that is a raised access floor installer, tiler or carpet fitter. Moisture testing is agreed with the flooring contractor's requirements in mind, since different finishes have different tolerance to residual moisture.
Clear handover communication reduces the risk of a flooring contractor arriving before the floor is genuinely ready, which on a fast-track office programme can otherwise cascade into delays for partitioning, furniture installation and final sign-off ahead of occupation.
Planning an office fit-out?
Talk to us early about programme and access so the screed sits comfortably within your critical path.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
Office Fit-Out Screed — your questions
In short
A fast, low-height liquid screed system suited to office refurbishments where programme certainty and a genuinely flat floor matter more than anything else.
Planning an office fit-out?
Talk to us early about programme and access so the screed sits comfortably within your critical path.