Domestic Project Types
Screeding a Whole-House Renovation
A whole-house renovation strips floors back to sub-base or joists across every room, giving the opportunity to specify one consistent, heated screed floor throughout rather than patching room by room.
Renovating throughout?
We can advise on floor build-up for the whole house and slot the pour into your renovation programme.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
Full renovations are often the most rewarding jobs to specify screed for, because unlike a single extension, there's a genuine chance to set one consistent floor build-up across the whole ground floor rather than working around whatever exists already.
The trade-off is coordination — a renovation typically has several trades on site at once, and the screed pour has to slot into a sequence involving demolition, first-fix services and often structural alterations.
Because a renovation strips a house back further than an extension ever would, it's also the stage at which hidden problems — old service runs, inconsistent sub-base, or damp coming through solid walls without a DPC — tend to surface. Building a contingency for this into both the programme and the budget is worth doing before work starts rather than after the floor is opened up.
Working with what's uncovered
Stripping out old floors on a renovation often reveals inconsistent sub-base levels, old service runs or damp issues that weren't visible beforehand. We factor this into the site visit and quote process, flagging where additional groundworks or a DPM upgrade may be needed before we can screed.
Sequencing around other trades
On a renovation, screed usually follows first-fix electrics, plumbing and any underfloor heating installation, and precedes second-fix joinery, kitchen fitting and floor coverings. We agree a pour date with the main contractor that allows enough drying time before the next trade needs access.
Budgeting for the unexpected
Because renovation work exposes floors that haven't been touched in decades, it's sensible to build a contingency into the floor budget for extra groundworks, an upgraded DPM, or additional insulation depth if the existing sub-base turns out to need more preparation than assumed at survey stage.
We try to flag likely risk areas — solid walls without a damp course, uneven joist heights between rooms, old hearths or chimney breasts — as early as possible so the client and main contractor aren't caught out mid-programme.
Living through a phased renovation
Where a family is remaining in the house during works, floors are often tackled room by room rather than as one continuous pour. This adds day joints and means drying periods have to be managed per room, but it allows parts of the house to stay usable throughout, which we plan for alongside the main contractor's wider phasing.
Whole-House Renovation — the points that decide it
- Existing floors are usually stripped to sub-base, oversite or joist level before insulation and screed go down as one continuous system
- Threshold levels to any retained rooms, staircases or external doors are checked in advance to avoid unexpected steps
- Underfloor heating is commonly retrofitted at this stage, since it's rarely practical once floors are finished
- Room-by-room phasing may be used where a renovation is being lived through, though this adds junctions that need planning
- Existing walls and openings are surveyed for old skirting or plaster lines that indicate the intended new floor level
- Drying programmes are built into the wider renovation schedule so screed isn't the item holding up flooring, kitchens or built-in joinery
- Site protection is agreed with the main contractor so a freshly poured floor isn't damaged by other trades working through it
- A structural engineer or building control input is often needed where floor build-up changes affect ventilation, damp-proofing or fire separation between floors
Renovating throughout?
We can advise on floor build-up for the whole house and slot the pour into your renovation programme.
Or call our landline on 01392 237700
Whole-House Renovation — your questions
In short
A whole-house renovation strips floors back to sub-base or joists across every room, giving the opportunity to specify one consistent, heated screed floor throughout rather than patching room by room.
Renovating throughout?
We can advise on floor build-up for the whole house and slot the pour into your renovation programme.