Polished screed finishes
Polished Screed Floors
A polished screed floor keeps the screed itself as the finished surface — ground back, polished and sealed instead of being covered with tile or timber.
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Polished concrete floors have become a popular finish in kitchens, extensions and commercial spaces, and a polished screed floor is the screeded route to a very similar look. Instead of covering the screed with tiles, timber or vinyl, the surface of the screed itself is ground back, polished and sealed, so the screed becomes the finished floor.
It is a different product from a polished structural concrete slab. A polished screed sits on top of the structural floor — often over insulation and underfloor heating — and is poured and finished as a wearing surface. Our polished concrete vs screed finish comparison explains where each one fits.
Because the screed is the finish, the mix, the pour and the curing all matter more than usual. This page explains what the finish involves and what to think about before choosing it.
What a polished screed floor is
Once the screed has cured and dried, the surface is ground back with progressively finer heads until the desired sheen is reached, then sealed. The sealer protects the surface and gives the floor its final lustre, from matt through to a higher gloss depending on the product chosen.
A polished screed floor finish has a natural variation to it. The colour and texture come from the screed mix itself, so no two floors look identical — that variation is part of the appeal, but it means the result is a worked, architectural surface rather than a perfectly uniform factory finish.
Polished screed vs polished concrete
Polished screed
- Poured over insulation and underfloor heating at screed depths
- The screed itself is ground and sealed as the finish
- Suits renovations where the structural slab stays covered
- Laid to an agreed flatness so the polishing follows a true surface
Polished concrete
- The structural slab itself is ground and polished
- The slab must be designed and poured as a finish from the start
- Aggregate exposure depends on the slab mix and pour
- Usually a new-build or ground-floor-slab option
Where a polished screed finish suits
- Open-plan kitchens and extensions wanting one continuous hard surface
- Rooms with underfloor heating, where the screed already encases the pipes
- Commercial units, studios and showrooms wanting a hard-wearing, low-maintenance floor
- Garages and garden rooms where a sealed surface is easier to keep clean than a bare slab
How a screed is polished
- 1
Cure and dry
The screed cures and dries first. Polishing a floor that is still drying traps moisture under the sealer, so the drying is checked before work starts.
- 2
Grind the surface
The surface is ground back to remove the laitance and open up the body of the screed.
- 3
Polish in passes
Progressively finer passes bring the surface to the agreed sheen.
- 4
Seal
A sealer is applied to protect the surface and give the final finish. Sealers wear over time and can be renewed.
What affects polished screed cost
Polished screed cost depends on the floor area, the number of grinding and polishing passes needed, the sealer specified, and the condition and flatness of the screed being worked on. A floor poured from the start as a polished finish is a different proposition from grinding an existing screed, so every floor is priced from a survey rather than a rate card.
If you are weighing a polished screed floor against tiles, timber or resin, call 07791 510849 and we will talk through what your floor would involve.
Frequently asked
Thinking about a polished screed floor?
Send the floor area, the rooms involved and whether underfloor heating is planned. We reply the same working day.