Dappling, sanding, moisture testing and documented handover, the post-pour care that turns a freshly-laid screed into a floor your finish installer will actually start on.
Screed finishing is everything between the pour completing and the floor finish installer arriving. Dappling (removing surface laitance), sanding (for tile and adhesive bond), moisture testing (hygrometer-based), and a documented handover so the next trade knows the floor is ready.
Anyone who has poured liquid screed and now needs it ready for tile, vinyl, LVT, timber, resin or polished finish. Often booked alongside the original pour. Frequently brought in as a rescue when the original pour didn't include finishing in the spec.
Calcium sulphate liquid screed always needs dappling before adhesive-based floor finishes. Cementitious screed often needs surface preparation. All screed installations should be moisture-tested before floor finish. Skip any of these and you risk the finish installer walking off site.
Floor finish installers will refuse to start on a screed that hasn't been dappled or moisture-tested. Documented, certified handover is the only way to keep the programme moving, and the only way to keep the warranty in place on the finished floor.
The pour isn't the end of the screed job. Skipping the finish is where projects unravel.
Tile-fix and vinyl manufacturers require moisture readings below specific thresholds (typically <75% RH). No reading, no install. Project stops on the spot.
Calcium sulphate laitance must be removed before any cementitious adhesive can bond. Skip dappling and the tile bed debonds within months.
Most floor finish manufacturers void their warranty if the screed isn't tested and certified to their pre-installation requirements.
7 days is not a moisture test. A screed in a draughty unheated shell can hold moisture for 60+ days. Always test, never assume.
Sanding a screed that isn't dry just polishes the moisture and seals it in. Dry first, sand second.
It isn't. Specify it from the start, price it from the start, deliver it from the start.
Call us with postcode, area and timing. We give you an indicative price on the spot, often within minutes.
For local jobs we visit, measure, and confirm specification for your screed finishing at no charge. Charges may apply for surveys further afield, agreed up front.
Written quotation in your inbox within one working day of the survey, confirming m² rate, mix design and a firm pour date. All quotes subject to site survey.
Our crew arrives on time with kit, pumps and labour. Continuous flow, level checks, and a clean handover at the end of shift.
Moisture testing on request and after-care guidance so the next trade can start with confidence.
Dappled, sanded, tested, certified, the next trade can start the day we hand over.
Hygrometer readings to BS 8203, certified to floor finish manufacturer requirements.
Properly prepared screed means floor finishes bond first time, every time, with no debond, no callback, no rectification.
Finishing scheduled into the original pour programme. No phone-call-out-of-hours when the tile-fixer arrives and refuses to start.
Documented compliance with floor finish manufacturer's pre-installation requirements keeps the warranty intact.
Moisture records, photographs, dappling certificate, sign-off, bundled and emailed at completion.
Different floor finishes need different screed preparation. Here's what we do for each.
Calcium sulphate (anhydrite) screed develops a thin layer of laitance, a weak film of cement paste, within hours of pour. This must be removed mechanically before any adhesive-based finish can bond. We dapple with mechanical sanding equipment at 5–7 days post-pour, removing the laitance to expose sound screed beneath.
Tile and stone fix to screed via cementitious or polymer adhesives. Both require a sound, clean, primed substrate. After dappling we vacuum, prime, and confirm bond before handover. For tile, we typically apply a polymer primer that the tile installer specifies.
Insulated hygrometer (Tramex or equivalent) sealed to the screed surface for minimum 72 hours. Reading taken at 21–28 days post-pour for calcium sulphate, 14–21 for cementitious. Target threshold typically <75% RH for most floor finishes, manufacturer-specific thresholds confirmed before testing.
Vinyl/LVT: smooth dappled finish, moisture test, primed for adhesive. Tile: dappled, primed for cementitious adhesive. Engineered timber: moisture test critical, floating system over DPM membrane. Polished concrete/resin: minimal dappling, full mechanical surface preparation, often diamond grinding.
Every finishing job ends with a documented handover: moisture test readings, photograph of test points, dappling completion certificate, surface preparation record, and sign-off. Emailed to the main contractor and the floor finish installer.
Real photos from recent South Wales screed finishing jobs, pump set-ups, pour days and finished floors.
Typically £3–£8 per m² for dappling, sanding, moisture testing and handover. Quoted alongside the original pour as part of the combined package, often included.
Calcium sulphate liquid screed always needs dappling before adhesive-based floor finishes. Cementitious flowing screed sometimes can skip the step depending on finish manufacturer spec. We assess and recommend on the original survey.
21–28 days post-pour for calcium sulphate liquid screed. 14–21 days for cementitious. Earlier than that and the reading is meaningless, the screed is still drying.
Most floor finishes need <75% RH for adhesive bond. Engineered timber typically needs <65% RH. Resin and polished finishes have their own manufacturer-specific thresholds, we confirm before testing.
Yes, we test to BS 8203 with calibrated equipment and provide signed records. Acceptable to all major floor finish manufacturers and installers across South Wales.
We give it more drying time and re-test. Force-drying with dehumidifiers or building-supplied heating can accelerate, we'll advise on the best route based on the building condition.
Yes, bundled email pack with moisture records, photographs, dappling certificate, surface preparation record, and sign-off. Free with every finishing job we deliver.
Yes, we regularly take on rescue finishing where the original screed contractor didn't include the work in their spec. We assess condition and quote on survey.
Tell us the postcode and the m². We give an indicative price on the call and firm it up in writing after a site survey.
From Blackwood, we pour daily in:
