Floors can be made up of a number of different substrates such as vinyl, concrete and clay tiles. As well as allowing for the requirements of each substrate, issues such as rising damp must also be considered when refurbishing a floor.
What if you could just cover it all up and start afresh?
As long as the substrate is sound and solid you can avoid the backbreaking work of laying 65mm of sand and cement, instead using a simple solution of laying a polythene membrane to cover the differing floor types and apply a flowing floor screed straight over. Some pre-bagged screeds such as super-fast drying weberfloor fibre rapid 4320 can be laid as thin as 20mm in depth to achieve a strong and smooth floor ready for your final covering.
Option 1: Mixed Substrates
You can use a lightweight polythene membrane if rising damp is not a problem. Lay the sheet, remove creases and folds, and screed over. This process basically delaminates from the old substrate, the screed will create a new unbonded slab to work on, offering you the confidence to lay the final finish without issues of cracking.
Option 2: Rising Damp
If rising damp or moisture in the sub floor is a problem you can use a heavy weight 1200 gauge DPM sheet (such as Visqueen) before laying your 20mm of screed, avoiding the cost, time and mess of installing an epoxy damp proof membrane coating first. The combination of the Visqueen and the screed will alleviate moisture issue and create a damp proof substrate ready to receive tiles, laminate or soft furnishings.
It all seems too simple, but by using a plastic sheet and a suitable screed such as weberfloor fibre rapid 4320 you can confidently create a solid and dry substrate for your floor covering.
Top tips
Make sure your membrane is flat
Remove all creases, ridges and folds by shuffling your feet across from one side of the room to the other.
Lay membrane before the perimeter foam
Then duct tape together to ensure the screed does not get behind the sheet.
Need more information?
Please feel free to get in touch with our Technical team who are available to answer any questions you may have:
