Resin flooring can sometimes be more expensive in the short term than using other materials, this can be as a result of a potential increased cost of materials as well as the outlay for specialist trained resin contractors to install the product, but its durability alone makes it an extremely cost-effective option, as you won’t need to replace it for many years.

And, when you take into account other savings that you can generate as a result of selecting resin flooring, such as reduced maintenance, cleaning and energy costs, it makes sense that an investment now will continue to pay dividends in the long term too!

Slips and trips are one of the most common accidents that occur in the workplace, and one of the reasons for this can be unsuitable floor coverings. With a staff body to protect, it is important to consider this when choosing a floor finish, as well as the service criteria that a floor will be subject to.

For example, areas subject to either wet processes, frequent spillages or those that employ rigorous cleaning regimes such as steam cleaning or hot water wash downs should take particular care to ensure an anti-slip finish when replacing floor coverings or coatings.

Liquid-applied resin floor systems are great to custom build any safety features that you require from your floor within your workspace, surface profiles can be tailored to include quartz, aluminium oxide, glass spheres or silicon carbide in order to enhance the slip resistance profile of the floor finish.

Resins are seamless in nature and don’t include joints or grout lines, which are susceptible to harbouring dirt, grease, bacteria and stains in general. Dust and dirt can simply be swept, mopped or hoovered away and the floor cleaned according to manufacturer’s guidelines based on the surface profile of the floor.

Resin flooring is also extremely strong and durable, meaning that it has an extended service life compared to other floor coverings. Installed properly, and with the correct maintenance, it can last for years without cracking or peeling, meaning that you won’t have to replace the floor or carry out repairs as frequently than you would if using other materials.

Proprietary quick / fast drying semi-dry screeds, such as v-Screed Fast and v-screed Rapid, are suitable to be installed in the following types of installation…

Bonded

The screed is laid onto a mechanically prepared and suitably primed substrate using a priming adhesive such as PVA (polyvinyl acetate), SBR (styrene butadiene rubber), epoxy resin, or as a slurry combination (using PVA or SBR suitably mixed with cement with the intention of maximising potential physical / chemical bond).

Unbonded

The screed is intentionally separated from the substrate by the use of a membrane (usually a plastic sheet, building paper / house wrap, or a cavity drain).

Floating

The screed is laid on thin sheet acoustic insulation, rigid thermal insulation or a void former with a separating membrane placed onto the rigid thermal insulation or void former.

What is a semi-dry, sand & cement screed?

A traditional semi-dry screed essentially consists of sand & cement, mixed at a ratio of between 3 to 5 parts sand & 1 part cement. In the majority of cases 4 to 1 is sufficient.

In the past, reinforcement was achieved by using hex wire (chicken wire) or D49 mesh. However, in the early 1990’s polypropylene fibres (PPF) started to become very popular, and today PPF is the most common used reinforcement used for traditional floor screeds.

By definition, a screed relies on water being one of the principal components added, and with watering involved the screed can shrink. To avoid shrinkage cracking occurring throughout the screed, appropriate polypropylene fibres can be added. Other additives, such as those with water reducing and strength gaining properties, can also be added to make the screed dry more quickly.

Traditional semi-dry screed drying times vary according to the weather conditions, humidity level and depth, as well as any admixtures that have been incorporated into the screed. Traditional semi-dry screeds generally dry at a rate of 1.0 mm/day for the first 40.0 mm, and 0.5 mm thereafter after the screed has been cured for 7 days.

Semi-dry floor screed systems are the only reasonable method to achieve a floor in a wet room type areas laid to falls.

What is a proprietary fast / quick drying, sand & cement screed?

Screed mixes generally contain more water in them than is required to hydrate the cement. Around 40–50% of the water added to a screed mix is used to hydrate the cement, whilst the remaining 50–60% takes up the role of making the screed workable in terms of ease of application.

A proprietary or fast / quick drying semi-dry screed (whilst being based on the same sand & cement ratio as a traditional semi-dry sand & cement screed) differs by the additional inclusion of either a liquid or powdered additive to quickly reduce the level of retained moisture within the screed. These types of additives allow for floor coverings or resin coatings to be laid over the screed much earlier than would be possible with semi-dry traditional screeds.

Additionally, the incorporation of such additives promotes quicker physical strength gain, facilitating early access to follow-on trades. The reduced water demand in these types of additive-incorporated screeds also reduces shrinkage compared with traditional sand & cement screeds.