Concrete floor screeding before a resin coating

An overlay is a thin resin coat that follows the existing surface profile. If the slab has dips deeper than three millimetres, spalled edges or a gradient that needs correcting, a levelling screed over concrete is necessary first. A specialist uses a straight edge and laser level to measure the deviation across the floor.

Bonded cementitious screeds typically need a minimum of twenty millimetres at the thinnest point. Unbonded screeds require fifty millimetres or more. The exact screed depth for heavy traffic depends on the load the floor carries daily, so a specialist calculates this from forklift axle weights and point loads from racking legs.

Cementitious screeds lose roughly one millimetre of moisture per day for the first forty millimetres, then slow down. A fifty-millimetre screed can take two months before floor screed drying time is complete. Resin screeds cure chemically and are usually ready for a topcoat within twenty-four hours, depending on ambient temperature.

Yes. A specialist applies screed to falls drainage by setting guide rails at calculated heights before pouring. The screed tapers from the perimeter down to the gully. This is common in food preparation areas and wash bays where standing water would otherwise compromise hygiene or create a slip risk.

Cementitious screed is a sand and cement mix that bonds mechanically to the slab. It is cheaper for thick applications but takes weeks to dry. Resin screed uses epoxy or polyurethane binders mixed with graded aggregates. It cures fast, handles impact better and suits a resin screed industrial floor where downtime must stay short.

It might. Adding thirty millimetres of screed plus two millimetres of resin raises the finished level. The specialist measures every threshold, including internal doors, fire exits and roller shutters, before confirming the specification. If clearance is tight, they may recommend grinding high spots first or using a thinner resin system.

Phased work is standard practice. The specialist divides the floor into bays separated by day joints. One section is screeded, cured and coated while operations continue in the adjacent bay. Traffic routing and dust control keep the working side isolated from the active side throughout the project.

They survey moisture levels, measure deviations with laser equipment, assess substrate soundness, record threshold clearances and note the type of traffic the floor receives. These findings determine whether uneven warehouse floor repair needs a bonded or unbonded approach, which directly affects material quantities and labour time in the quotation.