Thermascreed Ltd

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Thermascreed Ltd

Thermascreed Ltd are a company specialising in Underfloor Heating, Screeding and Flooring

03/09/2026

Polymer-modified screed: what it's for and why

Ordinary sand and cement screed cracks under stress it wasn't built to handle. Adding polymers to the mix changes that.

The polymer binds the aggregate more tightly, so the finished screed gets better flexural strength and far better resistance to cracking. That matters most where floors take a beating: warehouses with forklift traffic, commercial kitchens, workshops, anywhere with heavy footfall or vehicle loads.

It also bonds better to the substrate underneath, which means thinner applications are possible without losing strength. Handy on renovation projects where floor height is tight.

Domestic jobs benefit too, particularly where underfloor heating is going in. The improved flexibility helps the screed cope with the constant expansion and contraction that comes with heating cycles.

Not every project needs it. Would you rather find that out before the screed goes down or after it's cracked?

https://www.thermascreed.com

02/09/2026

Flooring specification tips for schools and colleges

Schools take a beating no other building does. Hundreds of feet, dropped chairs, spilled paint, wheeled trolleys, all day, every day, for decades.

That's why floor build-up matters more here than in most projects. A screed that's fine under domestic tiles can fail under constant footfall and heavy furniture if it's not specified correctly for the loads involved.

Underfloor heating is worth factoring in early too. Schools often want even, low-background heat across large open-plan classrooms, and getting the screed depth and drying time right avoids delays before term starts.

A few things worth checking before work begins:

Fast-drying or rapid-drying screeds if the project has to fit around school holidays
Impact and load resistance for corridors, halls, and sports areas
Levelling compounds where old floors are uneven from years of use

Are you planning works for a summer or half-term deadline, and does your current spec actually allow enough drying time before floor coverings go down?

https://www.thermascreed.com

01/09/2026

Screed curling: what causes it and how to stop it

Curling happens when the top of a screed dries faster than the bottom, causing the edges to lift and the slab to bow upward at the corners. It's one of the most common defects we get called out to inspect.

The usual culprits are uneven drying conditions, poor curing, and screed laid too thin for the job. Draughts across a site, direct sun through windows, or heating switched on too early can all dry the surface before the base has had a chance to catch up.

Prevention starts before the screed even goes down. Consistent curing (keeping the surface covered and protected from rapid moisture loss) matters more than most people expect, and getting the mix design and thickness right for the specific application matters just as much.

On underfloor heating projects, we also control when the system is fired up, since heating too soon is a classic trigger for curling and cracking.

Have you had issues with curling or cracking on a previous project?

https://www.thermascreed.com

31/08/2026

Cold floors in older homes? The fix starts underneath

Old solid floors lose heat fast, often more than the walls, because there's no insulation layer doing the work for you.

We see this constantly on renovations across Bristol and the wider South West: a beautiful period property with a floor that's basically bleeding warmth into the ground.

Limecrete is one answer worth knowing about. It lets the floor breathe, which matters in older solid-wall buildings where trapped moisture causes real damage.

A well-designed screed also acts as the ideal base for underfloor heating, spreading warmth evenly instead of leaving cold spots near external walls.

Lightweight screed is another option where floor loading is a concern, common in older joisted structures that can't take a heavy traditional mix.

If you're planning a renovation, have you actually checked what's happening under your existing floor?

https://www.thermascreed.com

28/08/2026

Get the screed sorted before the plans are finished

Screeding gets left until last on most jobs, and that's usually where the trouble starts.

The floor build-up affects door heights, staircase dimensions, and how underfloor heating performs once it's covered. Change the screed depth after the doors are ordered and you've got a problem nobody wants to pay for.

Lightweight screed and standard sand and cement screed behave differently, dry at different rates, and need different depths depending on what's going on top. Rapid drying screed can save weeks on a tight programme, but only if it's specified before subfloor work starts, not after.

We do free site visits and give clear guidance on this from the first phone call, before a spade goes in the ground.

If you're planning a renovation or new build in Bristol or anywhere else in the UK, how far along are your plans before screeding gets a mention?

https://www.thermascreed.com

27/08/2026

Slab vs screed: what's the actual difference?

If you've been told you need a "new slab" when you actually just need a screed, it's an easy mix-up, and it can cost you money if you're pricing work wrong.

The slab is the structural base. It's the concrete layer that sits on the ground or on your foundations and carries the load of the building. It's not designed to be a finished surface.

The screed goes on top of the slab. It's a thinner layer, laid to create a smooth, level surface ready for your final flooring, and it's also where underfloor heating pipes usually sit.

Get the screed wrong (wrong depth, wrong mix, poor levelling) and you'll see it in cracked tiles, cold spots over UFH pipes, or floors that just don't sit flush.

Not sure whether your project needs slab repair, a new screed, or both? That's exactly the kind of thing worth a proper site visit before you commit to anything.

https://www.thermascreed.com

26/08/2026

Getting floor levels right when finishes change room to room

Tiles in the kitchen, carpet in the lounge, wood in the hallway. Nice idea, but different finishes have different heights, and if nobody plans for that early, you end up with a trip hazard right at the doorway.

The fix starts at screed stage, not flooring stage. We work out the finished floor level for each material before laying anything, so tile, carpet, and wood all meet flush at the threshold.

Pumped levelling compounds are handy here, letting us fine-tune height across a room in a way traditional screed can't always manage.

Lightweight screed also helps where you're dealing with an older property and can't add much weight or depth without raising the whole floor build-up.

Get this wrong and you're either grinding down a finish afterwards or fitting an ugly transition strip to hide the step. Are you planning different flooring types across your renovation?

https://www.thermascreed.com

25/08/2026

Steel fibres: what really stops your slab cracking

Industrial floors take a beating: forklifts, pallet racking, constant point loads. Steel fibre reinforcement mixed straight into the concrete handles that stress far better than traditional mesh.

The fibres are distributed right through the slab, not just laid in one layer. That means load resistance and crack control work in three dimensions, not just across the surface.

It also speeds things up on site. No time lost laying and lapping mesh sheets, which matters when a client's deadline is fixed and every day counts.

For warehouses, factories, and distribution units, this approach gives you a slab built to handle years of heavy trafficking without early joint failure or surface cracking.

If you're planning an industrial floor and want to know whether steel fibre reinforcement suits your build, what's the biggest load your slab needs to cope with day to day?

https://www.thermascreed.com

24/08/2026

Open-plan kitchens need one heating zone, not two

Open-plan kitchen-diners are one of the trickiest layouts to get underfloor heating right, and it usually comes down to zoning.

Kitchen and living areas have different heat demands. A kitchen generates its own warmth from appliances and cooking, while a living space relies on the floor to do most of the work. Put them on one uncontrolled zone and you'll end up with a kitchen that's too warm or a lounge that never quite gets there.

The fix is separate manifold zones with their own thermostats, so each area heats to what it actually needs.

Floor covering matters just as much. Tile and stone conduct heat well and suit the kitchen end, whereas thicker carpets or engineered wood in the living area need a slightly higher water temperature to push through.

Screed depth and thermal mass also affect how quickly the room responds, which is worth discussing before any pipework goes down.

What flooring are you planning across the two spaces?

https://www.thermascreed.com

21/08/2026

Screed timing can make or break your build schedule

Screed sits right in the middle of your build programme, and getting the sequencing wrong can cost you weeks.

Screed needs to go down after first-fix plumbing and electrics, but before you can fit skirting, kitchens, or final floor coverings. Get that order wrong and you're waiting on drying times you didn't plan for.

A standard sand and cement screed can take a month or more to dry properly before flooring goes down. That's where rapid drying screeds earn their keep, some are ready for floor coverings in as little as 7 days, which matters enormously when your programme is tight.

If you've got underfloor heating going in, the screed needs to be installed correctly around the pipework from the start, not retrofitted around problems later.

Talking to your screeding contractor early, before the programme is finalised, means fewer surprises and fewer delays down the line. Is your current build schedule accounting for screed drying time, or has it been left as an afterthought?

https://www.thermascreed.com

Address

Clevedon
BS21

Telephone

+441275791158

Website

http://www.thermascreed.com/

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