Screed drying.

[Ajax123]

I have visited recently a few tile failures and found that the vast majority of them are due tonthe screeds being still wet.

Just a reminder for all thos who don't want me to visit we have so far this year had some of the worst weather for ages and as a result drying times for screeds are innevitably affected. Just because a screed is three months old won't necessarily mean it is dry. Drying is dependent on site and ambient conditions.

The correct test for moisture in anhydrite screeds is to use a floor hygrometer which costs about £80 so not a massive investment for any tiler I wouldn't have thought. This test takes about 48hours and gives a very accurate indication of the level of moisture in the screed. You cannot make an informed choice of the adhesive system or the level of risk you face unless you know how damp the screed is. It should be tested after any underfloor heating has been comissioned and run up to temperature and down again and before any priming or tiling commences. It is essential that under floor heating is comissioned and run prior to tiling. Thisis another major cause of failure.

Some of the projects I have visited have been ruined as a result of tilers allowing clients to "bully" them into tiling too soon or in some cases them not paying attention to preparation details . THe end result is at best anger and frustration and at worst (as I saw today) a heart broken client which left a very bitter taste in my mouth.

I am receiving regular calls from forum tilers and clients alike for a advice nowadays on tiling to gyvlon screeds and I would rather receive such calls ten times from ten different people than have one phone me for advice on fixing a failure.

Think seriously aout the choice of adhesive. Don't just use what you "always use"..... It might not work. Gypsum adhesives are much more easily available now with five or six manufacturers making them and more following.

My number is freely available in the forums 07545932723 and I hope that this who have used it will agree that advice is thorough, easy to understand and above all accurate.

Please feel free to call me if you or any of your clients want or need advice on tiling to anhydrite screeds.

 

[Gazzer]

My local tile supplier has bought a Hygrometer for the regular tilers in the area use it after a failure last year.
I thought that it was very good of them, mind you most tilers around here dont understand what a Gyvlon screed is !

 

[Ajax123]

If Your tile supplier wanted to invite a few tilers along to his shop I would happily run a short session to help educate them.

 

[Gazzer]

If Your tile supplier wanted to invite a few tilers along to his shop I would happily run a short session to help educate them.

Alan, I wish he would but he is such a Luddite. I think the only reason he has paid for this Hygrometer himself is that it was one of his better customers that had the problem.

 

[hillhead]

Good thread Alan, very useful.
I had a lunch meeting with John Eyers from Kerakoll yesterday and was very impressed with his adhesives and grouts.
They seem to be well ahead of a lot of manufacturers in certain fields.
I have various adhesives and grouts to test for them too.
I will save your number.

 

[Ajax123]

Alan, I wish he would but he is such a Luddite. I think the only reason he has paid for this Hygrometer himself is that it was one of his better customers that had the problem.

Aah. Ok. Well at least you can be well informed through the forums eh

 

[Ajax123]

Good thread Alan, very useful.
I had a lunch meeting with John Eyers from Kerakoll yesterday and was very impressed with his adhesives and grouts.
They seem to be well ahead of a lot of manufacturers in certain fields.
I have various adhesives and grouts to test for them too.
I will save your number.

Yes I have found him to be sensible and knowledgeable so far. Certainly better than the last couple of reps they had in his patch.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

or we could all just stick to the good old trusted hand applied semi-dry standard floor screed and not have all this grief imo as i have said before the americans have done these gypsum screeds and rejected them in the main ,and mark my words the same will happen here :whistling:

 

[Ajax123]

or we could all just stick to the good old trusted hand applied semi-dry standard floor screed and not have all this grief imo as i have said before the americans have done these gypsum screeds and rejected them in the main ,and mark my words the same will happen here :whistling:

Actually dave you are wrong. These screeds will only become more popular. That is evident by the rate at which they are penetrating not only the commercial market but also the domestic market. You strike me as being a good screeder. Unfortunately not are all like you and there are generally massive issues with screeds generally in the marketplace. This is also evident from the number of specifications in the market and the demnd from manufacturers who are asked for the materials all of the time.

Gypsum screeds resolve many of the issues that are apparent with sand cement screeds. The only one which we still have to resolve is drying, or at least generating an understanding in the market place about the importance of drying.

If you look to the european market e.g. Holland you will see that legislation is in place to outlaw the use of hand applied sand cement screeds. It really is only a matter of time untill similar legislation begins to come over to the UK.

There are major benefits to using anhydrite screeds for most aspects of the construction industry including health and safety, environmental, quality, strength, embodied energy, thermal and acoustic efficiency, time, design versatility, access to areas where sand cement simply will not perform, compatibility with modern intelligent heating controls and underfloor heating systems, availability etc etc etc.

Building systems such as the soundbar system and the Thermoplane system demand Gyvlon screeds in order to work. Modern methods of construction such as light weight steel, modular construction, cross laminated timber panel construction and traditional timber frame are all moving rapidly towards the use of flowing screed technology to resolve the issues within these sectors. The Shard in London would have been almost impossible to screed without the development of Gyvlon Sky by our company. Domestic bulk house building is moving allbeit more slowly towards systems which will only work with flowing screeds e.g. Screeded underfloor heating at first floor level. Using gypsum for this at 40mm helps to solve acoustic issues revolving around the move towards mandatory code level four. It also resolves the issues associated with fire safety in such dwellings. It also allows the house builder to improve plot density and reduction of plot size, embodied energy, cost etc etc.

I can assure you that Gyvlon screeds are not going away.

All we need is the end of the recession so people begin to build again.

 

[White Room]

I've always found in the past that new ideas in the construction sector are slow to catch on and takes time to except, do the manufacturers of these floors consult adhesive companys when in the process of development or is it more of a catch up basis.