16/06/2026
Hard enough to walk on in a day. Not ready to tile for weeks.
Here's what catches people out with screed: it feels solid within a day or two, but that tells you nothing about whether it's dry enough to tile or lay a floor over. A standard sand and cement screed dries at roughly 1mm a day for the first 50mm, then slower, so a typical floor takes weeks and a thick one can take a couple of months. Lay tiles or boards too soon and the trapped moisture has nowhere to go: tiles lift, grout salts up, timber cups. It's one of the most common reasons floors fail.
Liquid screed gets sold as the quick option, but it dries at a similar rate, so it pays to check rather than assume. We don't judge it by eye or rush the programme. We lay the screed correctly and tell you straight how long it needs before the floor goes on, so your tiler turns up to a floor that's ready.
What we lay:
✅ Standard sand and cement screed, ready mix or site mix
✅ Flowing screed, as approved flowscreed subcontractors
✅ Ardurapid and other quick drying or high strength finishes for tight programmes
✅ Domestic and commercial floors
Over 20 years in the trade, covering Brighton, the South East and London.
Got a floor going in this summer? Don't let the tiling get rushed before the screed is ready. We've put the full timings, screed by screed, in our latest guide. Read it via the link below, or call us on 01273 686 368.