How To Tell If Screed Is Dry

Screed is concrete’s lesser-known sibling; a material that quietly does its job without a song and dance about its qualities or performance. However, it is a pivotal material in flooring in construction projects. Used to ensure the flooring is level, the layer has an important role to play, but it can only do its best if left to dry completely, which is why you must know how to tell if the screed is dry.

Whether you are using liquid or dry screed, laying the final flooring on a layer of the material that hasn’t dried properly can lead to a number of problems, such as cracking, adhesive issues, and mould and mildew. Of course, to avoid this, you need to know the signs of when the screed is dry so you can continue with your project without fear of damage.

At 2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping, we provide both liquid and dry screed. Our team are experts at working with the material and can offer advice and guidance when you are using it. Having worked on many domestic, commercial and new build projects across the South Coast, we know the signs that screed is dry like the back of our hands.

In this blog, we share how to tell if screed is dry, discussing the signs you should look out for to be confident the layer is ready to be worked on.

How Long Does Screed Take to Dry?

Before diving into the signs you can use to tell if screed is dry, you should first know roughly how long it will take.

Screed has two levels of drying.

After the first 24-48 hours, the layer should be dry enough for light foot traffic. This means you can start walking across the surface to get other jobs done a day or two after the screed is laid.

However, this doesn’t mean the layer is completely dry. The material needs more time before you lay the final flooring.

The rest of the drying time will vary depending on the thickness of the layer. Typically, a standard screed will need one day per mm to dry - this is likely to change if you are using a heavier, more industrial screed mixture. For example, if your screed layer is 25mm, you will need around 25 days for it to cure completely.

Of course, there are several other factors that will affect the drying time:

• Type of screed
• Humidity in the space
• Ventilation in the space

Signs That Screed Is Dry Enough to Walk On

Now, on to the information you really want to know - how to tell if screed is dry.

As said above, your screed will be dry enough to walk on after a couple of days. But how can you be sure?

• Time - the guideline for standard screed is 24-48 hours, so as long as you have waited this length of time, you should be fine. If the screed we supply needs longer, we will let you know.
• Visual appearance - the material’s appearance will change from a darker, wet look to a lighter, dry appearance.
• Touch test - you can touch it to make sure it is firm and solid to the touch.

Knowing that it is dry enough to walk on is the easiest part of curing. How to tell if screed is dry enough for final flooring and heavier machinery is harder.

Signs That Screed Is Fully Dry

This stage is really important because if you put the final flooring on or use heavy machinery on screed when it is not completely dry, you could face serious issues in the future.

How to tell if screed is dry completely:

• No dark or damp patches
• No condensation or surface moisture
• Complete a moisture content test (hygrometer test, calcium carbide test)
• Using a moisture meter to monitor the moisture in the surface

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Despite our best efforts, there are always things we do that can create a bit of a pickle. Most of the time, these can be avoided if they are flagged. Here, we flag actions to avoid problems arising with screed curing.

Avoid these, and you can confidently finish your project knowing your screed dried properly.

DO NOT:

• Assume the screed is dry based on time alone - use other methods to ensure the screed is dry
• Install flooring too soon - give the screed sufficient time to dry and test it before fitting flooring
• Not using proper drying aids - make sure you have dehumidifiers or other pieces of equipment to help screed dry in the conditions of your project site

Learn More From Our Experts

Knowing how to tell if screed is dry goes beyond giving it the right amount of time. The visual appearance will give you some clues, but ideally, you need to test the moisture levels of the material.

It doesn’t matter if you are using liquid or dry screed, it is vital that you make sure the layer has dried properly before laying any final flooring on it. But this doesn’t mean you can’t continue with other aspects of your project while waiting, as after 24-48 hours it will likely be dry enough for light foot traffic.

The team at 2 Brothers Concrete & Pumping don’t just supply the screed you are after, we are experts on the material. So, if you need help understanding how to tell if screed is dry, don't hesitate to get in touch with us and ask.

Call us on 01489 552737 or complete our online contact form, and we will call you back.