12.09
2017

Could rapid drying times be just around the corner?

There have been a number of notable research and product development achievements over the last decade which have shaped the screeding and underfloor heating markets. Largely speaking we are an industry driven by speed, precision and quality, fuelled by clients who need flat and flawless floors, fast.

Drying (or curing) times have been top of the agenda for a long time now and any manufacturer capable of bringing to market a product which can successfully draw the moisture out of screed, without affecting the quality of the finished product is sure to become the number one choice for contractors worldwide.

Speed is in the driving seat

It’s fair to say that while there are other variables in the product development mix (like sustainability and cost efficiency for example), it’s most certainly speed that’s in the driving seat.

Speed of installation and speed of drying are the two magic ingredients to laying screed. As a contractor, we can facilitate rapid effective installation by employing the best installers and using the highest quality materials, but when it comes to fast-drying, that’s down to the manufacturers.

Are we on the cusp of a drying time revolution?

Word on the grapevine is that one of the UK’s leading screed manufacturers is on the brink of bringing to market a resin primer capable of making screed ready to receive floor finishes after only around 3% of its moisture has evaporated.

Typically speaking a liquid screed is 97% – 98% water and cannot be covered until moisture levels are below 75%. If we’re talking time, homeowners, self-builders, housebuilders and national contractors will only have to wait one to two weeks before furnishing their new floor, compared to the usual two month wait time.

That saving of around six weeks could drive forward refurbishment and build projects at a serious pace, and we all know that in the construction market, time is money.

The new resin primer has been independently tested by two external laboratories and has been passed to the relevant accrediting bodies before being introduced to the market. Watch this space.