What is anhydrite screed?

First lets look at the basics, anhydrite is a binder used in sand and cement which has been rapidly adopted to replace the more traditional binders. It has revolutionised screeds used in the construction market.

Anhydrite can be found in natural mineral deposits and is also produced as a by-product of other industrial processes so it’s also regarded a much greener product overall.

What are its benefits and how long does it take to dry?

It offers better fluidity for self-levelling making it much quicker to install. It has outstanding dimensional stability, so it shrinks less. It also has high-mechanical strength. It conducts heat extremely well making it a perfect choice when used in conjunction with Under Floor Heating for long term energy efficiency.

“There are so many benefits of using this type of screed”, says ForceDry’s Director, Ross Verity “one of the most overlooked benefits is it’s performance when given the right environment to dry. The basic temperature and humidity it requires to dry naturally is the same as more traditional sand and cement products. If these basic environmental needs are met it will outperform its traditional competitors on drying times. For example, a 50mm anhydrite screed could dry naturally in just 60 days”

“The real ace is when this product is used with Under Floor Heating. In this situation sites have a game changing opportunity to manipulate those natural drying times by running a force dry programme. By completing this heat up and cool down process the drying time is reduced even further and can be fully dried in just 21 days”

As well as the benefits outlined already, the liquidity of anhydrite screeds means they are pumped onto a site, poured in situ and are self-levelling. They don’t require the labour intensive installation methods needed for traditional sand and cement.

It’s this rapid installation process which increases the volume of product which can be installed in a single day and reduces the number of personnel needed to do it. The saving on labour costs and installation time is impressive and these are just some of the reasons the Construction industry are adopting anhydrite screeds more and more.

“The majority of our clients pick anhydrite for one or two benefits, many don’t realise just how much they can be manipulated once installed. When you stand back and look at all the benefits it’s clear anhydrite screeds can give a project the opportunity to save significant time all the way through their programme and in Construction, time is always money”