There are many different screed types on the market and what they all have in common are the conditions they need to dry.
The majority need an air temperature of 20°c, relative humidity of 65% or below 24 hours a day for the duration of their drying times. (You can also check these conditions for your specific screed type on the data sheet).
Relying on the weatherman
Solely relying on the natural conditions is not going to aid in drying screed quickly, it is very difficult to expect perfect conditions for the full duration of the natural drying time, the available systems can speed this up and create a much more stable and effective approach and will save a lot of time and pressure on site.
Although a project might allow enough time for a screed to dry naturally, realistically these conditions are very rare in the UK even during British summer time. It is common to find the screed is still wet after weeks and even months of drying time which will slow progress on site.
How do you provide the correct environment?
To provide the correct environment, Heat is vital so you can build up and maintain the baseline temperature. If the central heating system is functional, then radiators and underfloor heating could be used to build up this heat. If there is no central heating system there are specialist types of equipment to quickly dry screed, they include:
– Temporary electric boilers, these can be hired and connected to the underfloor heating system to create the baseline temperatures in a stable and controlled manner something that is vital to avoid damage to screed dried quickly.
– Space heaters can be hired if there is no underfloor heating to create the correct environment by circulating hot air around the room.
When adding heat to the screed or room, moisture can become present in the air, that’s when relative humidity (RH) needs to be considered, it can affect how quickly the screed dries. The above systems can benefit by being paired with a dehumidifier which consistently manages and extracts high volumes of moisture from the air, creating a better environment for screed to dry as quickly as possible.
Although, opening the windows could be a first thought, this needs to be avoided, simply keeping doors closed, good housekeeping and keeping the environment the same will get the best results.
Do you have any tips or questions about drying screed quickly? Leave your comments below.