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When is the screed dry enough for installation of parquet?

Applicable for

  • Parquet

Determining the thickness of your parquet depending on the floor level

Make sure you know the thickness of the finished floor so the chapist can pour the screed to the right level.

For this, count the thickness of your parquet + 2 mm for the glue.

Pouring

Start properly: choose a good professional. He or she will always lay PVC sheeting first, to hold back rising damp from the ground. Even above the ground floor! In addition, ask for a reinforced screed. Then they will add a special product, or incorporate gauze to make everything even stronger. If you are considering doing this yourself, remember that pouring screed is work for skilled professionals. It has to be very smooth. It is a craft in itself.

Drying and measuring

Patience is a virtue. But how long should you wait? You can expect to wait for one week per centimetre, to 5 cm thickness, but that varies. A screed above 5 cm takes about 2 weeks per centimetre to dry. (eg a 8 cm thick screed, you can count 12 weeks). Thick screeds dry more slowly. But waiting is crucially important. For a screed without underfloor heating, there must be no more than 2.5% residual moisture. For a screed with underfloor heating, no more than 1.8%. You have to measure this with a moisture meter. But you are actually better off having a professional do this too.

Ventilation

Finally, make sure that the area is well ventilated. This helps speed up the drying process. But do not use a hot air blower! This will create condensation, and therefore mould. You have to open the windows. Even in the winter. You can only turn the heating on after a minimum of four weeks, but even then there must still be a draught.

More about Installation

Do you have a question?

Our experts are ready to help you with free advice. Don’t hesitate to contact Pieter and his colleagues by email or telephone.

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