The Difference Between Concrete and Screed

You may have come across the terms concrete and screed and while you probably know something about concrete you may not be as aware of the screed. Both concrete and screed are commonly used in construction. Although they may look similar there is a key difference in the composition and adifference in the way it is used in construction. Concrete is a mix of cement, fine sand and aggregate which isstone or gravel,and water and is a sturdier composition as a result of the proportional mix of these materials. It is therefore used for foundations, beams and other structural applications where strength is important. Screed on the other hand is a mix of cement and aggregate and does not include water to act as a binding agent in the way that concrete uses water. It is a thinner mixture often used as a levelling layer.

If you visit https://www.easymixsales.com.au/ you can view a range of concrete and screed products and technical information to help you with your project.

As you would have gathered by now, the key difference between concrete and screed is the composition. Apart from that, the two have other differences. One difference is the kind of aggregate that is used, which make the two look physically different. concrete is a rougher mixture because it uses stone or gravel as an aggregate. The reason it is a course mixture is that it is used in structural applications. Screed on the other hand is a finer or thinner mixture because the applications it is used for are different. Screed uses a mix of fine sand and cement which gives it its compact appearance. It delivers a smoother finish which is why screed is used for internal purposes. The type of screed used in industrial or commercial projects will be more robust vs. the screed used for DIY purposes.

Concrete is the perfect building material for large industrial works and small residential projects. It is a versatile material that has high compression strength which means it can be used for building beams, foundations, roads and floors. Vs. the benefits it provides, concrete is economical to use compared to other materials. Screed on the other hand is not used in structural applications that require high compression strength. It is used as a top layer on a concrete floor or below wood, tile or any other flooring material to improve the durability of the final floor covering.

Traditionally, both screed and concrete are mixed and used on-site. While this is still common practice, the problem is that the result is often unreliable – proneto cracks and collapsing. This is because of the inconsistent ratios of materials used and the quality of the material itself. To counter these issues, the industry has evolved to manufacture and deliver pre-mixed concrete and screed. The advantage of a pre-mix is that the materials used in the mix are of high quality and consistent and it is mixed in exact proportions toproduce a strong and durable application.

Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.