Screeding a floor with a kitchen in place

maurice28

We are due to have a new kitchen fitted next week and once it's done, we'll be having a new vinyl floor laid in there and the adjoining extension as well. 

The floor is likely to need screeding as it is a big area that is not entirely level or smooth. I just wondered, can a concrete screed be laid when a kitchen is already in place? If so, what's the process, is wood or another 'border' normally placed in front of the kitchen units to stop the screed getting on them?

I'm just waiting for the flooring company to get back to me about measuring up etc, but just wanted to ask in the meantime!

Ebe_Scrooge

I'd be doing the screed before having a kitchen fitted.  If you do it afterwards then if you've got any under-counter appliances (fridge, dishwasher, washing machine etc.), you might have the devil's own job to remove them when they need replacing - they're usually a pretty tight fit underneath the work surface, with not much wiggle-room available.  If the kitchen floor is now quarter of an inch higher than the floor they're sitting on .......  And if you remove them first and screed underneath them, you may find they won't fit back underneath.  Depends on your layout, of course, may not be an issue for you - but definitely worth considering.

MikeJXE

I would consider a latex screed if it's going to be thin as it's not likely to crack before fitting units 

grumbler

maurice28 said:

We are due to have a new kitchen fitted next week and once it's done, we'll be having a new vinyl floor laid in there and the adjoining extension as well. 

The floor is likely to need screeding as it is a big area that is not entirely level or smooth. I just wondered, can a concrete screed be laid when a kitchen is already in place?

It can, but IMO it's a very bad idea to have to have the floor level around units higher than under them.  Do the floor first, than install the kitchen on the new floor.

maurice28

Ah yes, good point, thanks - we'll just have an undercounter washing machine but it's worth considering.

It could be maybe the whole floor doesn't need screeding - I'm not sure if self-levelling compound or something can be used to bring sections up to level rather than the whole floor?

Mutton_Geoff

Floor first. Delay the kitchen fitting. Do you mean screed or floor levelling compound?

Depending on thickness you could fit the kitchen units but allow for thickness of levelling compound plus flooring then kick panels but I would prefer floor done first.

FreeBear

Mutton_Geoff said: Floor first. Delay the kitchen fitting. Do you mean screed or floor levelling compound?

Which is what I did with my kitchen. Half the floor needed building up ~5mm, so just poured self leveling compound. Left it 24 hours before walking on it. By the time I got the units assembled a couple of days later, it was rock hard.

maurice28

Thank you all - so basically, there's a couple of 'divots' for want of a better word in the floor, and a bit of a slope to one side as well in a different area. I don't know enough about self levelling compounds - if the floor space as a whole is pretty level with the exception of these areas, is it generally the done thing to just apply a levelling compound to these areas, rather than building up the whole floor?

Mutton_Geoff

maurice28 said:

Thank you all - so basically, there's a couple of 'divots' for want of a better word in the floor, and a bit of a slope to one side as well in a different area. I don't know enough about self levelling compounds - if the floor space as a whole is pretty level with the exception of these areas, is it generally the done thing to just apply a levelling compound to these areas, rather than building up the whole floor?

No, the levelling compound is poured across the whole room, it's quite liquid when poured so runs everywhere. If you fill only sections with it, you may have a discrepancy in level that will show through vinyl flooring. Levelling compound forms a nice very smooth surface to fix the vinyl to. It can cope with 0 to 30+mm.

Curious why there is "a bit of a slope" on your floor. Is it timber?

maurice28

Ah, thank you. No, part of the floor is asphalt and has a slope, about 5mm it would seem.

Due to have the flooring company round soon so will see what they say!