My favourites change - generally i use cheaper latexes as customers don't like paying for it. I use screedmaster ultimate a lot, have been using mapei latexplan trade recently - you get a super smooth finish with a spikey roller but had some blow on me which is going to cost me (got to rip up and replace 40sm of tarasafe ultra). Partly my fault i suppose cos i didn't prime it - annoys me though that on the bag it says it rarely needs priming, gives you a false sense of security. So i've gone off it now.
always prime mate even if it says you dont need to. I dont know why they say you dont need to? A few reasons for this 1- adhesion of the compound to the subfloor (stops blowing) 2- Screed will flow better over a primed floor 3- No pinholing 4- You will also get more coverage out of a bag Screed compounds can blow if there is exess moister in the floor also but this is normally only a issue with water based compounds.
i used to use screed master untill one day i used fball red bag. I will never use screed master again. Yes the screed is more money but it seems to go further and with perfect results. Cant belive i used to waste 1-2 hours sanding down screed master to save £10 quid on the job. reading matts post above i agree that damp floors will cause water based to blow. I had a couple of jobs blow and it was due to this. i invested in a damp meter and use latex if i suspect damp now or use a epoxy product first.
I agree about the priming but sometimes it's too tempting to not do it. A lot of the time (as in this case) i'm doing the latexing out of hours because other trades need the areas during the day - so i don't always have the time to let the primer go off. A lot of the ardex products also say you don't need to prime such as the A55 (which is water based). They shouldn't put it on the bag.
ye, they all should say prime! it is true that not all floors require priming. But i only see one or two a year lol. anyway. My fav compounds are Fball's or Uzins. There are some demo videos and spec lists for these products in the trade section guys.
Screedmaster "ultimate" is cheap to purchase as you know but actually if you use this and can get it flat then you are learning how to screed the hard way i think.It is harder to flow but an aerator for a while will get it flat.I dont stone after screeding ever its just another part of the job that i dont feel i need to do im afraid.But going back to the question then i dont mind using any of the screeds and yes they can be pricey.Used to swear by "GREEN BAG" but i find its a bit soft but great at bigger fills.
Lazy fitters that dont care just like most customers dont like to pay for something that they cannot see.Gone are the days when you get a few bags of someone for a few quid cheers and knees up mr brown.I take photos of all my sub prep these days.
