Help needed - broken screed in corner

[seanuk123]

Hi

I’ve just pulled up the carpet and underlay in the dining room before some new wood flooring goes down next week and found that a piece of screed in the corner of the room is badly cracked / damaged.

The piece looks like it’s separated from the rest of the screed and I can push it down slightly. When I push it, it sounds like it’s contacting the DPM, and it feels squishy / bouncy. The crack is very deep.

Can anyone kindly advise what I should do with this to make it sound before I put the new wood floor down please?

 

[JohnD]

If it was me I would dig out all the loose and broken stuff, line the trench with DPC or cut some DPM that overlaps the existing, and fill with concrete, trowelled smooth. IME it is quite easy to get a smooth finish if it is deep enough to press any stones into the surface.

Keep it damp for at least a week, preferably a month.

It's my opinion that the cracking and crumbling is caused by the dry wall absorbing the moisture before the concrete has time to cure.

It's easier for a DIY householder to allow the extra time, than a builder who needs to finish up and get onto the next job, but the plastic will help stop it drying too quickly. DPC is too stiff to mould against a floor or wall unless it is flat, so DPM and a pair of scissors may be easier. Make it too big, and cut off the overlap when it has cured.

 

[seanuk123]

Brilliant thanks for the advice, much appreciated