Screed after plastering?

[raine]

I'm having an extension done and my builders are saying that they will screed the floor after completing plasterboard and skim. They say "the last layer which will be the screed will be fitted after the plaster boarding and skimming as this is common practice".

Is it really common practice?? Doesn't sound right to me, and the floor will be left with plasterers and everyone else traipsing around on exposed Celotex. There is no UFH.

I can't think why they would want to do this, other than perhaps they can't get a screeder booked in until later??

To start with, they were saying that the whole ground floor (including sub-base hardcore, sand blinding etc.) would be done after plastering but I said no to that.

I'm really confused as to why they're doing things the wrong way around so any help as to possible reasons and best practices would be good.

Thanks.

 

[^woody^]

No its not common.

The screed goes in, then the walls are boarded so as to ensure the boards and plaster do not touch the screed.

 

[raine]

Thanks Woody.

I went back to the builder and told him I wanted the screed down before the plasterboard unless he had a compelling reason not to. Builder replied that he will wait and do the insulation and screed together, after plastering. Still no explanation WHY.

I brought the BCO into the discussion, and unfortunately, his response was "To place the insulation and then screed after the plastering has been completed is an acceptable method."

Grrr. I guess I have no further leverage I can apply then.

 

[JP_]

My builders boarded & skimmed walls before screeding too. Seems Ok ... they didn't put the insulation down before plastering though.

 

[^woody^]

The BCO has no input to make into the works other than in seeing that the statutory duty to check that a very narrow number of safety related items are done to a set standard. Not how they are done or when they are done.

So yes things can be built in one of several ways, but there is often a compromise in deviating from the normal ways, and that comes by way of reduced quality. So on that basis certain ways whilst accepted, are less acceptible than other ways.

If you are paying for all this, then withhold any payments until the screed is done. So if they want paying sooner, they do the screed sooner.

 

[Notch7]

In the old days screeding and plastering was done by the same guy.....

The order is obviously for the builders convenience -but Im not sure the reason why.

I believe plumbers like walls done first so they can get radiators on abd pipework exactly where they want it.

 

[noseall]

We've done it either way around. The only pi$$er doing the screed after is finding enough bricks to support the plasterboards - then having the ball ache trying to tap the bottoms of an 8' plasterboard, that is trying to drag a brick with it. The bottoms of the board will misbehave if they are in the slightest bit damp (less than rigid) and you may struggle to range them through with your horizontal straight edge tap. They bellow and waft.

Much easier having the screed in place.

However, you would have to be a complete **** to lay the insulation down and not screed over it.