Polished-look flooring is widely regarded as the default choice when creating a sleek, cutting-edge ambience indoors. From museums to penthouses, shops and studios to living rooms and kitchens, the hardworking, versatile, polished floor is an undeniably appealing choice – and the trend looks set to continue.
SMET has responded to the demand with the launch of a high-performance, innovative flooring solution. Sopro Rapidur FE 678 is a rapid-set, self-levelling screed, walkable within three hours and ready for tiling in 24 hours. The dry screed can, of course, be finished with the usual plethora of floor coverings but, uniquely, this screed allows the contractor the option to leave it in its natural state, or (the Holy Grail of flooring), grind and polish it to a contemporary finish. Grinding and polishing this screed creates a compact, visually appealing ‘terrazzo-style’ floor finish. The polishing process smooths the surface revealing the inherent aggregate. This organic look is of great appeal to most clients who want the polished look.
Joris Smet, Director of Smet Building Products Ltd, said, “It’s not often we see a game-changer in this long-established industry. However, our German manufacturing partner, Sopro have really done it this time. The unique properties of this pumpable, rapid-set screed really set it apart. Particularly useful for thin UFH systems, fast-track and tightly scheduled screed laying, the product offers the option of final polishing to a contemporary, visually appealing terrazzo-style surface.”
Rapidur FE 678 Self Levelling Screed is a polymer-modified, ready-to-use dry mix for the production of rapid-set screeds, allowing early flooring installation. At Grade CT-C25-F5 to DIN EN 13 813, it’s suitable for heated screeds, bonded screeds and unbonded screeds (on separating or insulation layer). It can be used as a base for all types of floor covering (eg ceramic, natural stone, textile and elastic flooring), and is particularly suitable for a wide range of thin-coat heating systems. Conveniently, no extra sand needs to be added on site, and the pumped screed offers excellent workability and hardened mortar properties, thanks to Sopro’s Mikrodur technology.
UNRIVALLED PERFORMANCE
Rapidur FE 678 Self Levelling Screed has minimum shrinkage and therefore does not curl. It fully encapsulates the underfloor heating pipes, has a high thermal conductivity and can be installed in significantly reduced thicknesses. This allows thicker insulation to be used under the screed, resulting in better thermal insulating values or U-values. The screed gains heat rapidly and transports heat to the surface of the screed into the air, resulting in an efficient response to room temperature changes.
Thin floating self-levelling screed is more energy efficient, responding quickly to changes in room temperatures. Traditional thick screeds cannot respond as efficiently to, for example, solar gain in the afternoon or when a fireplace is lit in the winter. This ineffective response (heating/cooling) often leads to a room being too hot or too cold, a problem which is eliminated by the application of a superior screed such as Rapidur FE 678.
BENEFITS
The main benefits of Rapidur FE 678 are:
- Ready for tiling – after approximately 24 hours
- Self-levelling
- Ready to use – dry mix
- For fast-track or tightly scheduled screed laying
- Working life: 60-90 minutes
- Walkable – after approximately three hours
- Ideal for renovation and refurbishment
- Suitable for floor heating systems
- Pumpable – efficient application on large projects
- For indoor use
- Extra-low shrinkage
- Low-chromate to Regulation 1907/2006 EC, Annex XVII
- CE Marked.
For more information, contact Smet Building Products Ltd on 028 3082 5970, e-mail info@smetbuildingproducts.com or visit www.smetbuildingproducts.com or www.smet.ie
