Floor Screed Case Study. ARDEX A 29 at Coalville Leisure Centre
Midlands Floor Screeding demonstrate the versatility of ARDEX A 29 Rapid Drying Floor Screed Cement at the new £22.5m Coalville Leisure Centre.
Councillor Richard Blunt, leader of North West Leicestershire District Council which is building the centre, said:
“This leisure centre is the culmination of years of hard work from both the district council and our partners as we strive to achieve our ambition of providing top-quality health and wellbeing facilities for people in North West Leicestershire. By 2022 Coalville with have one of the best leisure facilities in the country.”
The centre itself includes:
An eight-lane 25m main pool and learner pool with moveable flooring,
120 station gym, 25 spin cycles and two exercise studios
Café with healthy eating options
Eight court sports hall and three squash courts
Changing Places facility accessible from the lobby
Clip ‘n’ Climb
Sauna, steam and spa pool
The original screed specification asked for multiple products to address the varying and challenging substrates across the centre. But after Louis Dewsbury (Managing Director at Midlands Floor Screeding Ltd.) consulted with the ARDEX team it became apparent that a better solution was possible.
With factors such as strength, workability and cost effectiveness being paramount to provide the client with the best floor possible. The solution came with ARDEX A 29 Rapid Drying Floor Screed and ARDEX A 18 and E 100 as the two ideal bonding agents.
ARDEX A 29 provides a great combination of speed (tile in as little as 24 hours and continue with all other floor coverings after only 7 days), economy (mix as 1 part cement to 7 parts sand!) and performance (great workability with a massive 90 minute working time).
ARDEX A 29 being installed unbonded to the cafe areas.
“Midlands Floor Screeding are the midlands largest screeding contractor focusing on large commercial projects in the education, leisure, residential sector etc. And what people find is, when ARDEX and Midlands Floor Screeding work together, they get a quality product, one that they use time and time again.” Louis Dewsbury, Managing Director
Resurfacing a garage floor need not be a daunting task. In this step by step guide, we show you how to apply ARDEX K 301 External Self-Levelling Concrete Resurfacing Compound to bring life back to old and damaged concrete floors. It’s also ideal for resurfacing damaged concrete driveways, paths, courtyards and patios.
1. Prepare the old garage floor
Use a degreaser to remove oil, grease or similar contaminants and rinse well. A jet wash is perfect for removing dirt and any loose debris. The prepared surface must have the appearance of clean sound concrete with some exposed aggregate in the surface. There must be no traces of any dirt, previous treatments or surface contamination.
To dam run-off areas use a profile or some foam tape. We normally use a large foam draught excluder, it does the job, and is fairly inexpensive.
2. Repair any damaged concrete
Repair and infill any holes or static cracks with a suitable concrete repair mortar such as ARDEX A 46.
3. Prime
Prime the clean and dry area with ARDEX P 51 diluted to 1:7. (1 part primer to 7 parts water) and work into the concrete using a broom. Aim to fully saturate the floor area, as dry, porous concrete can absorb the water from freshly laid resurfacing compound and affect its performance. If any ponding or puddles of primer form, just remove with a broom so excess water is not incorporated into the K301 during application. We apply ARDEX K 301 whilst the priming layer is still damp.
For areas subject to heavy loading or regular rubber wheeled traffic, prime with ARDEX R 3 E (see datasheet for details).
4. Mix the ARDEX K 301
In a clean mixing container add the powder to the required amount of clean water whilst stirring thoroughly until a lump-free mortar is produced. The mix proportions by volume are approximately 5 parts ARDEX K301 powder to 1 part clean water. (A 25kg bag requires 5¼ litres of water).
If working on a gradient, the water in the mix can be reduced to stop any run-off on a slope.
The use of an ARDEX mixing paddle with a 10mm chuck slow speed (600 -1000 r.p.m.) electric drill makes light work of mixing. ARDEX K301 mortar should be applied within 30 minutes at 20°C. This time is extended at lower temperatures and reduced at higher temperatures.
One bag of ARDEX K 301 will cover 3m2 at 5mm thick. To work out how many bags you need, use the product calculator on the ARDEX K 301 page.
5. Resurface The Garage Floor
Pour the mixed ARDEX K 301 onto the garage floor whilst the primer is still damp. The mixed mortar will flow out and self-smooth during the first 10 minutes of its 30 minute working time. Use a steel trowel or float to spread the mortar to a smooth finish.
To create a more non-slip surface, allow the compound to partially set, (approximately 20-40 minutes under normal conditions), then finish with a stiff broom.
Once set, the freshly applied ARDEX K301 must be protected from adverse climatic conditions e.g. rapid drying air flow, direct strong sunlight, frost, etc., or appropriate curing measures taken until hardened.
ARDEX K 301 can be applied from 2-20mm and is walkable from 2-3 hours. Allow 48 hours for light vehicular traffic.
