Bead Screed Floor Insulation
Bead screed is polystyrene bead insulation mixed with cement and pumped straight onto the slab. It does away with floor insulation boards, buries the service pipes and leaves a level base for the underfloor heating and screed on top.
- ★★★★★ 5.0 on Google
- 20+ years
- Fully insured
What bead screed replaces
On a standard floor, rigid insulation boards are cut and fitted around every pipe and duct on the slab. The gaps and offcuts are where heat gets out. Bead screed takes the place of the boards: it's pumped in as one continuous layer, fills in around the pipes and leaves no joints.
- No insulation boards to cut around pipes and ducts
- One continuous layer of insulation, no gaps or joints
- Water, waste and electrical conduits buried in one go
- Takes out dips and uneven spots in the slab
- Very little waste on site
How a bead screed floor goes down
The services go in first: water, waste and electrical conduits on the slab. We pump the bead screed over them to the depth your floor build-up needs and level it off. Once it's set, the underfloor heating pipes go down on top and we come back to lay the sand and cement or liquid screed over them.
It's light and it goes down fast, so it suits self-builds, new builds and renovations where the floor is full of pipes.
Bead screed and underfloor heating
Bead screed gives the heating pipes a flat, insulated base, so the heat goes up into the room instead of down into the ground. We do the underfloor heating screed on top as well, so one crew handles the floor from the slab to the finished screed.
Is it right for your floor?
The depth and the build-up depend on your house design and the insulation your architect or engineer has specified. Send us the drawings or the spec, or ring and we'll talk it through at the site visit.
Where we lay bead screed
Based in Portlaoise, we lay bead screed across Leinster:
Three steps to a level floor
- Tell us about the jobRing, WhatsApp or send the form: where it is, roughly how many square metres, and whether there's underfloor heating.
- Site visit and priceWe call out, look at the floor, measure up and give you a clear price and the right screed for the job.
- Approve and we pourOnce you're happy with the price we book the date, arrive with the pump and lay the floor level.
Rated 5.0 on Google
What customers say after the floor goes down.
"Brilliant job completed by James and his crew. Very proactive in organising the work, materials and agreeing a date. The lads came when they said they would and the finish is top quality. Highly recommend"
"JAM were punctual, professional and efficient and did an outstanding job on pouring our new floor as part of a renovation. Very highly recommend!"
Questions we get asked
Does bead screed replace insulation boards?
Yes. It's pumped in as the insulation layer instead of rigid boards, so there's no cutting around pipes and no gaps between boards. The depth is set to match the insulation your floor needs.
Can bead screed go over service pipes?
Yes, that's one of the main reasons to use it. Pipes and conduits on the slab are covered in one go and the top is left level for the underfloor heating.
Do you still need a screed on top?
Yes. Bead screed is the insulation layer. The underfloor heating goes on top of it, then sand and cement or liquid screed goes over the pipes as the finished floor.
Do you lay bead screed in Dublin and Kildare?
Yes. We lay bead screed across Laois, Dublin, Kildare and the rest of Leinster.
Other screeds we lay
Sand and Cement Screed
Traditional sand and cement screed is our number one.
More on sand and cement screed →
Liquid Screed
Cement-based liquid screed, pumped in and poured fast.
More on liquid screed →
Fast Dry Screed
When the tiler or floorer is already booked in, fast dry screed keeps the job moving.
More on fast dry screed →Tell us about your floor
Send the details and we'll come back to you with a site visit and a price. The form opens WhatsApp with your message ready to send.
- Site visit before we price
- Clear price agreed before we start
- Laser-levelled finish
Rather talk? Ring 086 838 2613 or email info@jamfloorscreeding.com.