Do concrete and screed concrete look different?
Concrete slabs and floor screeds are cleverly made from bonding mixtures of aggregate, water and cement; however, the most significant difference between the two is the aggregate used to create them.
Professional contractors and builders will add more hardcore aggregates, such as gravel and small stones, to curate a hardened mass when mixing concrete.
Small natural stones like gravel are typically 20mm in size or smaller, providing workability, strength and immense durability. The aggregates create a much coarser mixture that is more suitable for roads, pavements, driveways and outdoor terrain once cement paste hardens.
When it comes to screed, professionals don’t tend to use coarse aggregate to develop cement mixtures; in their place, screed utilises high-quality sand and cement mixtures. Grains of sharp sand of approximately 4mm at minimum get mixed in as a bonding agent, which curates the tightly packed texture.
It makes for a perfect top layer. They use a process called hydration, as water will react with the aggregate particles. If there is too little water, the cement particles will be dehydrated, creating a weak flooring layer, where leaking or shrinkage can occur.