Can the house be heated while the screed dries?
Yes, to hold a stable room temperature of 18 to 20 °C. No for the underfloor heating, which only starts after the minimum waiting time and in stages.
Yes, to hold a stable room temperature of 18 to 20 °C. No for the underfloor heating, which only starts after the minimum waiting time and in stages.
Heating is not forbidden; in fact, it is often useful. It all depends on what you are heating and when you start. The distinction between heating the room and heating the screed is fundamental here.
Keeping the room at around 18 to 20°C aids the drying process, because warmer air absorbs more moisture, provided it is ventilated. Radiators, convectors, and air-source heat pumps are suitable, as long as the hot air is not directed at the floor.
One point of caution concerns portable, unvented gas or oil heaters: they produce water vapor as they burn, which increases air humidity. On a screed site, they are counterproductive.
Underfloor heating is not an improvised drying tool. It should only be turned on after a minimum waiting period, typically two to three weeks for a cement screed and one week for an anhydrite screed, and then only according to a protocol of gradual, incremental temperature increases.
Starting too early or raising the temperature too quickly causes irreversible micro-cracks throughout the entire mass. The full step-by-step protocol can be found in our guide screed and underfloor heating.
First, let the screed set without rushing it during the first few days. Then, ventilate and dehumidify while moderately heating the room: this is what really accelerates the drying process. Finally, start the underfloor heating according to the protocol, and only then consider installing the flooring, once moisture levels have been verified.
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