One important choice to make when starting a construction or renovation project is whether to finish the wall plastering or the floor screed first. This decision may have an impact on the final product’s quality as well as the process’s general effectiveness.
It’s usually advisable to begin with the floor screed. You can guarantee a level and steady foundation for the remainder of your work by completing the floor first. By using this method, any potential damage to recently plastered walls during the floor installation process is reduced.
Following the installation and complete curing of the floor screed, wall plastering can be done. In addition to shielding your walls from unintentional damage, this procedure enables more accurate and tidy plastering results. Thus, if you’re planning a renovation, it might be more efficient to start with the floor rather than later on.
| Floor Screed First | Wall Plastering First |
| Provides a level surface for flooring. | Ensures walls are ready before any flooring is installed. |
| Protects walls from damage during floor installation. | Prevents potential damage to newly plastered walls during floor work. |
| Can result in a cleaner finish with flooring. | Allows for better alignment of plaster and flooring if done first. |
| Usually done after other major work is completed. | Generally done earlier in the renovation process. |
It’s usually best to start with the floor screed when choosing which task to complete first, wall plastering or floor screed. In this manner, your freshly plastered walls won’t be impacted by any mess or damage resulting from the screeding process. In addition, it helps prevent problems like uneven plaster thickness and guarantees a smooth, level foundation for your walls. Commencing with the floor screed not only keeps your project on schedule, but it also guarantees a superior wall and floor finish.
- What if first plaster
- What if the screed comes first
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What if first plaster
Building solutions are required for both plastering a room and monolithing the floor, which means that there will be splashes, leveling, and waiting for the hardening composition to become stronger. It would appear that doing all of the "liquid" work from top to bottom would be the standard procedure. This automatically acts as a preventive measure to shield areas that have already received treatment from harm or contamination. In actuality, though, a sequence like this is typically linked to a lot of negatives and not so many positives.
This method, which involves plastering first and screeding afterwards, is the one that is utilized in 90% of cases despite its numerous drawbacks!
The following kinds of work are consistently carried out in this instance:
- removal of worn coatings (finishing, plaster layer, flooring);
- cleaning ceilings, walls from stains, repairing defects; priming;
- marking, installation of plumbing pipes, hidden wiring;
- leveling plastering of surfaces;
- floor cleaning with priming;
- installation of damper tape on plaster;
- initial screed monolithing is performed, after which the floor is covered with film for a week, waiting for strength gain;
- care of the hardening mass of the solution (regular moistening is required for the first 5-7 days), a 2-3-week technological break is taken during the curing period;
- puttying of upper structures (ceiling, partitions, walls) is performed;
- final floor leveling is performed;
- another waiting period;
- final finishing of the interior is performed in the same direction (starting from the ceiling, finishing with the floor).
- The finished base does not need to be protected from fallen lumps of plaster mortar. Often this advantage outweighs all the others. It is the difficulty of cleaning the stuck lumps of the mixture (which often has to be done with a hammer drill) that outweighs all the possible disadvantages of the method.
- If partitions are being erected in an empty room, it is wiser to do this work first, saving on screed.
There are additional drawbacks, the significance of which is entirely up to you:
- when filling the floor with mortar or a tool, you can damage the freshly laid layer of plaster;
- it is necessary to protect neighbors below from dirty water leaks;
- additional difficulties with marking installation sites and laying utility networks;
- excessive consumption of material when plastering the bottom of the walls;
- difficulty with subsequent installation of waterproofing under the plaster;
- inconvenience at work;
- the screed dries slower than the plaster layer (with this sequence, the repair will be delayed for at least a week);
- if a wall is plastered with gypsum mixtures over a fresh pour, moisture from the floor will continue to flow into the gypsum coating for a long time, as a result, the strength will decrease.
What if the screed comes first
The work is done in a different order when the screed is placed first.
For instance, the following is carried out in order if the floor is made of reinforced concrete slabs and the rough fill is completed first:
- removing old plaster;
- inspecting and repairing the surface of the ceiling and walls;
- priming the surfaces of the room (walls, ceiling, floor slabs);
- waterproofing work on the floor slabs;
- marking, installing a damper tape along the bottom of the walls;
- laying insulation;
- reinforcing, then pouring a rough layer (it is possible to do without reinforcement);
- laying a film and stopping work in this room for a week;
- removing the film, laying a protective layer of cardboard;
- installing hidden plumbing, electrical wiring;
- leveling plastering (rough);
- removing the cardboard;
- keeping a break (according to the technology) for drying the plaster and gaining its strength. The break for cement plaster is 4 weeks, for gypsum plaster – according to the instructions;
- puttying the walls (finishing leveling);
- final (finishing) leveling on the rough fill.
The completion of the interior will be the final stage. Everything is done from top to bottom.
Benefits of choosing this option:
- After filling, you get a horizontal floor level, as a result of which it is easy to mark the wiring and the location of the pipe network. The position of sockets and switches is marked according to the height above the floor, the same rule applies to plumbing. In this case, it is not so important whether the wiring of utility networks is hidden or open.
- The time spent on wiring, pipes, plastering in this order is included in the technological break for curing the monolith. It is saved.
- If the protection of the fill is done sensibly, then fresh concrete is not damaged during plastering work.
- If plastering is started too early, scratches may appear on the fresh screed from the legs of the goats.
- Sticking to the floor on unprotected areas of fallen lumps of plaster mixture.
Depending on the particulars of your project, you may decide to start with wall plastering or floor screed. Flooring screed is usually a good place to start when doing a major renovation or new construction. This guarantees a level floor and offers a strong foundation for the remaining tasks.
However, wall plastering might be your first step if you’re working in an existing space or handling a smaller-scale renovation. Using this method can help prevent plastering the walls from damaging recently applied floor screed.
In the end, the layout of the room and the particular requirements of your project should determine the sequence of events. A thorough plan that takes into account every detail will help you get the best results and streamline the process.
