How to... install Brio Dry Floor Screed Panels
Dry floor screed panels are light, narrow profile substrate panels for going over underfloor heating and are much quicker and easier to install than traditional wet screeds and timber dry decks. David Patrick of Knauf Drywall takes us through the straightforward installation steps of the company’s Brio Dry Floor Screed Panels.
Step #1
Step 1
Installation is simple, fast and requires no special skills or tools. Once the subfloor has been leveled, fit an edge strip to all perimeters. In order to prevent the flanking transmission of impact noise, cut the excess from the strip at a minimum of 5mm above the floor. This isolates the floor from the walls and helps maintain fire performance.
Step #2
Step 2
Dry screed panel are easily cut to size on-site using conventional tools. The edge profile of the panels abutting the walls should be cut to fit the contours with a circular saw or jigsaw fitted with a dust extraction system. The panels’ lightness and strength is a great advantage on-site because they are easy to handle and can withstand rough treatment.
Step #3
Step 3
The first panel should be laid in the far left corner of the room. Knauf Brio is installed continuously in a broken bond pattern with a minimum staggered overlap of 200mm. The lightness and narrow profile of the dry screed panels helps not only the operative but also the specifier when dealing with existing buildings – they do not pose any structural problems and require a sacrifice of no more than 50mm in room height.
Step #4
Step 4
Once the dry floor screed panel is in place, apply two parallel beads of Knauf Brio Joint Adhesive to the lower rebate of the panel using the special applicator nozzle. A ‘swellable’ one-component PUR glue, the adhesive is formulated specially for Brio and works by reacting and setting with moisture – a process that takes around four hours.
Step #5
Step 5
Then offer up the next panel, butting the joints tightly together. By standing on the panel, the operative can press the rebates together firmly and so create a level surface. Again, installation is aided by the panel’s lightness and handy size – it weighs just 22 to 30kg a panel and measures only 1.2m by 600mm.
Step #6
Step 6
Once in place the glued panels are quickly screwed together, using the correct proprietary screws along the blue fixing guideline at maximum 300mm centres once the first row is in place. This will ensure the surface remains level as the adhesive expands, creating a solid and stable finish. The adhesive sets in four hours after which any excess can be scraped off using a filling knife.