ᐅ Exposed Screed Floors for Rental Apartments? What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages?

Hello questioner.
If I understand correctly, your question has not been properly answered so far.
A "true" bonded screed is called TERRAZZO.
Due to the extensive grinding down to the supporting aggregate and the subsequent filling of voids, a price of €125/m² (about $135/yd²) is certainly not too high.
If you like a concrete look, it would be more reasonable to grind the existing screed, which was certainly not intended for direct use, then prime it and apply an industrial filler compound.
After that, a pigmented sealer (gray) can be applied by rolling.
Now to my assessment:
Sealants are not permanent and also not very resistant to mechanical stress.
With terrazzo, you would certainly have mechanical durability, but the maintenance has to be renewed regularly.
The effort of moving all the furniture is definitely worth considering whether this is worthwhile for a rental apartment.
And here we already come to the next problem:
Every screed is firmly bonded to the building component.
Thus, this component—the screed—is the property of the landlord or owner.
Every single alteration to it must be approved in writing by the owner before execution.
Otherwise, it is considered “property damage,” regardless of how nice the floor looks.
That means: if you want to move out in the future, the screed must be restored to its original condition.
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To sum it all up, the only conclusion is: better leave it alone!
Best regards: KlaRa

Thank you for the responses. The matter concerns renovating the apartments. So, we are the landlords of the apartments.

KlaRa schrieb:

A "true" exposed screed is called TERRAZZO.

Sorry for the inappropriate question. It was inappropriate because it is unrelated to the original inquiry.

Isn't exposed screed more of a category for "polished floors"? This category then includes variants such as:

• Terrazzo
• Mortar floor
• Microcement

Or, depending on the classification, polished floor might be the umbrella term. Then the subcategories would be as follows:

• Terrazzo – extremely even and precise surface
• Exposed screed – a more economical terrazzo
• Microcement – polished cement screed with added additives

Or, according to DBZ, the categories would be:

• Polished cement screeds
• Polished concrete floors
• Classic terrazzo

Alfredlima schrieb:

Please excuse the inappropriate question. Inappropriate because it is unrelated to the original inquiry.

Is polished screed (...)

Here we enter into details that are no longer meaningful for this public forum.
The term "Terrazzo" is largely clearly defined.
Regarding TERRAZZO screeds, I have currently written a technical article planned for the November/December issue of the "Inspirations Database" (FORUM publishing).
A Terrazzo screed certainly falls under the category of "exposed screeds," while the other terms mentioned do not!
“Polished floor” is also not a general term but only refers to a post-treatment method after the curing of a mineral-based component.
Concerning the reference to DBZ:
Polished cement screeds are often called Terrazzo, but not all polished cement screeds meet this definition.
This is because the exposed aggregate is a defining surface characteristic of Terrazzo, which a standard screed does not achieve. Furthermore, screeds can contain aggregates beyond mineral ones, such as glass shards or stainless steel particles. These surfaces are also polished and incorporated but have nothing to do with the classic concept of Terrazzo, although they do fall under the category of exposed screeds.
It is not that simple—one must carefully navigate the definitions of mineral-based exposed floors!
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