ᐅ How should a new cement screed be treated or coated to improve its durability?
Created on: 10 Mar 2026 15:15
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waldwiese9
Hello everyone!
First of all, I/we are complete beginners and have very limited knowledge about screed.
So please excuse me/us if any statements or information seem amateurish.
We want to coat a cement screed to make it more abrasion-resistant and durable.
It is a room that will regularly be used as a hobby workshop.
For cost reasons, a tiled floor is not an option.
The cement screed is basically a "budget solution."
Here are some brief details about the initial situation:
The cement screed is new and almost unused
Now my question:
What type of floor coating/paint would be suitable here?
I am wondering whether the paint needs to be vapor-permeable so that the screed can stay ventilated,
or if this is not necessarily required since the screed is 70-80cm (28-31 inches) above ground level and there is a vapor barrier underneath.
The craftsman from the company that installed the screed recommended a vapor-permeable coating but did not specify a particular product or type of paint.
Since I am not familiar with this, I cannot assess whether this advice is correct or if the permeability of the paint does not matter.
However, it is clear that the cement screed will generate dust and wear during regular use if left untreated (according to the craftsman who installed the screed),
so it cannot remain untreated.
Could anyone recommend specific types of paint/products suitable for this purpose and possibly also suggest an application procedure?
I would be very grateful for any professional advice.
Best regards.
First of all, I/we are complete beginners and have very limited knowledge about screed.
So please excuse me/us if any statements or information seem amateurish.
We want to coat a cement screed to make it more abrasion-resistant and durable.
It is a room that will regularly be used as a hobby workshop.
For cost reasons, a tiled floor is not an option.
The cement screed is basically a "budget solution."
Here are some brief details about the initial situation:
The cement screed is new and almost unused
- The building was constructed before 1970.
- The floor inside the building is approximately 80cm (31 inches) above the outside ground level.
- Underneath the screed is compacted, jointless rubble and sand. I cannot say how deep this layer is.
- Between the rubble and the screed is a vapor barrier/PE foil.
- Edge insulation strips around the perimeter.
- The screed is approximately 80mm (3 inches) thick.
- The cement screed is a CEM I type according to the cement standard DIN EN 197-1.
- The screed was installed by a professional company.
Now my question:
What type of floor coating/paint would be suitable here?
I am wondering whether the paint needs to be vapor-permeable so that the screed can stay ventilated,
or if this is not necessarily required since the screed is 70-80cm (28-31 inches) above ground level and there is a vapor barrier underneath.
The craftsman from the company that installed the screed recommended a vapor-permeable coating but did not specify a particular product or type of paint.
Since I am not familiar with this, I cannot assess whether this advice is correct or if the permeability of the paint does not matter.
However, it is clear that the cement screed will generate dust and wear during regular use if left untreated (according to the craftsman who installed the screed),
so it cannot remain untreated.
Could anyone recommend specific types of paint/products suitable for this purpose and possibly also suggest an application procedure?
I would be very grateful for any professional advice.
Best regards.
W
waldwiese913 Mar 2026 09:21For a 15m² (160 ft²) room, the cost is around 250 EUR, The room is actually 50m², not 15m².
At that size, material costs alone quickly exceed 1000 EUR, plus the significant labor involved.
To be honest, I don’t want to argue about whether tiles make sense or not. As I already mentioned, tiles are not planned.
The goal is simply to treat the cement screed in a way that minimizes or ideally prevents surface abrasion.
Appearance is not important.
The floor does not need to be extremely durable; it will be used for a hobby workshop (woodworking).
This means the everyday load consists of people walking on it, and occasionally a table on casters will roll over the floor.
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MachsSelbst13 Mar 2026 09:37What you are looking for is not available at the price you have in mind.
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waldwiese913 Mar 2026 10:04What about lithium water glass, for example? Are there any experiences with it?
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MachsSelbst13 Mar 2026 12:12With 2-3 coats, it easily costs 200-300 EUR. It’s better to go for an epoxy resin coating or tiles right away...
So, if you really need to save as much money as possible:
Right now, Roller offers PVC sheet flooring (4 m wide (13 ft), 3 mm thick (0.12 inches)) for 5.85 per m² (0.54 per ft²). I don’t think you’ll find anything cheaper.
“PVC flooring - plank - dark oak - 4 meters”
Fix it at the corners with carpet adhesive, but at 3 mm (0.12 inches) thickness, it’s heavy enough that after a few days you probably won’t even need to.
Otherwise, a cheap tile would certainly be more cost-effective and practical than working with highly alkaline products that mainly protect against liquids rather than mechanical wear...
Of course, it means more effort on your part.
Even inexpensive laminate flooring starts at just under 6 EUR/m² (0.56 per ft²) and would probably suit a woodworking shop better. But if a chisel drops on it, you’ll have a dent for sure.
So, in my opinion, thorough vacuuming followed by possibly applying a primer or just using the sheet flooring should be enough.
Anything else will be more expensive.
Right now, Roller offers PVC sheet flooring (4 m wide (13 ft), 3 mm thick (0.12 inches)) for 5.85 per m² (0.54 per ft²). I don’t think you’ll find anything cheaper.
“PVC flooring - plank - dark oak - 4 meters”
Fix it at the corners with carpet adhesive, but at 3 mm (0.12 inches) thickness, it’s heavy enough that after a few days you probably won’t even need to.
Otherwise, a cheap tile would certainly be more cost-effective and practical than working with highly alkaline products that mainly protect against liquids rather than mechanical wear...
Of course, it means more effort on your part.
Even inexpensive laminate flooring starts at just under 6 EUR/m² (0.56 per ft²) and would probably suit a woodworking shop better. But if a chisel drops on it, you’ll have a dent for sure.
So, in my opinion, thorough vacuuming followed by possibly applying a primer or just using the sheet flooring should be enough.
Anything else will be more expensive.
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