ᐅ Screed Installation and Ventilation Behavior at 38°C

Hello everyone,
to my knowledge, after screed installation, the area should not be ventilated at all for the first 7 days. In particular, tilt ventilation is not suitable due to lower outdoor temperatures, as the walls cool down slowly and the humidity does not fully escape from the house.

I have noticed that the screed installer opened a few windows on tilt immediately after the screed was laid. Can you say if this ventilation behavior is problematic? Please keep in mind that we currently have outdoor temperatures of up to 38°C (100°F) during the day and 21°C (70°F) at night. The lowest temperature is expected to drop to a maximum of 15°C (59°F) in the next few days.

What is your opinion? Thanks for your answers.

Hello "Sheriff1981".

It is definitely worth questioning what the screed installer was thinking. Two key factors are crucial when dealing with new screeds:
1. The fresh screed must not be exposed to drafts (which cannot be ruled out with tilted windows), and
2. The fresh screed must not lose moisture too quickly (which it needs for proper curing).

Both harmful factors cannot be excluded during the initial phase with tilted windows!
So, it remains to be seen whether the screed surface will develop "dusting" after hardening (this can be easily checked by brushing the surface gently with a wire brush) and whether the screed tends to develop fine cracks.

You can therefore identify with simple methods if the screed installer’s approach was counterproductive!

Best regards, KlaRa

First question, which screed binder was used, and was it semi-dry screed or flowing screed?