TRACK MY ORDERThe right screed depends on the subfloor, the depth you need and how soon the floor must be covered. This guide covers the UZIN and Kelmore screeds and smoothing compounds we stock. It shows which one suits each job and which primer goes with it.
All figures come from the manufacturers’ technical data sheets, at 20°C. Every screed needs a sound, clean, dry subfloor. If you are unsure, call us on 01482 243038.
Which screed for which job
Find your job, then check the primer in the next section.
| Your job | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Smoothing a sound concrete or sand and cement screed, 3mm to 40mm | UZIN NC 196 | Fibre-reinforced and low-stress. Walk on after 2 to 3 hours, coverings after 24 hours at 3mm. |
| Floor must be covered the same day | LevelMore Absolute 30 | Walk on after 30 minutes, tiles after 45 minutes, resilient coverings after 90 minutes. |
| Over old adhesive residues, including bitumen | LevelMore Pro or Absolute 30 | Both go over hard, well-bonded residues at 3mm to 6mm. |
| Damp subfloors | LevelMore Pro, Absolute 30 or Flex & Fibre | Can be used on damp floors with no surface water, to level out subfloor imperfections prior to applying the DPM. After applying the DPM then prime and screed. |
| Deep levelling, over 25mm | LevelMore Flex & Fibre | Up to 50mm in one pour, or 75mm bulked out with sharp sand or granite chippings. |
| Exterior, or a floor left as the finished surface | LevelMore Flex & Fibre | Interior and exterior use. Domestic wearing coat at 6mm minimum. |
| Timber floors and plywood overlay | LevelMore Pro, Absolute 30 or Flex & Fibre | Flexible screeds are required to keep bonded to wooden subfloors with minor movements. |
| Over underfloor heating, water or electric | LevelMore Pro, Absolute 30, Flex & Fibre or UZIN NC 196 | All four list water and electric underfloor heating. Check with the screed manufacturer for their priming recommendations specific to the installed system. |
| A fibre-reinforced system | LevelMore Flex & Fibre, UZIN NC 196 | Both are fibre-reinforced. Flex & Fibre: 2mm to 50mm, resilient coverings after 3 hours. UZIN NC 196: low-stress and pumpable, 3mm to 10mm (call us for deeper), coverings after 24 hours at 3mm. |
| Patching dried screeds, filling plywood joints and fixings, up to 3mm | Kelmore Feather | Ultra-rapid. Coverings can go down after 15 minutes. |
| Repairs, holes, ramps, falls and coves, 2mm to 50mm. Ideal to make subfloors good prior to prime and screeding. | Kelmore Repair Mortar | Hard set in 30 minutes. |
The screeds we sell
Times are at 20°C. Coverage is approximate and varies with the texture of the floor.
| Product | Depth | Pack | Walk on | Resilient coverings | Tiles | Coverage per pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelmore LevelMore Pro | 2mm to 20mm | 20kg bag + 5 litre liquid pouch | 90 minutes | 3 hours | 2 hours | 4.5m² at 3mm, 1.35m² at 10mm |
| Kelmore LevelMore Absolute 30 | 2mm to 20mm | 20kg bag + 5 litre liquid pouch | 30 minutes | 90 minutes | 45 minutes | 4.5m² at 3mm, 1.35m² at 10mm |
| Kelmore LevelMore Flex & Fibre | 2mm to 50mm | 20kg bag + 4.5 to 5 litres water | 90 minutes | 3 hours | 2 hours | 4.3m² at 3mm, 1.29m² at 10mm |
| Kelmore Feather | Feather edge to 3mm | 11kg bag, 3 parts powder to 1 part water | 15 minutes | 15 minutes | – | 10m² at 1mm, 3.3m² at 3mm |
| UZIN NC 196 | 3mm to 40mm | 20kg bag + 3.25 to 4 litres water | 2 to 3 hours | 24 hours per 4mm | 24 hours per 10mm | 5m² at 3mm, 1.5m² at 10mm |
| Kelmore Repair Mortar | 2mm to 50mm | 15kg bag + about 2.85 litres water | Hard set 30 minutes | 90 minutes | 60 minutes | 1.8m² at 5mm, 0.9m² at 10mm |
LevelMore Pro and Absolute 30 are 2-part. Mix the powder only with its own liquid, never with water.
Multiple layers. Pour to the full depth in one go where you can. If you need another layer, let the first dry and prime it before the next coat.
Which primer goes with which screed
Use the primer from the same brand as the screed. Kelmore screeds take Kelmore PrimeMore primers. UZIN NC 196 takes UZIN primers. Let the primer dry before you pour.
Our primers
| Primer | Goes with | Use it on | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelmore PrimeMore Universal (5L) | LevelMore Pro, Absolute 30, Flex & Fibre | Porous floors: concrete, sand and cement screed, plywood overlay, tile backer boards | Diluted 1 part primer to 3 parts water. Dries in about 30 minutes. 5 litres covers up to 220m². |
| Kelmore PrimeMore Grip (5kg) | LevelMore Pro, Absolute 30, Flex & Fibre, Repair Mortar | Non-porous floors: asphalt, epoxy DPM, existing tiles, existing vinyl, metal | Neat, one coat. Dries in about 45 minutes. 5kg covers up to 62.5m². |
| UZIN PE 260 (5kg or 10kg) | UZIN NC 196 | Absorbent cement screeds (diluted up to 1:3). Dense floors, tiles, mastic asphalt, chipboard and timber, well-bonded waterproof adhesive residues (neat) | Dries in about 1 hour, or 30 minutes diluted on cement screed. Also used diluted 1:3 between coats. |
| UZIN PE 280 Super Fast (5kg) | UZIN NC 196 | Dense, smooth floors: tiles, stone, epoxy coatings, well-bonded waterproof adhesive residues, mastic asphalt. Also over UZIN PE 404 | Ready to use. Dries in about 45 minutes. |
Primer by subfloor and screed
| Subfloor | Pro and Absolute 30 | Flex & Fibre | UZIN NC 196 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | None needed. Universal (1:3) recommended | Universal (1:3) | PE 260 (up to 1:3) |
| Sand and cement screed, including heated | None needed. Universal (1:3) recommended | Universal (1:3) | PE 260 (up to 1:3) |
| Calcium sulphate (anhydrite) screed | Call us | Call us | Call us |
| Plywood overlay (Class 3) | None | Universal (1:3) | PE 260 neat (chipboard and timber) |
| Tile backer boards | None | Universal (1:3) | Not listed |
| Existing ceramic, porcelain or stone tiles | None | Grip | PE 260 neat or PE 280 |
| Flooring grade asphalt | None | Grip | PE 260 neat or PE 280 (NC 196 max 10mm) |
| Epoxy DPM | Grip (none if poured within 24 hours of Kelmore DPM) | Grip | PE 280 |
| Metal (steel) | Grip | Grip | Not listed |
| Well-bonded old adhesive residues | None (3mm to 6mm only) | Not listed | PE 260 neat or PE 280 |
“Not listed” means the data sheet doesn’t cover that subfloor. Call us before using it there.
Second coats. Prime a Kelmore layer with PrimeMore Universal (1:3) before the next coat. For UZIN NC 196, prime between coats with PE 260 diluted 1:3.
Damp floors
Resilient floor coverings need a dry subfloor, at 75% RH or below. We always recommend a DPM on a damp subfloor. Lay the DPM first, then prime and screed over the top. If the floor is wetter than 75% RH, or has no working damp proof membrane, use one of these.
| DPM | Use with | Moisture limit | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelmore One Coat DPM Fast (5kg) | Kelmore screeds | Up to 98% RH on concrete and cement screeds. Up to 90% RH on calcium sulphate | 2-part epoxy, trowel-applied. Hard and tack-free in about 4½ hours. 5kg covers up to 12.5m² (A2 trowel). Prime with PrimeMore Grip after, or pour Pro or Absolute 30 within 24 hours with no primer. |
| UZIN PE 404 (10kg) | UZIN NC 196 | Up to 98% RH, in 2 coats | 1-part, rolled on. About 60 minutes per coat. Prime with PE 280 before the smoothing compound. Not a substitute for a structural DPM. |
Rough or uneven floor? You can smooth it first with a thin coat of LevelMore Pro, Absolute 30 or Flex & Fibre. These three are moisture tolerant. Let the smoothing coat dry fully, using the drying times in the table above. Then apply One Coat DPM Fast, prime and pour the main screed.
How many bags do I need?
Use the calculator below. Pick the screed, enter the floor area and the average depth. It adds 5% so you don’t run short if the depth varies.
To work it out by hand: floor area (m²) × depth (mm) × the kg per m² per mm below, add 5%, then divide by the bag weight.
| Product | Approx. kg per m² per mm | Bag |
|---|---|---|
| LevelMore Pro | 1.48kg | 20kg |
| LevelMore Absolute 30 | 1.48kg | 20kg |
| LevelMore Flex & Fibre | 1.55kg | 20kg |
| Feather | 1.1kg | 11kg |
| UZIN NC 196 | About 1.33kg (5m² per bag at 3mm) | 20kg |
| Repair Mortar | 1.59kg | 15kg |
Example: 20m² of LevelMore Pro at 5mm is 20 × 5 × 1.48 = 148kg. Add 5% for 155kg. That’s 8 bags.
Buying in bulk and by the pallet
We are stockists of UZIN and Kelmore. Larger packs cost less per bag, and the saving shows on each product page.
- Pallets: all our screeds are sold by the pallet, with free delivery to mainland UK. See the pallet prices below.
- Large orders: for bigger quantities, call 01482 243038 for a quote.
- Mixed pallets: for a mixed screed pallet, call 01482 243038 for a quote.
- Bag and bottle screeds: two-part screeds such as LevelMore Pro and Absolute 30 come as two pallets, one for the bags and one for the bottles.
- Storage: keep bags off the ground in cool, dry conditions.
- Delivery: pallet orders go on free 3 working day delivery to mainland UK. Next day and Highlands and islands delivery aren’t available for pallets.
| Screed | Pallet | Price |
|---|---|---|
| LevelMore Flex & Fibre | 48 bags | £859.00 |
| LevelMore Pro | 48 bags and 48 bottles | £1,149.00 |
| LevelMore Absolute 30 | 48 bags and 48 bottles | £1,199.00 |
| UZIN NC 196 | 50 bags | £999.99 |
Shop all screeds and smoothing compounds
Source: manufacturer technical data sheets, October 2026. Each product page links to its data sheet.