FAST-TRACK
THE DRYING PROCESS
When laying a floor, it is vital that the screed or concrete dries quickly and effectively, particularly when working to a tight deadline. Hire specialist, Andrews Sykes, discusses the key ways to speed up the floor drying process...
As many flooring professionals will know, the weather can cause major problems when waiting for screed or concrete to dry. The delicate nature of the process can often result in delays of up to several weeks simply waiting for the evaporation of moisture, prior to laying the chosen flooring.
Whilst warm air tends to draw out and hold moisture, cold air is more resistant and this is why a warmer environment is favourable when looking to increase the pace of the drying process.
When working to a tight schedule, delays can be expensive and therefore, over the years, drying solutions have progressed to assist in speeding up the natural drying process.
HEATERS Often, heaters are the first port of call to raise the temperature of a site, followed by opening windows to let the moisture out. Indirect Fired Heaters are usually the most appropriate solution as this type of heater produces clean, dry heat, unlike Direct Fired Heaters which can produce up to 0.75 litres of moisture per litre of fuel.
However, in addition to the use of heaters, the drying process can be fast-tracked in a number of ways whilst also reducing the costs of solely using heaters to increase on-site temperature.
DEHUMIDIFIERS Dehumidifiers working in tandem with heaters is one option favoured by many. Often overlooked as they present an additional upfront cost, dehumidifiers can in fact save time and
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money. As the dehumidifier will extract the moisture in the air faster than simply opening a window, moisture will exit the screed or concrete more quickly. This decreased drying time will actually offset the cost of the dehumidifier hire, with a shortened requirement for heating equipment.
Setting up a thermostat is another option popular with users wanting to reduce the amount of time that heaters are running. This solution will see the heaters connected to a thermostat, which will ensure that the heating units are only running up to a specified temperature. Once that temperature is reached, the units will switch off, just like a thermostat in the home.
In order to fully capitalise on the warm air generated by heating units, a process called recirculation can also be implemented. This reduces the need to continually heat cool air as the preheated warm air can be recirculated once the moisture has been removed.
UNDER-FLOOR HEATING The ultimate route to drying out flooring centres is identifying the most appropriate application for the situation. In environments where under- floor heating has already been laid, temporary boilers can be connected to raise the temperature of the flooring and encourage the drying process. Having heat this close to the wet screed or cement will increase drying times whilst using equipment already in situ.
Student Apartment Complex, Greenwich
Andrews Heat for Hire was recently called out to a new student apartment
complex in Greenwich that was nearing completion.
As the end of the construction process took place in the winter months, Andrews were tasked with raising the environmental temperature throughout three separate blocks on site in order to effectively dry the screed before the flooring was laid.
Following a site survey, the unique requirements of the project meant that a specific heating solution was necessary for each block.
An FH111 Indirect Fired Heater, an FH185 Indirect Heater and a high capacity FH4000 unit were delivered to site and deployed outside target locations. Andrews Heat for Hire technicians then installed ducting on interior ceilings by connecting cable ties to existing fixtures.
Once operational, the heaters ensured a stable temperature was constantly maintained, which ensured all screed applications dried without any issues.
www.andrews-sykes.com FEATURE | 25
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