Residential floor finishes

The floor of the average house from 1400 to 1600 was little more than compacted earth, chalk or lime ash. In areas where the materials were available, stone flags and large clay tiles were laid directly on top of the earth. This was the flooring of choice throughout the period. See Stone flags and floor tiles.

During the 1960s cement screeds became more popular, but the relationship between the amount of water needed in the mix and single-sized coarse aggregate was not widely understood. As a result many screeds had to be made up in a consistency more akin to concrete, which made them too wet and more prone to shrinkage problems. See Residential floor screeds.

Service pipes buried in floor screeds are never a good idea and are best kept above floor level. The theory that buried pipes are disturbed less and so less prone to damage is supportable up to a point. Like many aspects of construction, workmanship can let down the best plans but it may be some time before any significant problems emerge. See Services in floor screeds.