Property types · Whitstable, CT5
New build homes in Whitstable often have drying screed and snags at handover. What to check before fitting flooring in a new property.
Properties along the older stretches of Tankerton sometimes still have quarry tile or flagstone underneath later coverings, so this property type occasionally throws up a surprise subfloor at survey.
New build floors are usually a fresh screed over underfloor heating or a concrete beam-and-block base, and the single biggest factor in getting flooring right is whether that screed has actually finished drying. Fitting too early is one of the most common causes of problems in new homes.
Standard-specification carpet or basic vinyl supplied by housebuilders is often intended as a placeholder rather than a long-term choice. Upgrading shortly after handover is common, and the screed condition still needs the same checks as it would for a first fit.
New build screeds need time to dry before moisture-sensitive floor coverings can go down safely, and drying time depends on the screed depth, type and ambient conditions rather than a fixed number of weeks. Moisture testing before fitting is the only reliable way to know whether a new screed is ready.
Properties along the older stretches of Tankerton sometimes still have quarry tile or flagstone underneath later coverings, so this property type occasionally throws up a surprise subfloor at survey.
Properties along the older stretches of Tankerton sometimes still have quarry tile or flagstone underneath later coverings, so this property type occasionally throws up a surprise subfloor at survey.
Postcode district CT5, Canterbury City Council.
Most new builds include underfloor heating, and the floor covering chosen needs to be compatible with it, both in terms of heat output and installation method. Flooring fitted before the underfloor heating commissioning process is complete can suffer damage once the system is switched on.
We reach Whitstable via the A299 Thanet Way, and cover the wider CT5 district as part of our normal round.
Our own photographs, used to show construction detail and finish. They are illustrative rather than tied to a specific property.
Moisture test rather than relying on an estimated timeframe from the developer.
Ensure the system has been run through its heat-up cycle before flooring goes down.
Raise uneven screed or skirting issues with the housebuilder before covering them.
It depends on the screed type and depth, so there is no single reliable number of weeks. Moisture testing before fitting is the only way to confirm the screed is genuinely ready.
It depends on whether the screed has finished drying and whether underfloor heating has been commissioned. Both need checking before flooring goes down, even if you plan to fit soon after moving in.
It is often a basic specification intended as a placeholder. Many new owners choose to upgrade, and the screed still needs the same checks whenever that upgrade happens.
Uneven screed finishes, gaps at skirting and threshold height differences between rooms are common on new build plots and are worth raising with the housebuilder first.
New build flooring in Whitstable depends on the screed being genuinely dry and underfloor heating properly commissioned, not just an estimated timeframe.
We test screed moisture and check underfloor heating commissioning before fitting anything.