Spikes play an integral role in laying screed and other flooring products; they’re crucial. These three are the most commonly used –

Spiked roller – thoroughly mixed flooring products can contain air bubbles and so spiked rollers are an essential tool used in the process of floor laying. These polypropylene cylindrical rollers covered with sharp spikes and are attached to a handle for easy use. The benefits of using spiked rollers when laying screed:

• Air Bubble Removal: One of the primary purposes of spiked rollers is to eliminate air bubbles trapped within the screed. Air bubbles can cause voids and weak spots in the screed, which can compromise the integrity and strength of the floor. Rolling the spiked roller over the freshly laid screed helps release these air bubbles, ensuring a uniform and solid finish.
• Ensuring a Level Surface: By rolling over the surface of the screed, the spiked roller helps to ensure that the screed is evenly distributed and level. This is crucial for achieving that flat, smooth surface, which is necessary for the installation of the next flooring product.
• Improving Adhesion: The spikes on the roller can slightly agitate the surface of the screed, promoting better bonding between the screed and the substrate or between layers in a multi-layer application.
• Enhancing Self-levelling Compounds: Spiked rollers are particularly useful when working with self-levelling screeds or compounds. These materials are designed to flow and level themselves out, but using a spiked roller helps to ensure an even distribution and smooth finish, as well as to prevent the formation of surface tension lines.
• Preventing Surface Crusting: The action of the spiked roller can help to prevent the surface of the screed from crusting over too quickly, allowing the underlying material to cure more uniformly.

The rollers can come in three spike lengths, depending upon the depth of screed being laid, and three different roller widths. To use a spiked roller effectively, it’s important to roll it gently and consistently over the surface of the screed while it is still wet. This ensures the best results in terms of levelling, air bubble removal, and overall finish quality.

Pin leveller – set the depth of the pins and simply push the screed around to avoid high spots and dips. This is a very simple solution to the problem where a uniform level is critical and for large areas it can be used in conjunction with a feather edge.

Spiked shoes – for when you need to walk across a recently laid screeded floor without leaving footprints. The spikes concentrate the weight into a tiny area which the screed quickly recovers. Indeed, the spikes will also help burst any air bubbles under the surface. The spike may also prick into the substrate which will also help to bond the screed. Overall, spiked shoes are essential for maintaining the quality and integrity of the flooring product during the installation process.

Spiked shoes come in ‘easy on and off’ slider style or the cheaper, strap onto work boots.

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