Laying Dry Floors Yourself – Complete Guide

Regardless of whether you are building a new building or renovating an old one: Before you decide on a floor covering such as laminate or vinyl, you first have to make another choice: dry or wet screed. In this article, we will look at dry floors. We will list their advantages and explain for which applications dry floors are the best option.

But what is most important for you in this article is that you will receive detailed step-by-step instructions that will enable you to lay your screed yourself. This will turn a construction project into your personal craft project. 

Dry floors: definition, advantages, and applications

Dry floors are an excellent alternative to wet screed and are now preferred by many builders. We will tell you what speaks for dry floors and reveal why they look very good in both old and new buildings.

The advantages of dry floors

The big advantage of a dry floor, also called dry screed, is the fact that it does not have to dry. This is also the main difference between a wet screed, which consists of wet mortar. This in turn consists of an aggregate – often sand – and a binding agent such as cement.

The dry screed, on the other hand, consists of finished dry subfloors. These are mainly material panels made of cement, gypsum fiber, or wood. The material is usually laid floating, then glued and screwed. Since the floor does not need to dry, you can walk on it immediately after installation and start laying the floor covering.

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Because dry floors have a lower layer height than wet screed and therefore their surface weight is lower, they are also a very good choice for renovating old buildings. This is particularly beneficial for old ceilings, which in many cases are not very resilient. The low construction height, which starts at around 20 millimeters, also speaks for use in rooms with low ceiling heights. The connection heights to doors are also generally not a problem.

The advantages of dry floors have now made them a popular solution in damp rooms. In such areas, for example in the bathroom, you should make sure that the screed is protected from moisture from above and especially from below. Speaking of protection: dry floors are considered fireproof, and the fire resistance class depends on the thickness of the floor panels.

Also good to know: Dry floors can also be easily laid on underfloor heating.

Step-by-step instructions: Laying dry floors

There are a few stages to take between preparing the floor and walking on the new dry screed for the first time. But you can master them yourself: simply follow our step-by-step instructions and nothing will stand in the way of your first dry floor being installed by yourself!

Step 1: Draw the meter line

Before you start laying the dry floor, a few preparatory measures are required. First, vacuum the subfloor thoroughly and remove small bumps if possible. Then mark the so-called meter line. This is the reference height for later work. For example, when installing sockets or fittings. The meter line must therefore be measured precisely.

And it works like this: You measure one meter up from the top edge of the future floor covering. So if you are planning to lay a parquet floor on the screen, you have to add its height to one meter. The height of the insulation fill, which follows in step 2, also has to be added. The marking is then made at 1.20 meters, for example.

Because the substructure can be uneven, it is important to measure and mark the meter line at various points in the room. The easiest way to do this is with a cross-line laser. Alternatively, you can use a yardstick folding rule or a hose level. The key is to measure accurately. So take your time!

Step 2: Attach edge strips & drip protection

After you have created the meter mark, attach the edge insulation strip. This separates the screed from the wall and prevents sound transmission. Edge strips are available in various materials, often made of PE foam and mineral fiber. You usually get edge strips on a roll, similar to adhesive tape.

Glue the edge strip around the room at the transitions between the floor and the wall. We recommend double-sided adhesive tape or solvent-free construction adhesive. The adhesive should only hold until the screed is filled and then press the edge strip against the wall. Important: The wall strip must be placed higher than the screed. The excess part is cut off after the screed has been laid.

Also, make sure that edge strips are available in different thicknesses. If you don’t use underfloor heating, a thickness of five millimeters is sufficient. If you have underfloor heating, however, it is better to choose a thickness of eight millimeters or more.

We recommend using a vapor-permeable separating layer (e.g. fleece, kraft paper) between the substrate and the insulation fill, which follows in the next step. This serves as a trickle protection that prevents the small beads of the insulation fill from penetrating the substrate – for example, if the substrate consists of wooden beams. It also prevents the formation of condensate or moisture.

Step 3: Pour out insulation material for the insulation fill

After you have glued the edge strip and laid out the separating layer, you can start with the insulation fill. It consists of small insulation beads, which are made from the volcanic rock perlite or granulate, for example. The insulation fill has several functions. Firstly, it compensates for uneven floors and height differences. Secondly, it offers efficient thermal insulation and impact sound decoupling.

This is how you lay the insulation fill: Pour some of the fill material onto two parallel walls to form a strip around 20 centimeters wide and align them according to the meter mark. Then fill the resulting gap to the same height. Use a long, flat object, such as a strip, to smooth the fill to an even level.

You can use a spirit level to check and align. The height of the insulation varies and depends mainly on the unevenness that you have to compensate for. The insulation should be at least 1 cm thick at the thinnest point or over pipes.

When constructing a floor with fill, we recommend laying a cover plate, usually made of wood fiber. The high strength of the cover plate makes it easier to use when filling the floor mechanically, while still allowing low construction heights. This makes laying the prefabricated screeds much easier.

Step 4: Laying screed elements

Now you can start laying the screed elements. Each element has a step fold on the side. This is where the panels are glued together. You start with the layer that is directly against the wall. Here you have to cut off the step fold on the wall side so that the screed ends correctly. This is best done with a plunge saw.

To complete a row from left to right, you have to cut the end piece. Glue the individual screed elements together above the respective step fold. In addition, screw the panels in the fold area with drywall screws – within ten minutes of gluing. Otherwise, the adhesive can expand and push the panels up. Attach the other rows of panels in the same way until the screed is completely laid.

Important: Make sure that no cross joints are created when laying the screed. These can cause cracks later on. Instead, arrange the panels so that the joints are always at least 20 centimeters apart.

Step 5: Change the laying direction

If you want to equip several rooms on one floor with a new screed, it may be necessary to change the laying direction. For example, in the hallway: there you usually lay lengthways rather than crossways.   To change, first cut off the step fold of the screed element with which you want to change the laying direction. Then start laying lengthways until the hallway is completely laid. On the walls, cut the end pieces as before.

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