What's an acceptable builders finish?

[stem]

I'm having an extension on my kitchen for which I have employed people to do the critical parts I can't manage.

A builder has laid a concrete base and also filled in the gap where the old outside wall was removed. But where new joins old it is not very level and there are lumps in the new concrete which is also very dusty.

We are going to fit vinyl flooring and the companies we have approached to fit it say the floor needs a levelling screed, which they say should have be done by the builder. Is this correct?

What is the normal finish we should expect from a builder?

 

[Richard C]

You really do have to make it clear what standard of work you are looking for, watch them like a hawk & don’t pay the balance until you’re happy. The guy didn’t have a horse tied up out the front somewhere did he? Did the job include laying a finished floor screed? it sounds like you just have a rough concrete base finish. The screed should be flat, level & should have been taken up to the same height as the original kitchen floor. I had a 20 sq/m conservatory built on the back of my kitchen last year & they laid a 40mm floor screed over the reinforced concrete base & footings, bringing the finished floor level up to the same height as the existing kitchen floor. It was perfectly flat & level & all the tiler had to do was lay straight over the top & into the kitchen. We have fitted a threshold plate across the door opening as a tiled floor will invariably crack where the new meets the old.

 

[noseall]

builders will either lay a trowel finish concrete floor or lay a screed on top of the floor slab at a later date.

a builder will cast the floor slab once the brick or block work is up to dpc.

he can either keep the finished level down from existing by 75mm, rough tamp the slab, then add a finer 75mm floor screed later on, once all the "muck and bullets" has finished.

or he can fill to the top or to existing floor level and power float the concrete rather than rough tamp.

either way you should end up with a fairly smooth floor.

 

[stem]

Thanks Guys, armed with your info I tacked the builder & he's agreed to add a latex screed.