Free screeding - Tools etc for free screeding

[Brerrebate]

Hello,
Have just joined the forum, but have been following it for some time.
Would be interested to know what anyone thinks of the Free Screeding technique and, more relevantly, the various really expensive bits of kit one can buy to achieve it !
The main argument appears to be the removal of formwork, trammels & the like - which I can see would save a lot of time.
And while you're at it - what's a Troll :p

[Dave_L]

Can't help you on the screeding (others are far better suited to offer advice....)

But a troll - This might help!

[Brerrebate]

Thank's for that Dave L.
I'll try not to be one then...

[lutonlagerlout]

welcome to the brew cabin !
LLL

[Suggers]

Pull up a crate, and shut bluudy door - hellava draught..... :;):

[seanandruby]

They are OK where you don't need to work to a 5ml tolerance such as blinding, sub base etc. when you incorporate steelwork you need 40 ml cover at the edges what then? out with the floor saw and jigger. they are a good tool otherwise. the prototype used to bend and you would get 25 ml dips. as for troll Ive had a few after a night on the lash :laugh: :laugh:

[Brerrebate]

Thank's for the welcomes.

Maybe for a novice paver, I'd be better sticking to the traditional methods ( =trammels).
Speed of work is important, obviously; but the quality of the job remains more important.
Just trying to gather other's thoughts, before rushing out & buying the latest gadgets.
Free screeding is a term I discovered when searching for screeding equipment. :p

[lutonlagerlout]

i have never used trammels
i have used lines and various straight edges(bit of ally window frames) but never the official trammels
i suppose on larger areas they would be time savers but on stuff under 100M2 you need adaptable lengths
cheers LLL

[Brerrebate]

Yup
I'm with you so far LLL.
By trammels I was thinking of anything rigid & straight - no prob.
However, if I've understood the principle correctly (re: free screeding), "they" are trying to suggest that the tool can be run over the compacted bedding without any guide at all.
Now, while this all sounds very tempting, re all the set up time saved, and general far*ing around; I fail to see what certaintitty there is that the bedding surface will come true.

Any worthwhile cost/time saving piece of equipment is almost always a sound investment - but, as we all know, there's an awful lot of crap available as well !
DYKWIM
Cheers, Daniel

[seanandruby]

we had one on wheels with built in laser. imagine small trailer size wheels going over 200ml centre reinforced steel. don't think laser was quick enough. 3 months later they were still scabbling the extra 40 ml off the slabs. they have their uses but limited to flat surfaces. the hand held ones are handy as you walk back through the pour it gets rid of the footprints etc.but ok for slab prior to screeding,or built up floors etc.

[matt h]

These gadgets rarely perform as well as expected, and traditional method are imho better... but then i am a bit of a dinosaur

[lutonlagerlout]

i normally set a line up at say finished height then measure down from that to my subbase height or bedding layer depending on application
i will do this every 3 m or so then use a straight edge to screed between these points
once i have done say 3 of these at 3 m centres i can then screed individually
alternatively you can sometimes use a notched board
cheers LLL

[Dave_L]

Exactly how we do it LLL

[Rich H]

Same here. Notched end of the board on the kerb/edging block, free end on scaffold pole/other suitable straight end.

[seanandruby]

the freescreeding tool is used on wet concrete. it is a hand held vibrating tamp that levels it and takes the footprints out. it wouldn't be of benefit to type one, crushed concrete or sand. it can get heavy after a few hundred metres. as i said before...." a good tool for a slab prior to screeding, or jacked up floors. " :;):