'Thorough preparation when laying screed is often underestimated'

Introduction to excellent cast floors

A home or building is more than just a roof over your head, according to Joost van der Velde, director and owner at Giessen-based Caracterr BV. "We create a living or working environment with its own character. With our handcrafted and seamlessly applied cast floors, we help determine the atmosphere; we make every space excel."

Caracterr supplies and makes cast floors at companies and consumers in the Netherlands, Belgium and sometimes abroad. Van der Velde: "We make cast floors that are especially beautiful and we look beyond a functional or technical solution such as application in commercial kitchens or parking garages. We can do that too, by the way, but our focus is mainly on design. We work a lot with interior designers and stylists, especially when it comes to trends in colors, where we also develop new things in consultation."

Van der Velde continues, "Not only do we want a cast floor that is easy to clean, but also one that is beautiful and stays that way. That is our first starting point. We achieve that by using high-quality materials in harmonious colors. Our second principle is that we do the entire process, including the execution, in-house. In this, preparation is essential. The cast floor is relatively thin, so it is important that the substrate is flat and tight, without unevenness. If correction is necessary, we can diamond sand, repair holes and trenches and level the entire surface ourselves. It is precision work because a screed is composed of several layers, usually five. If it goes wrong in the first layer, you will see it reflected in the final result. Hence the credo in our work; check yourself every day, because during the first few days mistakes can be corrected, with the end result being an excellent cast floor."