ARDEX SKM Skimcoat Patch and Finishing Underlayment, Non-Sanded Compound, Fast-Drying Floor Smoothing for Interior Concrete, Wood, Tile, Stone - 10 lb (4.5 kg) Bag (22254)

Product Features:

• Featheredge Skim Coat to 1/2" Thickness: Creates a perfectly smooth surface for all floor coverings, helping correct uneven areas before installation.
• Fast-Drying & Quick-Set Formula: Install most floor finishes in as little as 15 minutes; walkable in 30 minutes, helping reduce overall project downtime.
• Excellent Bond to Multiple Substrates: Adheres to concrete, plywood, VCT, terrazzo, ceramic tile, stone, and more for dependable professional floor preparation.
• Non-Sanded, Trowel-Applied Texture: Smooth creamy consistency for easy application and superior workability across large areas and detailed floor repairs.
• Polymer-Modified for Durability: Resists cracking, shrinking, and delaminating even in thin applications for a strong, reliable finished floor surface.
• Ideal for Surface Repairs & Spot-Patching: Perfect for skim-coating large areas or patching minor imperfections, cracks, and surface irregularities quickly.
• Compatible with All Floor Types: Works under vinyl plank, carpet, engineered wood, tile, laminate, and sheet flooring for highly versatile installations.
• Low VOC & LEED® Eligible: Contributes to healthier indoor air quality and green building certification for environmentally responsible flooring projects.
• Covers Up to 200 Sq. Ft. per Bag: Economical solution with excellent spread rate for efficient large-area skim coating and detailed spot patch repairs.
• Approved for Radiant Heated Floors: Safe for use over electric and hydronic floor heating systems when installed over suitable interior floor substrates.
• SystemOne™ Warranty Eligible: Peace of mind when used with ARDEX and Henry system components for a complete, professionally installed flooring system.
• Suitable for Commercial, Institutional & Residential Use: Built to withstand high-traffic environments in offices, schools, retail spaces, and busy homes.

Product Description:

ARDEX SKM Skimcoat Patch & Finishing Underlayment is a fast-drying, cement-based skim coat compound ideal for smoothing and patching interior concrete, wood, terrazzo, ceramic tile, and other substrates prior to the installation of floor coverings. Engineered for professional flooring installations, ARDEX SKM provides an ultra-smooth, featheredge finish that’s ready for floor covering in as little as 15 minutes. Whether you're repairing minor surface defects, patching cracks, or leveling irregularities, this high-performance underlayment ensures superior bond strength and durability. It is compatible with a wide range of adhesives and flooring types, including vinyl, VCT, laminate, engineered wood, carpet, and tile. This polymer-modified, easy-to-apply blend is trowelable and shrinkage-resistant, delivering outstanding coverage and a reliable, crack-resistant surface. For additional installation flexibility, the material can be applied from a true featheredge up to 1/2″ (12 mm), allowing installers to address extremely thin transitions as well as deeper localized floor repairs with the same floor preparation compound.

ARDEX SKM is perfect for skim-coating large surface areas or spot-patching high-traffic commercial, institutional, and residential settings. It can be used over concrete, gypsum, cement backer board, existing resilient flooring, and more. ARDEX SKM meets or exceeds industry standards for floor preparation and is suitable for use with radiant heated floors and moisture-sensitive floor finishes when installed correctly. Its approved application range also includes moisture-insensitive tile and stone, providing additional versatility when preparing surfaces for tile flooring and stone tile installations. Cutback adhesive residue on concrete is another suitable application when the remaining adhesive is non-water-soluble, expanding its usefulness for renovation and flooring replacement projects where old flooring materials have been removed. At application thicknesses greater than 1/16″, most floor coverings can be installed in approximately 1 to 2 hours, providing clearly defined installation timing for floor preparation work that requires more material than a standard skim coat.

ARDEX SKM™ Skimcoat Patch & Finishing Underlayment is a premium-grade, polymer-modified, cement-based compound designed for fast-track floor preparation in both residential and commercial interior environments. This high-performance skim coat is ideal for smoothing, patching, and feather-finishing over a wide variety of substrates including concrete, wood, terrazzo, ceramic tile, VCT, and non-water-soluble adhesive residues. It creates a smooth, durable, and sandable finish ready to receive most floor coverings in as little as 15 minutes, making it the go-to solution for time-sensitive installations. ARDEX SKM features a non-sanded, creamy texture for easy trowel application, allowing for a true featheredge that eliminates imperfections and surface irregularities. With a working time of approximately 10–15 minutes and walk-on capabilities within 30 minutes at skim coat thickness, it’s engineered for maximum productivity. Its low shrinkage formulation offers excellent adhesion, bond strength, and crack resistance, even in thin applications. When used beneath moisture-insensitive tile with Portland cement-based setting materials at thicknesses greater than 1/16″, installation can proceed in approximately 60 to 90 minutes, supporting efficient scheduling for interior floor tile and stone installations.

This versatile finishing underlayment is compatible with vinyl, carpet, laminate, engineered hardwood, tile, and other floor coverings, and it supports installation over radiant heated subfloors and moisture-insensitive areas. With a low VOC content and contribution to LEED® credits, ARDEX SKM is an environmentally responsible choice. Each 10 lb. bag covers approximately 150 to 200 sq. ft. at skim coat depth, making it an efficient and economical option for both large surface areas and detailed spot patching. For full-bag mixing, use 1.5 quarts (1.4 L) of water per 10 lb. (4.5 kg) bag to achieve the proper application consistency. Smaller batches can be prepared using a ratio of 3 parts powder to 1 part water by volume, giving installers greater control when performing localized patching, featheredge repairs, or smaller floor underlayment preparation areas. Actual coverage can vary according to the texture and condition of the surface being smoothed, an important consideration when estimating material requirements for rough or irregular substrates.

ARDEX SKM meets or exceeds industry standards for surface preparation and is backed by the ARDEX SystemOne™ warranty when installed in conjunction with approved adhesives. The finished product has a VOC content of 0, making it well suited for interior floor preparation projects where low-emission building materials are preferred. Each bag contains 10 lb. (4.5 kg) of material and should be stored in a cool, dry area without leaving the packaging exposed to direct sun. Unopened bags have a shelf life of one year when stored properly, helping contractors, flooring professionals, renovators, and facility maintenance teams manage material inventory for future floor repair and finishing work. With its controlled mixing options, broad application thickness, dependable performance over multiple interior substrates, and specific installation windows for thicker applications, ARDEX SKM provides a practical flooring underlayment solution for professional floor preparation, surface smoothing, patching, resurfacing, and finishing before the installation of finished flooring.

Installation:

• Mixing Ratio: 1.5 quarts (1.4 L) of water per 10 lb. (4.5 kg) bag
  For smaller batches, use 3 parts powder to 1 part water by volume
  
• Coverage: 150 – 200 sq. ft. (14 – 18.5 sq. m) per bag at a skim coat
  
• Coverage will vary depending on the texture of the surface being smoothed.