Mapei Mapecemp Pronto

Project schedules demand faster turnarounds. When a floor needs to be trafficable in hours and ready for covering in a day, waiting for traditional screeds is not an option. Mapecem Pronto delivers a pre-blended, controlled-shrinkage screed mortar that achieves high early strength and rapid drying, getting the next trade on site sooner without compromising the floor's integrity.

Why this product exists

Mapecem Pronto was formulated to eliminate the variability and delays inherent in traditional site-mixed screeds. It removes the potential for human error in binder-to-aggregate ratios and the inconsistency of local aggregate quality. The result is a factory-blended system that guarantees predictable early strength and drying performance, ensuring time-critical projects stay on schedule and final floor finishes are installed over a stable, consistent base. This pre-blended approach is particularly valuable in areas where access for raw materials is difficult or precise aggregate grading is hard to source, such as historical town centres.

The numbers that matter

Mapecem Pronto is classified to EN 13813 as CT-C60-F10-A1FL. This means it provides a cementitious screed (CT) with a high compressive strength of 60 N/mm², a flexural strength of 10 N/mm², and minimal shrinkage (F10). The A1FL fire rating provides non-combustible performance. This classification ensures the screed delivers a high-performance, durable base capable of supporting significant loads and foot traffic.

Crucially, screeds made with Mapecem Pronto are ready for foot traffic in just 2-3 hours. Ceramic and natural stone can be laid after 3-4 hours, and moisture-sensitive finishes like PVC, linoleum, or timber can follow after approximately 24 hours. This accelerated timeline is supported by a residual moisture content of less than 2% after 24 hours, directly addressing the critical requirement for moisture-sensitive floor coverings.

What it's like to use

Mapecem Pronto is supplied as a grey powder in 20kg bags, requiring only the addition of 1.5-1.7 litres of water per bag. The mix should be prepared using a paddle, drum, or forced-action mixer for 3-4 minutes to achieve a homogeneous consistency. The working pot life is between 20-30 minutes, necessitating swift placement. Tamp and float the mix until a smooth, closed surface is achieved without residual water. All tools can be cleaned with water immediately after use.

Where this product excels

This rapid-set screed is designed for projects demanding a quick return to service and early floor covering installation across diverse applications.

• High-traffic commercial and public areas: For screed repairs and renovations in settings like supermarkets, hospitals, and airports, where minimal downtime is critical. The rapid cure allows areas to be reopened quickly.
• Time-sensitive flooring installations: When laying ceramic, natural stone, timber, PVC, or carpet, the ability to install floor coverings within hours or a day significantly shortens project timelines.
• Bonded, unbonded, and floating screeds: It performs consistently across various screed types, including those requiring isolation from the substrate or incorporating underfloor heating systems. For high mechanical stress applications, bonding with Eporip is recommended.
• Underfloor heating systems: Can be incorporated without the need for additional plasticisers, and the heating system can be commissioned just four days after screed installation.

How it fits in a real system

Mapecem Pronto typically forms the essential base layer for a complete flooring system where speed is a priority. For bonded screeds, a bonding slurry prepared with Planicrete SP is applied fresh-on-fresh directly before the Mapecem Pronto mix to ensure optimal adhesion. If the project involves rising damp, a suitable Mapei waterproofing membrane must be applied prior to the screed, or after a minimum of four hours. For resilient floor coverings over concrete, a moisture vapour barrier like Primer MF or Mapeproof 1K Turbo may be required above the screed, depending on AS 1884 readings.

Choose this when

• When projects require rapid access and early floor covering installation, allowing ceramic or stone in 3-4 hours, and moisture-sensitive finishes in 24 hours.
• When consistency and predictability are paramount, and you need to avoid the variability of site-mixed screeds.
• When installing underfloor heating systems and require a screed that integrates without additional additives and allows quick commissioning.
• When working on renovation projects in high-traffic areas where downtime must be minimised.

Don't use this when

• Not for: Mixing with other binders such as Mapecem, Topcem, cement, or gypsum, as this will compromise the controlled properties.
• Not for: Applications where the water ratio cannot be precisely controlled; altering the water amount will reduce final performance.
• Not for: Re-wetting or re-mixing once the mortar has begun to set, as this will lead to a compromised final product.
• Not for: Use as a fine concrete skim finish; for this, consider a product like planitop-fine-finish.
• Not for: Rapid concrete floor patch repairs; for this, mapegrout-fast-set-rapido is a more suitable choice.
• Not for: Conflating rapid-set screed with waterproofing; address rising damp situations with a suitable waterproofing approach, such as mapeproof1k-10.