What Setcrete does

Setcrete is a UK-based manufacturer of subfloor preparation and tiling installation products, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of F. Ball and Co. Limited. Founded in 1886, the company employs 51–100 people and produces a portfolio that includes levelling compounds, primers, damp proof membranes, waterproofing systems, tile adhesives and grouts, carpet adhesives, and repair mortars. Its products are specified and applied by flooring contractors, tilers, and the broader UK construction trade, with technical training and product demonstration delivered through a dedicated Centre of Excellence facility.

The company's business model is a traditional B2B specialty chemicals model: Setcrete manufactures branded formulations under the Setcrete name and distributes them through major UK builders' merchants (Travis Perkins, Wickes, MKM) and specialist flooring/tiling buying groups (NMBS, IBC). Revenue is generated through unit sales of physical products rather than subscription, licensing, or services. Customer acquisition is driven by trade specification, merchant shelf presence, contractor training, and brand marketing including a Fix Radio campaign and a recently relaunched corporate website. The product line has been expanded in 2025 to include tile adhesives and grout, a High Tack Carpet Spray Adhesive, and a Rapid Set Repair Mortar, indicating a strategy of category extension from the core subfloor preparation franchise into adjacent tiling and repair use cases.

Setcrete is a sub-scale subsidiary within a larger privately-held parent group, which limits standalone financial visibility but provides corporate backing for product development, distribution, and brand investment. The company's competitive position rests on long-established brand heritage, broad trade-channel coverage, and installer relationships built through training and specification, rather than on technology differentiation or digital platforms.

Name

Setcrete

Legal name

Setcrete Ltd.

Website

https://setcrete.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Setcrete is a UK-based subsidiary of F. Ball and Co. Limited that manufactures subfloor preparation products and tiling installation chemicals (levelling compounds, primers, waterproofing, adhesives, grouts, and repair mortars), distributed to the trade through builders' merchants and buying groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Chemicals / Floor Preparation Products

akta.pro primary industry

Flooring Installation Materials & Accessories (Adhesives, Grouts, Trims, Transitions) (IMADAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Primers, Bonding Agents & Surface Preparation Products (IMADAOAK), Gypsum-Based Underlayments & Self-Leveling Floor Toppings (IMADAEAH)

Keywords

• Floor levelling compounds
• Tile adhesives
• Subfloor preparation
• Damp proof membranes
• Repair mortars

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheddleton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Floor Levelling Compounds: Sale of powder-based floor levelling compounds for subfloor preparation, including general purpose (Universal, Latex) and specialist products (Rapid Set 30, High Performance, 2K Pro, Level-Smart, Deep Base, Exterior). Sold through merchants in 20kg sacks or similar packaging.
2. Tile Adhesives and Grouts: Sale of cementitious tile adhesives (Rapid S1 and Standard S1) and grouts (Rapid Flex Tile Grout). Adhesives supplied in 20kg sacks, grouts in 3kg packs. Launched in 2026.
3. Subfloor Preparation Products: Damp proof membranes, primers, repair mortars, and flooring adhesives for complete subfloor preparation systems. Complementary products that work together.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Setcrete manufactures and supplies subfloor preparation and tiling installation products for the UK construction trade. Its portfolio includes floor levelling compounds, tile adhesives, tile grouts, damp proof membranes, primers, repair mortars, and flooring adhesives designed to work together as a complete subfloor preparation system. Products are sold through builders' merchants across the UK and supported with technical advice, site visits, training, and merchant-facing demonstration services.

Product overview

Setcrete is a UK-based manufacturer of subfloor preparation and tiling installation products for professional builders and tradespeople. The product portfolio consists of floor levelling compounds (including Universal, Latex, High Performance, 2K PRO, Level-Smart, Deep Base, Rapid Set 30, and Exterior), tile adhesives (Rapid S1 and Standard S1), tile grouts (Rapid Flex), flooring adhesives (Flexible Wood Flooring Adhesive, High Tack Carpet Spray Adhesive), damp proof membranes (Rapid Set DPM, Fast-Track Primer DPM), primers (Acrylic Primer), and repair mortars (Rapid Set Repair Mortar, Concrete Repair Mortar). These products are designed to work together as a complete subfloor preparation system, enabling professional floor installations from substrate preparation through to final tiling. The company sells through builders' merchants across the UK and offers technical support and training services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rapid S1 Tile Adhesive A high-performance, flexible, polymer-modified cementitious tile adhesive developed for fast-track installations, with 25-minute open time, 45-minute pot life, and groutable from 3 hours. Conforms to EN12004. For professional builders and tilers requiring reliable, quick-install tile fixing.
• Standard S1 Tile Adhesive A flexible, polymer-modified cementitious adhesive designed for reliable, high-strength fixing of wall and floor tiles, with 40-minute open time, 4-hour pot life, and ready for grouting from 16 hours. Conforms to EN12004.
• Rapid Flex Tile Grout A rapid-setting, flexible, polymer-modified cementitious grout for walls and floors, efflorescence-free and mould resistant, with 40-minute working time, 4-hour setting time, suitable for joints up to 15mm. Conforms to EN13888.
• Deep Base A floor levelling compound designed to raise and smooth uneven floors, applicable at 5-50mm thickness in a single application. Walk on hard after 90 minutes; floorcoverings installable from 6 hours. For subfloor preparation in commercial and residential projects.
• Latex A floor levelling compound for internal, light to medium traffic areas, applicable up to 10mm thick. Walk on hard after 2 hours; floorcoverings installable from 24 hours.
• Universal A general-purpose floor levelling compound for light traffic, internal areas, applicable up to 6mm thick. Walk on hard after 3 hours; floorcoverings installable from 24 hours.
• 2K PRO A rapid-drying, 2-part high-performance floor levelling compound designed for use over old adhesive residues without priming. Walk on hard after 90 minutes; floorcoverings installable from 4 hours.
• High Performance A fibre-reinforced, flexible levelling compound and wearing surface designed for use over plywood and uneven concrete floors. Walk on hard after 1-2 hours; floorcoverings installable from 6 hours.
• Exterior An external floor levelling and resurfacing compound for use outside, unaffected by rain or frost when set. Walk-on time from 2 hours; working time of 10-15 minutes at 20°C.
• Rapid Set 30 A rapid setting, rapid drying floor levelling compound for quick installations. Walk on hard after 30 minutes; floorcoverings installable from 2 hours.
• Level-Smart A rapid-drying water-mix floor levelling compound for use over old adhesive residues without priming, applicable at 2-30mm thickness. Walk on hard after 90 minutes; floorcoverings installable from 4 hours. EMICODE licensed for low VOC emissions.
• Rapid Set DPM A 2-part epoxy resin damp proof membrane suppressing residual construction moisture and rising damp, curing in 3 hours and providing total protection up to 98% RH.
• Fast-Track Primer DPM A water-based moisture barrier for new sand/cement and concrete screeds, applied as a 2-coat roller system with 60-minute drying time, providing protection against residual construction moisture up to 95% RH.
• Acrylic Primer A primer designed to promote adhesion and reduce pinholing for all Setcrete Floor Levelling Compounds, suitable for both absorbent and non-absorbent surfaces.
• Rapid Set Repair Mortar A fast-setting single-component mortar for repairing concrete surfaces, with freeze-thaw resistance. Walk on hard from 30-60 minutes. Available in 2.5kg and 5kg packs.
• Concrete Repair Mortar A single-component Polymer Cement Concrete (PCC) mortar for non-structural repair of damaged or worn concrete, for internal and external use on horizontal and vertical surfaces. Drying time approximately 6 hours at 20°C. Available in 2.5kg, 5kg, and 10kg packs.
• Flexible Wood Flooring Adhesive A rapid-setting, highly flexible, moisture-curing modified polyurethane adhesive for wood flooring, suitable for wood blocks, engineered, solid plank, or wood strip flooring. Open time up to 20 minutes.
• High Tack Carpet Spray Adhesive A high-tack spray adhesive for installing textile floorcoverings such as carpet tiles, underlay, and soft textile floorcoverings, suitable also for perimeter fixing of PU and foam/gel backed carpets. A 500ml can covers approximately 3.5m2 in a single coat; dries within 3-10 minutes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Walk-on hard in 30 minutes with Rapid Set 30; floorcoverings installable from 45 minutes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NMBScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNMBS is a buying group for independent builders' merchants. Setcrete supplies products through NMBS, which aggregates purchasing power for member merchants. Products are promoted at NMBS exhibitions and events.
• IBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIBC is a buying group for builders' merchants. Setcrete supplies products through IBC to member merchants.
• Builders' Merchants NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBuilders' Merchants News runs the annual BM Awards. Setcrete sponsors the Community Initiative of the Year award for the third consecutive year, reinforcing community values and brand visibility in the sector.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sika UK: UK arm of Swiss multinational Sika, offering flooring resins, levelling compounds, tile adhesives, and waterproofing systems. Comparable in product overlap, but Sika operates a much broader construction chemicals portfolio across multiple categories.
• Weber (Saint-Gobain): UK tiling and flooring preparation brand within Saint-Gobain, offering tile adhesives, grouts, levelling compounds, and subfloor systems. Overlaps directly with Setcrete's category, distributed through UK builders' merchants, but part of a much wider Saint-Gobain construction products portfolio.
• F. Ball and Co. Setcrete's parent company and the leading UK specialist in flooring adhesives and floor preparation products. Comparable in product category (subfloor prep, adhesives) and UK trade channel distribution, but operates as a broader portfolio brand rather than a focused sub-brand.

Emerging players

• Kerakoll UK: UK operations of Italian specialist manufacturer of tile adhesives, grouts, and eco-certified floor preparation products. Comparable product overlap with Setcrete's tiling range, with growing UK specification presence and a sustainability-led brand positioning.

Regional players

• Larsen Building Products: UK-focused manufacturer of tile adhesives, grouts, levelling compounds, and screeds for the professional trade. Comparable product category and merchant-channel model, with a similar mid-sized independent profile in the UK market.

Direct peers

• UltraFloor (Instarmac Group): UK brand within the Instarmac Group manufacturing subfloor preparation products, levelling compounds, and flooring adhesives. Directly comparable product portfolio and UK merchant distribution, with the added scale of the Instarmac parent.
• ARDEX UK: UK arm of the global ARDEX Group, manufacturing flooring levelling compounds, tile adhesives, grouts, and subfloor preparation systems. Directly comparable product portfolio and UK merchant-channel distribution model, with deeper global R&D resources.
• Tilemaster Adhesives: UK-based independent manufacturer of tile adhesives, grouts, levelling compounds, and subfloor preparation products. Directly comparable mid-sized UK competitor with merchant-channel distribution and a similar specialist-product positioning.
• Bostik UK: UK operations of Arkema's Bostik adhesives brand, supplying flooring adhesives, tile adhesives, and subfloor preparation products. Directly comparable in product category and trade-channel distribution, with parent-group scale advantages.
• Mapei UK: UK subsidiary of Italian multinational Mapei, offering cementitious levelling compounds, tile adhesives, grouts, and floor preparation products. Directly competes with Setcrete in the UK trade channel, with a broader product portfolio and global brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=UxltfVx8EJI
• Xx.com/Setcrete
• Facebookfacebook.com/Setcrete-100063640236958
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/setcrete

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Setcrete