Laying, Fitting & Installing Advice

Can I have wood flooring on top of existing tiles, lino or an old wooden floor?

Yes you can as long as you choose a floating and engineered floor. More information about engineered / laminate floors is in our guide.

Do you need underlay for hardwood floors?

You don’t have to have an underlay with a hardwood floor; in fact, if your hardwood floor is solid you must never use an underlay. Solid hardwood floors are relatively unstable and should therefore be mechanically fixed to the sub floor. Only engineered or semi solid floors are stable enough to float on top of an underlay.

Can I use existing carpet underlay beneath my new wood floor?

No you cannot. Carpet underlay has too much give in it. If you fit your hardwood floor on top of carpet underlay the boards will move and will either squeak or come apart - or both.

Can I have a wood floor on top of underfloor heating?

Yes and because of their stability, engineered floors are the most suitable. Check our guide for more information on underfloor heating.

Can I have a load bearing floor / Can I fix it to joists?

For a floor to be load-bearing, it needs to be at least 18mm thick. Solid hardwood floors are 19/20mm thick. However they need to be nailed every 200-300mm, and the joists in most houses are 400mm apart. This means that solid floors cannot be fitted directly to most joists. However our semi-solid floors (6mm hardwood veneer on a 15mm birch ply base) can be nailed 400mm apart, meaning that they can be fitted directly to joists. If in doubt, always get an expert to come and assess your proposed installation.

I want to have a wooden floor over concrete but it's not level - what do I do?

You can level your concrete floor using a self levelling compound.

How can I check that I have a level surface to lay my floor on?

Using a long straight edge. Minor fluctuations in your sub floor are all right. Most floors can tolerate +/- 3mm over a 2 metre span. If in any doubt contact a professional floor fitter. To successfully lay a hardwood floor the subfloor should be one level; this may mean raising the level in one room to match the next. This can be done with different thickness of ply or hardboard depending on the height difference.

Do I need to acclimatise my floor before it is fitted?

Yes and No. Engineered floors need no acclimatisation and in fact once a pack is opened the floor must be fitted. A solid floor will need a minimum of one week to acclimatise, and longer periods of acclimatisation are highly recommended.

Why do I need to acclimatise my wood floor?

Wood is hygroscopic which means it takes on moisture when the air has high relative humidity and will lose moisture when the air has low relative humidity. When wood takes on moisture it expands; when it loses moisture it contracts. To minimise this expansion and contraction it is good practice to acclimatise the wood for two weeks prior to fitting. This only applies to solid wood; engineered boards are kiln dried to around 8% moisture content and because of their construction are much more stable.

Will I need to cut down my doors?

Yes, if the new floor is higher than your existing floor.

I'd like my floor to run through from the living room to the hallway without any breaks.

As professionals, we would recommend a break, but we understand that people do not like them. Fit the floor without a break but be prepared - you may need to put the break in at a later date.