Engineered or solid wood?

Most of the wood floors we fit in Oxfordshire homes are engineered: a real hardwood top layer bonded to a stable multi-layer base. It moves less with changes in temperature and humidity, so it's the usual choice over underfloor heating and in kitchens and extensions.

Solid wood is timber all the way through. It can be sanded and refinished many times over its life, and it's often the right choice for period properties and listed buildings where the floor needs to match what was there before.

Herringbone, chevron & parquet

Pattern floors are where experience really shows. Every block has to be set out from the centre of the room so the pattern runs true and the borders finish evenly at the walls. We fit herringbone and chevron in engineered and solid oak, add borders where they suit the room, and restore original parquet in older homes.

How we fit your floor

Moisture-test concrete subfloors and check timber floors for movement and squeaks
Level or overboard the subfloor so the new floor sits flat
Let the boards acclimatise to the room before fitting
Glue, nail or float the floor – whichever the product and subfloor need
Scribe neatly around door frames, skirting and stairs, and finish with matching trims

Recent wood floor jobs

Washed grey oak herringbone with a border

Engineered oak herringbone laid across the entire landing and into a bedroom, with a border running all the way round, glued down over underfloor heating. The door strips were made by hand to suit, then coloured and stained to match the finish of the floor.

Washed grey oak herringbone floor running across a landing between white balustrades — Washed grey oak herringbone, landing

Herringbone floor with a border running around the edge of a landing and into a bedroom — The border runs throughout, into the bedroom

Engineered oak over new screed and underfloor heating

Engineered oak with a UV natural brushed finish. The floor had to meet up neatly through a tight corridor into a living room, out across a very large open-plan room, back into a gym and down one flight of stairs.

The screed was brand new and heated from below, and a floor like this has to be able to move. So we glued it down with F. Ball Styccobond B95, a high-performance elastic wood flooring adhesive, and strapped the boards while it set, all the way through.

Blue centre line marked out on new screed before the oak is laid — Setting out: centre line marked on the new screed

First row of engineered oak laid down the room with tubs of B95 adhesive lined up beside it — First row down, with the B95 adhesive ready

Engineered oak boards being glued and strapped tight on a trowelled adhesive bed — Glued and strapped while the adhesive sets

Engineered oak with a UV natural brushed finish running through a hallway to the front door — The finished floor through the hall

Engineered oak laid on a landing beside the staircase — Landing

Questions we're often asked

Can engineered wood go over underfloor heating?

Usually, yes – most engineered boards are designed for it. We'll check the manufacturer's guidance for the product you choose and fit it to suit your heating system.

How long does a wood floor take to fit?

It depends on the size of the room, the subfloor and the pattern – herringbone takes longer than straight boards. We'll give you a clear timescale with your quote.

Do you move furniture?

Yes, we can move most furniture – just let us know when you book.

Wood & parquet flooring fitters in Oxford