We fitted engineered wood flooring across the ground floor of a Victorian property in London, E7 earlier this year. The client wanted to replace tired carpet with a hardwearing floor that could cope with family life and a busy kitchen. The work involved removing the existing flooring, preparing the concrete subfloor, and installing engineered oak boards with an underlay system suitable for solid ground floors.
Work carried out
- Removal of existing carpet and underlay
- Assessment and preparation of concrete subfloor
- Installation of moisture barrier
- Fitting of engineered oak flooring with click system
- Beading and trim installation
- Final sanding and finishing
About the project
The property was a typical Victorian terrace with a suspended timber floor in the front room and a concrete slab underneath the extension where the kitchen sits. This mix meant we needed different approaches for each space. The suspended floor presented no major issues, but the concrete slab in the kitchen had been there for roughly 15 years with no damp proof membrane recorded. Before we started, we ran a calcium carbide test to check moisture levels. The reading came back at 3.2%, which is within acceptable limits for engineered wood, but it meant we had to install a polyethylene barrier as a precaution before laying the boards.
The engineered boards we chose were 15mm thick with a 4mm oak veneer, clicked together rather than nailed. This method suits concrete substrates better because it allows for minor movement without stress on the joints. Preparation took longer than a straightforward timber floor would have, partly because we had to level areas where the concrete had settled over decades. We used a self levelling compound on the kitchen slab and sanded down high spots in the front room where the boards had cupped slightly. The whole job, including final sanding and two coats of satin lacquer, took eight days from start to finish.
About our London, E7 service
East London properties range from Victorian and Edwardian terraces near the town centres to inter war semis and modern new builds towards the river. We work across all three regularly. Victorian and Edwardian properties often have original timber floors that are worth restoring, but many owners prefer engineered flooring in kitchens and bathrooms where moisture is a concern. The solid ground floors in these older properties require careful assessment because many lack modern damp proof membranes. We always test before we fit anything. New build properties tend to come with concrete slabs and easier site access, which makes our job more straightforward, though we still check moisture levels as a standard step.
The area has good transport links and we're familiar with street parking constraints in the residential roads, so we plan logistics carefully to avoid blocking neighbours' driveways. Most of our E7 jobs are in family homes where people are upgrading from carpet or vinyl. Hardwearing flooring makes sense here because properties turn over regularly and a quality floor adds genuine value. We've fitted everything from budget engineered stock to premium European boards with hand scraped finishes. The subfloor conditions vary considerably depending on how old the property is, which is why we never assume anything and always test and prepare properly before the boards go down.
