We are floor fitters working across South London and North Kent with laminate, engineered wood, LVT and Karndean, vinyl, solid timber and parquet. Most flooring problems are subfloor problems — an uneven, damp or poorly prepared base will telegraph through any covering laid over it, usually within the first year. We prepare the subfloor properly as part of the job rather than treating it as an optional extra discovered on the morning we arrive.
The visible part of a flooring job is the covering. The part that decides whether it still looks right in five years is everything underneath it. A timber subfloor needs to be sound, level and free of movement. A concrete one needs to be dry, flat and correctly primed. Skip either and you get lifting joints, hollow-sounding patches, squeaks and gaps opening at the perimeter.
We lift and dispose of existing flooring, assess and prepare the subfloor including levelling compound and ply overlay where they are needed, fit underlay and damp membranes where the specification calls for them, then install the covering with the correct expansion gaps and finish with beading, thresholds and scotia.
We also restore existing timber. Sanding and refinishing original floorboards or parquet frequently produces a better result than covering them over, and it is almost always cheaper than a new floor. In period property it is worth lifting a corner of the carpet before deciding anything.
The right floor depends less on taste than most people expect, and more on what the room does.
In kitchens and utility rooms, water is the deciding factor. LVT and vinyl are fully waterproof and warm underfoot. Engineered wood works if you accept some risk from spills. Laminate and solid timber generally do not belong there.
In bathrooms, the same logic applies more strictly — vinyl or LVT, or tile.
In living rooms and bedrooms, almost anything works, so the decision comes down to feel and budget. Engineered wood gives you real timber that can be refinished later. Laminate gives you the look for less.
Open plan spaces are the interesting case. Running one continuous floor through a kitchen, dining and living area makes the whole space read as larger, which is usually the reason the wall came down in the first place. But it means one material has to cope with kitchen spills at one end and bare feet at the other, which is why LVT and engineered wood dominate open plan flooring ideas — they are the two that genuinely manage both. The other consideration is direction: boards laid along the longest sightline make a through-room look longer still.
And over underfloor heating, material choice narrows considerably. Engineered wood, LVT and most laminates are compatible. Solid timber generally is not, because it moves too much with temperature change.
Cost-effective, hard-wearing and available in a wide range of finishes. Modern laminates handle domestic traffic well. Performance depends heavily on the underlay chosen and on how flat the subfloor is, which is where cheap installations tend to fail.
A genuine timber wear layer over a stable plywood core. More dimensionally stable than solid timber, which makes engineered wood flooring installation suitable over underfloor heating and in kitchens where solid wood would move. Most engineered boards can be sanded and refinished at least once during their life.
Luxury vinyl tile, including Karndean and Amtico. Warm underfoot, genuinely waterproof and very durable, with convincing timber and stone effects. LVT needs a very flat subfloor because it telegraphs every imperfection beneath it — so as LVT flooring installers, most of our time on these jobs goes into preparation rather than laying.
Practical and waterproof for kitchens, bathrooms and utility spaces, fitted with properly welded or sealed joints where the specification requires it. Sheet vinyl remains the most cost-effective genuinely waterproof option.
Traditional solid timber boards, which can be sanded and refinished many times across a long life. Solid timber needs the right environment — it moves with humidity, so it is not suited to every room, and it is generally not appropriate over underfloor heating.
New parquet installation and restoration of existing blocks. Parquet is labour-intensive both to lay and to restore, and in period property it is frequently hiding under carpet — many of our clients had no idea they had it until we lifted what was down.
Sanding, filling and refinishing existing floorboards or parquet in oil, hardwax or lacquer. Parquet flooring restoration in particular often produces a better and more characterful result than any new covering, and it costs less. We will tell you if what you already have is worth saving.
The same approach applied elsewhere — media walls, alcove shelving in reception rooms, understairs storage and home office joinery. See our carpentry and joinery page for the wider range of bespoke work.
As commercial flooring contractors we work on offices, retail units and managed properties, including contract-grade LVT and safety flooring. Out-of-hours and phased installation available where the premises need to keep trading.
The most common flooring complaint is a floor that looked perfect on day one and failed within a year. Lifting joints, hollow spots, gaps at the edges. Almost all of it traces back to preparation that was skipped, or acclimatisation that nobody allowed time for.
We quote for the preparation because the preparation is the job. A quotation covering only supply and lay will look cheaper on paper and cost more by the time the floor has to be corrected. Being upfront about that loses us the occasional job to someone quoting less, and we would rather that than relay a floor for free eighteen months later.
Balham, Clapham, Brixton, Streatham, Tooting, Wimbledon, Mitcham, Worcester Park
Gravesend, Northfleet, Dartford, Meopham, Higham, Shorne, Cobham, Ebbsfleet
Based in Balham SW12 and working across South London and North Kent.
Not sure if we cover you?
Call 07472 137237 and ask.
Floor fitting cost is usually quoted per square metre for the covering, but the covering is only part of the job. These are the drivers:
We quote in writing after a site visit, with preparation itemised separately so you can see exactly what it involves.
Tell us what you are planning and we will come and look at the subfloor before quoting. If what is already down is worth restoring rather than replacing, we will say so.
Laminate is a photographic layer over a fibreboard core — cost-effective and hard-wearing, but not real timber and it cannot be refinished. Engineered wood has a genuine timber wear layer over a plywood core, so it looks and feels like solid wood and can usually be sanded once or twice. LVT is vinyl: fully waterproof, warm underfoot, and very convincing in both timber and stone effects. Which suits you depends on budget, the room and whether real timber matters to you.
Yes, but the material matters. Engineered wood, LVT and most laminates are compatible. Solid timber generally is not, because it moves too much as the floor temperature changes. There are also limits on how much insulation the covering and underlay can add before the heating stops working efficiently, so we check the specification against your system before recommending anything.
Almost always, and it is the part that determines how long the floor lasts. Timber subfloors need to be sound, level and free of movement. Concrete needs to be dry and flat, and new concrete needs a long time to dry before anything goes over it. LVT in particular shows every imperfection underneath. We assess the subfloor at survey and include the preparation in the quotation rather than raising it later.
A single room is usually one day. A whole floor of a house is typically two to four days. Add time for subfloor preparation where levelling or overlay is needed, and allow for acclimatisation before fitting — timber and LVT both need time in the room first, usually a couple of days.
Yes, and it is often the better option. Sanding and refinishing existing timber usually produces a more characterful result than covering it, and it costs less than a new floor. Period properties frequently have sound boards or parquet hidden under carpet — it is worth lifting a corner to check before you commit to buying anything new.
Sometimes they need trimming, particularly where carpet is being replaced with a thicker covering. We check door clearances at survey and include any trimming in the quotation. Our carpenters handle it as part of the same job, so it does not need a separate trade or a separate visit.
LVT and vinyl are the practical choices for wet areas — fully waterproof, warm underfoot and easy to clean. Engineered wood works in a kitchen if you accept some risk from spills near the sink and dishwasher. Laminate and solid timber are generally not advisable in bathrooms at all.
Usually around forty eight to seventy two hours in the room where it will be laid, with the heating running as it normally would. This lets the material reach the temperature and humidity it will live in. Skipping it is one of the most common causes of gapping and lifting a few months later, and it is why we programme the delivery ahead of the fitting date rather than on the same day.
