Lay engineered wood flooring on a concrete floor

Lay a floating engineered wood floor on a concrete subfloor, from prepping the base to fitting skirting and thresholds.

EWF-01Clear the room and check the subfloorMove out furniture and lift any old carpet, underlay or vinyl, pulling out gripper rods and tacks as you go. Vacuum the concrete thoroughly, then lay a 1200mm straight edge across it — dips deeper than 3mm need filling with self-levelling compound. Check the slab is dry with a damp meter; if the reading is above what your flooring maker allows, you'll need a damp-proof membrane before laying.

1 20kg bag · Self-levelling compound

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1 each · Digital damp meter

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1 each · Filler knife

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EWF-02Remove old flooring and skirting boardsStarting at a corner, lever off the skirting with a flat bar, protecting the wall with a thin scrap of wood. Number the back of each length in pencil so you can refit it in the same place later. Lift the old flooring and pull out any remaining nails, staples or adhesive residue, taking care not to gouge the concrete underneath.

1 each · Flat pry bar

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1 each · Pincers

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EWF-03Let the flooring acclimatiseStack the unopened packs flat in the room for at least 48 hours before fitting, so the wood settles to the room's temperature and humidity. Keep the room at a normal living temperature, around 18-20°C, during this time. Boards fitted straight from a cold van or garage can gap or cup later.

1 each · Room thermometer/hygrometer

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EWF-04Lay the damp-proof membrane and underlayIf your flooring maker specifies one for concrete, roll out a polythene damp-proof membrane across the whole floor, lapping joints by 200mm and taping them down. Roll the underlay on top, butting edges tightly without overlapping, and trim it to the skirting line.

RULES

1 4m x 25m roll · Damp-proof membrane roll

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1 roll · Acoustic-rated underlay

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1 roll · Waterproof jointing tape

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KNOW THE RULES

In flats and converted buildings, Building Regulations Part E sets sound insulation standards between floors. Check your lease too — many flats require an acoustic-rated underlay before you fit hard flooring.

EWF-05Plan the layout and dry-lay the first rowMeasure the room's width and divide by the board width to work out how wide the last row will be — if it'll be under 60mm, trim the first row narrower so both end rows look balanced. Boards usually run the length of the room or towards the main light source. Dry-lay the first few boards without fully clicking them together to check the fit before committing.

1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Chalk line

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EWF-06Lay the first row against the starting wallFit 10mm spacers against the wall you're starting from to leave an expansion gap all round — engineered wood moves with changes in temperature and humidity, and this gap stops it buckling. Click or glue the first row together following the maker's fitting instructions, tongue facing out into the room. Check the row is dead straight with a string line before moving on to the next.

1 pack · 10mm expansion spacers

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1 m2 · Engineered wood flooring boards

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EWF-07Continue laying and stagger the jointsWork row by row across the room, staggering end joints by at least 300mm between rows so they don't line up. Tap boards together with a tapping block and a rubber mallet, never hitting the tongue directly. Check every few rows are still square with a set square, adjusting spacers as you go.

1 each · Tapping block

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1 each · Rubber mallet

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EWF-08Cut boards around doorways and obstaclesMark boards for cuts using an offcut as a template against pipes, door frames and thresholds. Use a fine-tooth handsaw or jigsaw for straight cuts, and a coping saw or multi-tool for shapes around pipework. Keep the 10mm expansion gap everywhere, including under door thresholds.

1 each · Jigsaw

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1 each · Coping saw

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EWF-09Fit threshold bars at doorwaysCables and pipes can run almost anywhere under a concrete floor, including underfloor heating pipes and cables feeding nearby sockets — a detector helps but can miss things, so treat the floor as live until you've proved otherwise. Before drilling, find your stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe; if there's any real doubt, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit first. Drill 6mm holes through the threshold bar into the concrete at the marked points, fit a wall plug rated for masonry, and screw the bar down over the expansion gap.

1 each · Door threshold bar

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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1 pack · Masonry wall plugs

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1 pack · Screws 30mm

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EWF-10Refit skirting boards and fit beading over the gapBefore you drill the wall, work out what's behind it: run a stud detector or a magnet along the surface to pick up a regular line of screw heads, and tap the wall — a hollow sound means you're between studs, a dull thud means solid masonry or a stud. A small pilot hole tells you more: pale dust means a timber stud, fine grey swarf means a metal stud, reddish dust means brick or block. On dot-and-dab walls the board is stuck to masonry with adhesive blobs, so use a screw long enough — usually 60-70mm — to pass through the gap and bite into the brick behind.

1 pack · Woodscrews 40mm

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1 pack · Wall plugs

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1 pack · Metal-stud self-drilling fixings

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1 pack · Toggle fixings for plasterboard

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1 2.4m length · Scotia beading

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1 pack · Panel pins

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EWF-11Fix the skirting or beading, then clean upCables and pipes can run behind any wall too, so keep using the detector and still treat the wall as live until you've drilled a small test hole and checked what's coming out; isolate the circuit at the consumer unit first if you're at all unsure. Fix solid brick or block with a 6mm drilled hole, a matching plug and a 40mm screw; drive a 40mm woodscrew straight into the centre of a timber stud with no plug needed; on a metal stud, never use a wood screw or a plain plastic plug, as it strips straight through 0.5mm steel — use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing instead. Where a fixing lands on bare plasterboard between studs, use a lightweight toggle fixing, and on lath and plaster walls, drill a fine pilot hole first and aim for a lath or noggin, or use a plasterboard-rated fixing so you don't crack the old plaster. Refit numbered skirting lengths with screws every 400-500mm, or pin scotia beading into the skirting board itself — not the wall — over the expansion gap, mitring corners at 45°.

1 each · Stud detector

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1 each · Mitre box or saw

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EWF-12Final clean-up and settling timeVacuum the whole floor and wipe off any adhesive or dust smears with a damp cloth before they dry hard. Leave the spacers out once the beading is fitted, and don't push furniture right back for 24-48 hours to let the boards settle. Fit felt pads under furniture legs before moving everything back to protect the new floor.

1 pack · Felt floor protector pads

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1 each · Microfibre cloth

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