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Wood floor fitting costs

15 posts & 4 voices | Started 2 years ago by Lucas | Latest reply from Helios

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Lucas - Member

I know there's a couple of wooden floor fitters around here so thought I'd ask what kind of price to expect for fitting.

Basically we're looking at 150mm solid oak in two big rooms covering a total area of 70m2. I'll be taking the skirting off and want new putting on (which I'll supply) and the doors (4 of them) adjusting to fit. The floor base is solid concrete. There are no really fiddly bits but it will need fitting around an L shaped kitchen and island unit.

I'll most likely be supplying the floor myself as I can get a decent discount from Magnet. Other recommendations of where to buy the flooring would be good though

Also if anyone has any recommendations for a good fitter in Nottingham area then that'd be good.

Posted 2 years ago #
Stoner - Member

I think Trout and Deadlydarcy are our local chaps with smooth knees.

Posted 2 years ago #
Lucas - Member

Maybe out fitting floors at the moment....

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

I think Trout and Deadlydarcy are our local chaps with smooth knees.

You'd be surprised at knee-pad technology these days Stoner

Maybe out fitting floors at the moment....

I wish....it's been a quiet start to the year...

Anyway on to the OP:

150mm solid oak

Finished or unfinished? I assume if you're getting it from Magnet, it's coming pre-finished.

I'll be taking the skirting off and want new putting on (which I'll supply)

What kind of skirting will you be wanting to replace it with? (Depth and pattern)

and the doors (4 of them) adjusting to fit

No problem there, but don't remove them before the fitter arrives...they're better marked in situ if they're already hanging.

The floor base is solid concrete.

Is it a recently poured screed or years old? I'd probably recommend a rollered on DPM such as Sika Primer MB and then gluing the floor down with Sika T54 adhesive - neither of which are the cheapest option (probably looking at around four hundred pounds worth of primer and glue alone) but they are industry standard products. There are cheaper options but gluing a floor down to concrete is a specialist's job and not one you want to be re-doing anytime soon.

Are there any options with regards to going for an engineered board? These often work better on concrete floors as the machining tends to be better and when you don't have to force of a nailer pulling everything together, you're relying on well machined boards and clamps/wedging off walls.

Believe it or not, I'd quite happily take the job on at the moment - I have friends in Nottingham and Leicester with whom I could bunk for a few days. Let me know if you want a quote, I'd rather do figures by e-mail rather than on a public forum. But you should be looking at around £30 - £35/ sqm for prefinished floors and £40 - 45 for unfinished (supplying lacquer or oil).

Oh and I just had this on an email from a client who I invoiced this morning...

Thank you for all your hard work and flexibility working around the other tradesmen in the house when there was rather a lot going on. We are really pleased with the floor and impressed with the level of workmanship you showed and in particular dealing with all the awkward corners and thresholds.

Email in profile

Posted 2 years ago #
Stoner - Member

you should declare when you get testimonials from your mum dd

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

She'd never be that complimentary!

Posted 2 years ago #
Stoner - Member

while you're here dd - what's your preferred method of laying engineered onto screed (UFH encased)? Do you use an accoustic/barrier underlay? Would you use a self levelling compound on screed even if it's been laid as flat as a nun's tit? so many options but people have different preferred techniques...

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

If the screed is flat, then no need to latex (or similar levelling compound). I would use a good quality rollered on two part DPM such as Sika Primer MB mentioned above. I've found that no matter what preparations have been done, even engineered boards can "curl" or "dish" over concrete. The stuff seems to give off moisture forever. It's an extra few hundred on a job, but for a man of your means Stoner...nah seriously, it's a belt and braces thing I'd always recommend, and your adhesives will go much further over a primered floor.

Use Sika adhesives - also the most expensive but for a reason. When they cure, they give amazing grab yet remain quite elastic. As long as your fitter doesn't scrimp, and goes for full floor coverage with a tiling adhesive trowel, then you get sufficient sound dampening from the adhesive alone. Acoustic underlays over concrete are a bit of "bad science" if you ask me...I'd rather a floor that was well bonded. And for Jeebus' sake, don't "float" it.

Posted 2 years ago #
Stoner - Member

cheers DD - useful stuff. Sika Primer MB goes in the notebook.

out of interest - why no float installation? just too much movement?

and if you glue, how does it handle expansion laterally?

EDIT: Aha, just found this useful site
http://www.vanillawoodfloors.co.uk/index.php?cPath=83

Posted 2 years ago #
Helios - Member

Hijack -

dd - In a victorian terrace with the original solid floor - what would you recommend? Screed on top of old and then use adhesive or would it be possible to dig up the old floor and then put in a suspended timber floor instead? Or is that getting into hugely huglely expensive?

Posted 2 years ago #
Lucas - Member

Cheers DD, the floor is at least 20 years old BUT a couple of patches (2m by 1m) will be new screed (filling in holes where a wall was removed) and there is the likely possibility of having to level the floor. I presume all this means I need to wait a few weeks to let it dry out a bit?

Lacquered finish most likely (all Magnet do in solid Oak). We do like the oiled finish but it's trying to save a bit of cash as we've had a fair amount of work done and it all adds up. Are there any suppliers that you would recommend/like fitting? I think we can get the magnet stuff for approx £27per sm.

We do like the solid boards - I want to have the option of sanding it back a few times over the years (dog and small child mean it will get scratched etc).

Torus Skirting 119mm high and I can't exactly remember the depth but I think 18mm.

I'll definitely bear you in mind when it comes to getting quotes, the builder we're using has recommended someone who fits for Jessops/John Lewis, but I'd obviously want more than one quote.

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

out of interest - why no float installation? just too much movement?

That's about it...not lateral movement, more that there's just too much give in it. Judging from your pics, I'm assuming the wood floor is going over a wide expanse of open area - and thus, I've always found that over time, the wood starts bouncing a bit too much, as it has to be laid on a "bouncy underlay" in the first place. Also, it inhibits proper polishing and finishing of the floor, which needs to be done on a solid base to work well.

Oh and that "AcouBond" thing is a con.

and if you glue, how does it handle expansion laterally?

I assume that site answered your questions.

Helios - Member
Hijack -

dd - In a victorian terrace with the original solid floor - what would you recommend? Screed on top of old and then use adhesive or would it be possible to dig up the old floor and then put in a suspended timber floor instead? Or is that getting into hugely huglely expensive?

If it is indeed a Vicky terrace, then the concrete floor won't be original and will most likely have been poured in sometime in the seventies or eighties. The original joists may have rotted or there may have been other problems that led to poured concrete. Then again, it was all the rage, so they might have poured it for the hell of it.

Digging it out and trying to install joists and the suspending a timber floor will be verrrry (serious teeth sucking) expensive and will more than likely show the original problems which then have to be solved. Depending on the existing screed, you have a few options...

1. Measure for moisture content, flatness (don't get hung up on levels, flatness is what you want) and if ok, DPM, and glue wood floor.

2. If really out of flat, then latex (doable for a competent DIYer...I've done it loads, and I still hate having to do it), leave to go off and properly bond to concrete for a week or two, then primer and adhesive.

3. You could always dig down around two inches, then latex, float (bonded to the latex) T/G plywood and then nail to this.

4. Dig the whole thing out and wish you'd never done it.

They're listed in price rising from 1 - 4. If you had the money, 3 would be the warmest and quietest solution. But 1 and 2 will be just fine as well.

Posted 2 years ago #
Stoner - Member

Cheers DD

Posted 2 years ago #
deadlydarcy - Member

We do like the solid boards - I want to have the option of sanding it back a few times over the years (dog and small child mean it will get scratched etc).

Engineered boards are solid down to the tongue and groove anyway, and you're never going to sand beyond that...I hope

I think we can get the magnet stuff for approx £27per sm.

Just check for board lengths. I could be wrong but I suspect that at £27/sqm, you might be getting a lot of short lengths in there and over 70sqm, that can end up looking like a very "busy" floor. I know that it's easy for me to be trying to convince people to spend more and for a job like yours, every pound per sqm is another £75 (thinking wastage here too!). But the longer the boards, the nicer the floor.

Is the Magnet stuff pre-lacquered? If you're considering for a kitchen, again, I'd be thinking unfinished timber, and a good two part lacquer as you want a very well sealed floor in a kitchen (splashes, hot oil from cooker/oven etc). All more money...sorry.

Drop me a mail anytime.

HTH.
Well, like I said, drop me an e-mail...I can price up.

Posted 2 years ago #
Helios - Member

Thanks DD... I'm not even sure the floor is concrete under the carpet - we're buying the house and all I know is the floor is presently solid and according to the vendors is original (house is over 100 yo - so i doubt it is actually "original")

Would love real wooden floor but scared of esclatating costs... Think it is something that will have to wait a while but just doing some really rough budgetting for next 5 years... Sounds like "several grand" will be the figure to use...

Ta

Posted 2 years ago #