Real Wood Flooring Installation: What Is Involved
How real wood flooring is installed: acclimatising boards, moisture checks, floating, glued or secret nailed methods, expansion gaps and finishing.
Real wood flooring is installed in one of three ways: floated over an underlay, fully bonded to the subfloor with flooring adhesive, or secret nailed to timber joists or boards. Which one suits depends on the board, the subfloor and whether there is underfloor heating. Every method needs dry conditions, a flat base and room for the timber to move.
Wood is a natural material that reacts to humidity, so more of the work happens before the first board goes down than with most floors. This guide explains why.
Engineered or solid: why it changes the fit
Engineered wood has a real oak or walnut veneer over a stable plywood core. It moves less than solid timber, is compatible with underfloor heating and can still be sanded and refinished. That stability makes it the more common choice for modern homes, concrete floors and heated rooms.
Solid wood is one piece of timber throughout. It moves more with the seasons and usually needs a timber subfloor to nail to. Our solid versus engineered wood guide compares them in full.
Acclimatising and moisture checks
Wood boards should sit in the room before fitting so they adjust to the house. Wet trades such as plastering and screeding should be finished and dry, because timber will take on moisture from the air and the floor.
We test concrete subfloors for moisture before laying wood. A floor that tests too damp needs time or a suitable membrane, never a leap of faith.
The three fitting methods
Herringbone oak is almost always bonded, because each small block needs to be held firmly in place.
| Method | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Floating | Boards joined to each other over underlay | Engineered boards, most subfloors |
| Fully bonded | Boards glued to a prepared subfloor | Concrete, underfloor heating, herringbone |
| Secret nailed | Nails through the tongue into timber | Solid wood over joists or boards |
Expansion gaps and finishing
Wood must never be pinned tight at the walls. A gap is left around the edge and hidden under skirting or beading, and long runs through doorways may need a break. Door linings are undercut so boards slide beneath them.
Pre finished boards, such as brushed and oiled oak, are ready to walk on once laid. Unfinished boards need sanding and oiling or lacquering on site, which adds time.
Living with a new wood floor
- Keep indoor humidity steady and avoid drying the room out quickly
- Use felt pads under furniture
- Clean with a barely damp mop, never a wet one
- Put mats at external doors to catch grit
- Plan an occasional re oil on oiled finishes
Frequently asked questions
- Can wood flooring go over underfloor heating?
- Engineered wood can, and it is the timber we recommend for heated floors. It is usually bonded down and the heating is managed before and after fitting.
- Does wood flooring need to acclimatise?
- Yes. Boards should sit in the room before fitting so they settle to the house's temperature and humidity.
- Can engineered wood be sanded?
- Yes. The real wood top layer can be sanded and refinished, so the floor can be restored rather than replaced.
- How is herringbone wood flooring fitted?
- Herringbone blocks are normally fully bonded to a flat, prepared subfloor so each piece is held firmly in the pattern.
- Can wood flooring go on a concrete floor?
- Engineered wood can, once the slab is tested dry and flat. It is usually bonded or floated rather than nailed.
Keep reading
How solid and engineered wood differ on stability, subfloor, underfloor heating, refinishing, cost and lifespan, and which suits a Kent home better.
Cleaning, humidity control, oiled against lacquered finishes and how many times an engineered wood floor can actually be sanded back.
Which flooring types work well over underfloor heating, thermal considerations, and how commissioning affects fitting timescales.
See how we survey, prepare and fit engineered wood across Kent.
Talk it through with a fitter, not a call centre
Book a free survey and we will check moisture, the subfloor and heating, then quote for the right wood floor and method.