70m² Herringbone Engineered Wood Flooring Installation in Surbiton, Kingston

EXEN Flooring recently completed a 70m² herringbone engineered wood flooring installation in Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, as part of a residential renovation project. Our long-standing customer Felix, a builder, contacted us to provide a flooring quotation for his client's newly renovated home.

As part of the building work, a smaller area had been incorporated into the original property, creating a much larger open-plan ground floor combining the kitchen and living room. The newly created 70m² space provided the home with a substantial living area, but the existing floor required extensive preparation before the new timber flooring could be installed.

The client chose ter Hürne herringbone engineered wood flooring in a Light Oak finish for the ground floor. Because herringbone engineered wood requires accurate setting-out and a carefully prepared substrate, the project was planned around detailed floor preparation before the timber flooring installation began.

Project Overview

• Location: Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames

• Project type: Residential renovation

• Customer: Felix, a long-standing EXEN Flooring customer and builder

• Installation area: 70m²

• Flooring: ter Hürne herringbone engineered wood

• Finish: Light Oak

• Areas: Open-plan kitchen and living room

• Floor preparation: Laser level assessment, screeding, sanding and feather finish

• Installation adhesive: B92 Ball adhesive

• Final finishing: 120mm skirting

• Installation programme: Four days

Choosing ter Hürne Herringbone Engineered Wood Flooring

For this renovation, the client selected ter Hürne herringbone engineered wood flooring in a Light Oak finish. The herringbone format was chosen for the newly created open-plan kitchen and living room, where the flooring would cover approximately 70m².

ter Hürne's Herringbone Collection is part of its engineered hardwood flooring range and includes large-format herringbone designs. The manufacturer's current collection includes individual oak herringbone products in a range of finishes and colour tones.

You can view the ter Hürne Herringbone Collection directly on the manufacturer's website.

Day One: Detailed Floor Preparation and Screeding

The first day was dedicated to preparing the 70m² floor before the engineered wood installation could begin.

The condition of the substrate was particularly important because the flooring was being installed in a herringbone pattern across a large open-plan space. Herringbone flooring requires accurate positioning of the individual boards, so significant variations in the substrate can make it more difficult to maintain the intended alignment and create consistent joints.

Our team used a laser to assess and mark the floor levels across the installation area. The identified variations were then addressed through screeding to create a more consistent base for the engineered wood flooring.

Rather than moving directly to the timber installation, the preparation was treated as a separate stage of the project. This allowed the substrate to be brought into suitable condition before the final herringbone setting-out took place.

Day Two: Sanding and Feather-Finish Preparation

On the second day, the prepared floor was sanded to create a smoother and more consistent surface.

After sanding, areas requiring additional localised preparation were completed using feather finish. These smaller corrections helped refine the substrate before the engineered wood was installed.

This stage was particularly important for a large herringbone installation because the finished timber flooring would follow the prepared substrate. The more consistent the base, the easier it is to maintain the planned position and alignment of the herringbone pattern during installation.

Once the sanding and feather-finish work was complete, the floor was ready for the final setting-out stage.

Laser Setting-Out for the Herringbone Engineered Wood Floor

The third stage focused on establishing the correct direction and starting point for the herringbone flooring.

Using a laser, our team identified the straightest and most suitable area from which to begin the installation. The main reference lines were established before the first engineered wood pieces were fitted.

Accurate setting-out is particularly important with herringbone flooring because the initial position determines how the geometric pattern develops throughout the room. On a 70m² open-plan floor, any deviation in the initial alignment can become increasingly noticeable as the installation progresses.

Once the reference lines had been established, installation of the ter Hürne engineered wood began using B92 Ball adhesive.

Installing the 70m² Herringbone Engineered Wood Floor

The engineered wood flooring was installed progressively across the large open-plan kitchen and living room, following the laser-established reference lines.

The herringbone pattern required careful positioning of the individual boards throughout the installation. The preparation work carried out during the first two days provided the finished substrate required for the flooring team to concentrate on maintaining the planned pattern and alignment.

The installation continued across the full 70m² area until the kitchen and living room had been completed as one connected herringbone floor.

Completing the Flooring with 120mm Skirting

Once the complete engineered wood flooring installation was finished, the final stage was to install 120mm skirting boards around the required perimeter.

The skirting provided the finished transition between the new timber flooring and the walls of the renovated ground floor, completing the appearance of the open-plan kitchen and living room.

The completed floor gave the newly extended ground floor a continuous herringbone engineered wood design across the full 70m² space.

Herringbone Engineered Wood Flooring Installation in Surbiton

This 70m² engineered wood flooring project in Surbiton required considerably more preparation than simply fitting the finished timber boards.

The existing floor was first assessed using laser levels, followed by screeding, sanding and feather-finish preparation. Once the substrate had been prepared, the herringbone direction and starting point were established with a laser before the flooring was installed using B92 Ball adhesive.

This staged approach was particularly important for the large open-plan layout, where maintaining a consistent herringbone pattern across the kitchen and living room was a key part of the finished design.

Engineered Wood Flooring in Surbiton and Kingston upon Thames

Herringbone engineered wood flooring can create a strong architectural feature across an open-plan living space, but the finished appearance depends heavily on accurate preparation and setting-out.

For this Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames flooring project, the existing substrate required detailed preparation before the timber flooring could be installed. By addressing the floor levels first and establishing the herringbone layout with laser-guided reference lines, the installation team could work progressively across the 70m² space.

The finished project provided the renovated home with a continuous Light Oak herringbone engineered wood floor connecting the kitchen and living room.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much engineered wood flooring was installed in this Surbiton project?

The installation covered approximately 70m² across the newly created open-plan kitchen and living room.

Which engineered wood flooring was used?

The client selected ter Hürne herringbone engineered wood flooring in a Light Oak finish.

Why did the floor require screeding?

The existing floor had level variations that needed to be addressed before the herringbone engineered wood could be installed. Screeding was therefore carried out as part of the floor preparation.

Why was the floor sanded after screeding?

Sanding helped create a smoother and more consistent substrate following the screeding work. Areas requiring additional localised preparation were then treated with feather finish.

Why was a laser used during the installation?

A laser was used to assess floor levels during preparation and later to establish the most suitable starting point and reference lines for the herringbone flooring layout.

What adhesive was used for the engineered wood flooring?

The flooring was installed using B92 Ball adhesive as part of this project.

What size skirting was installed?

The completed installation was finished with 120mm skirting boards around the required perimeter.

How long did the Surbiton engineered wood flooring project take?

The project was completed over four days, covering floor preparation, screeding, sanding, feather finishing, laser setting-out, engineered wood installation and skirting.

Where was this herringbone flooring project completed?

The project was completed in Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, as part of a residential house renovation.