Original block parquet — finger block, herringbone, basket weave — was laid extensively in London homes between the 1920s and 1960s. LIGNORA restores original parquet across London and the South East: block re-adhesion, dustless three-pass sanding, gap filling, and hardwax oil or lacquer finish. We assess every floor in person before recommending restoration or replacement.
Original parquet blocks are typically dense pre-war oak or pitch pine — material that is harder, more characterful, and often better quality than modern replacements. The blocks were designed to be sanded and refinished across a century of use. The majority of parquet floors we are asked to replace are actually in restorable condition once the lifted blocks are re-adhered and the decades of wax build-up are removed.
The most common reason homeowners consider replacement is surface appearance: worn traffic lines, a few lifted blocks, and an overall dullness from old polish. None of these is evidence that the floor is structurally compromised. A three-pass sand removes the worn surface layer, the lifted blocks are re-adhered before sanding begins, and the fresh oak underneath looks nothing like what was there before.
Restoration typically costs 35–55% of the price of replacing the same area with new herringbone. We have restored parquet that two other contractors had quoted for full replacement — and produced a result the client preferred to new. We assess every floor honestly: if replacement is the right answer, we say so.
Restoration is appropriate when:
Replacement may be necessary when:
We walk every parquet floor before quoting. We check block adhesion by hand — pressing and listening for hollow sounds — measure block thickness at exposed edges, assess screed condition, and identify any pattern gaps requiring matching blocks. Only after this assessment do we recommend restoration or advise replacement.
All lifted and hollow-sounding blocks are removed, cleaned of old bitumen adhesive, and re-bedded in polyurethane or epoxy adhesive, then weighted for a minimum of 24 hours. This step is completed before any sanding begins — sanding over loose blocks causes irreversible damage to the pattern and the block surface.
Coarse, medium, and fine passes — always following the direction of the pattern, never against it. Edge sanding and corner work carried out by hand where the drum sander cannot reach. Approximately 99% of dust is contained. The floor is vacuumed between passes.
Gaps between blocks are filled with a mix of sanding dust and compatible filler — matched to the block colour produced by the sanding. This gives a cleaner finished appearance than unfilled gaps while maintaining the natural movement joints the floor requires.
Hardwax oil is the most appropriate finish for original parquet — it penetrates the block rather than forming a surface film, bringing out the natural warmth and character of the oak. Two coats with a light buff between. Lacquer is available where the client requires maximum durability and is happy with a surface film finish.
We provide a written aftercare guide at handover, specific to the finish applied. For hardwax oil, this covers periodic re-oiling and spot repair. For lacquer, it covers cleaning and the eventual full re-lacquer cycle. A seasonal installation warranty is included with every restoration project.
Original parquet is concentrated in London's inter-war and early post-war housing stock — properties built between approximately 1920 and 1960 when block parquet was the standard floor covering in the reception rooms of quality housing. The areas with the highest concentration include Dulwich, Islington, Wimbledon, Chiswick, Twickenham, St John's Wood, and the Edwardian and inter-war streets of most London suburbs. It also appears frequently in schools, churches, and converted commercial properties from the same period.
Dulwich · Wimbledon · Clapham · Greenwich · Streatham · Tooting · throughout south London's inter-war streets
Chiswick · Ealing · Hampstead · St John's Wood · Islington · throughout north and west London
Twickenham · Richmond · Surrey · Harrow · Pinner · throughout the inter-war Middlesex suburbs
Victorian pine, Edwardian oak, parquet, and engineered oak — the complete floor restoration service from LIGNORA.
View service Project44m² of 1930s herringbone parquet restored in Islington. Block re-adhesion, three-pass sand, hardwax oil finish.
View project PricingParquet restoration typically costs £35–£60 per m² — versus £75–£125 per m² for new herringbone.
View pricingWe visit, assess the block condition and thickness, and tell you honestly whether restoration will produce a result worth having. No obligation.