A ground-floor flat in a converted Hackney warehouse — concrete subfloor, open-plan kitchen and living space, high ceilings, large steel-framed windows. The brief was a pale, calm floor that would work with the raw industrial character of the space rather than fighting it.
A light, linen-toned engineered oak in a wide-plank straight lay. Floating installation over acoustic underlay — the building management required acoustic separation between floors. The floor to run continuously through the kitchen and living area with no threshold break at the kitchen boundary.
The concrete subfloor was moisture-tested, primed, and levelled before installation. The 220 × 14mm engineered planks were floated over a high-density acoustic underlay meeting the building's specification. The pale natural oil finish was factory-applied. The installation was completed in three days.
The pale floor does exactly what it should in a space like this: it reflects light upward into the high ceiling volume and provides a quiet base for the industrial materiality above it. The floating installation has performed well on the concrete substrate — no movement, no noise, no issues with the acoustic layer.
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Open plan living spaces present a specific challenge for wood flooring: the floor becomes the single largest surface in the room, and any variation in tone, finish or continuity is immediately visible. This Hackney apartment required a floor that could handle heavy footfall across a kitchen, dining and living area without showing wear unevenly across zones — engineered oak in a floating configuration on a concrete subfloor was the correct answer. The pale tone keeps the space feeling open under the property's north-facing light.
Floating installation was specified because the concrete subfloor showed minor variation across the span of the apartment that would have required significant levelling for a glue-down. The approved UFH underlay selected for this project gives the floor a degree of acoustic dampening between floors, which was a secondary requirement from the management company. The pale hardwax oil finish was chosen by the client after assessing three sample options in the apartment under morning and afternoon light.
Our Process
Every LIGNORA project begins with a home visit — we assess the subfloor, measure the space, discuss the brief, and bring sample candidates before writing a quote. This project was no different. The subfloor was assessed, moisture tested, and prepared before the floor was delivered to site for acclimatisation.
The floor was delivered to site and acclimatised in the property for the full required period before a single board was fixed. All LIGNORA floors are acclimatised in the actual conditions of the property — not in a van or garage. This is the single most important step in ensuring the floor performs across its lifetime.
Our installation team carried out the full job — subfloor preparation, installation, and on-site finishing — without subcontracting any element. The client received a seasonal installation warranty, written aftercare guidance, and a follow-up visit to confirm the floor had settled correctly.
Why Clients Choose LIGNORA
Own team only
No subcontractors on any LIGNORA installation. The people who quote the job are the people who lay it. Accountability from start to finish.
Acclimatisation without exception
Every floor is acclimatised in the property before installation. This is the step that determines long-term performance. We build it into every project schedule — it is never skipped.
Seasonal installation warranty
Every project comes with a seasonal warranty covering the installation through its first full temperature cycle. We follow up after installation to confirm the floor is performing as expected.