What the client wanted.
A family in central Watford were extending into the side return and wanted the new kitchen-diner to connect visually with the original Victorian hallway. They'd ruled out real wood because of underfloor heating and a large dog, and asked us to recommend a premium LVT.
What made this job interesting.
The subfloor was a mixed substrate — fresh concrete slab under the extension meeting original floorboards in the hallway, with a 22mm height difference at the threshold and borderline moisture readings in the new slab. A straight-lay herringbone would also have exposed every imperfection.
How we did it.
Subfloor survey and specification
We hygrometer-tested the new slab over a week, confirmed it was within spec with a surface-applied moisture suppressant, and specified a 6mm plywood overlay in the hallway to bring the two levels flush.
Moisture suppressant and latex
A two-coat epoxy moisture suppressant was applied to the slab, followed by a 5mm fibre-reinforced latex self-levelling compound to give a monolithic, flat substrate across the whole area.
Herringbone setting-out
We drew a setting-out plan to place the herringbone centreline on the kitchen island axis, so the pattern reads symmetrically from the doorway. Tiles were batch-mixed before laying so shade variation didn't pool.
Install and finish
Tiles fully bonded with Amtico's specified adhesive, rolled in both directions, and perimeter scribed tight to the skirting. A slim matte brass threshold at the hallway transition.
The finished floor.
A 42 sqm herringbone floor that reads as one space from hallway through to the garden doors, with the scale of the pattern deliberately larger than a typical parquet to suit the modern extension. Warm on the UFH, waterproof under the dog, and a finish the client describes as "better than the wood we nearly bought".
“The team didn't cut a single corner with the subfloor, and it shows. Eighteen months on the floor still looks like it was fitted yesterday.”
