How to Fit Real Wood Veneer Flooring: Plank and Herringbone

Before opening the packs, take a moment to check each board for damage or manufacturing faults. If anything does not look right, do not fit it. Once a board has been installed, it is considered accepted, so it is always worth checking the flooring before you begin.

Leave the unopened packs in the room where the flooring will be fitted for at least 48 hours before installation. Keep them flat in their original packaging, stored in a dry area off the floor, with at least 75mm between the packs and the subfloor. The room should be kept between 18°C and 24°C during this time.

Each board has integrated underlay built into the base, so there is no need to add a separate underlay. Adding another layer can affect how the click system performs, so it should be left out.

As you work, take boards from several packs. Because the surface is genuine oak veneer, there will be natural differences in grain, tone and markings between boards. Mixing packs as you fit helps spread this variation across the floor for a more balanced finish

Real wood veneer flooring can be fitted in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and utility rooms. It is also suitable for light commercial spaces.

The hybrid core is waterproof, so it can handle everyday splashes and spills in kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms. It should not be fitted anywhere the floor would be constantly submerged or exposed to standing water, such as shower trays, saunas, steam rooms or swimming pool surrounds.

Real wood veneer flooring is not suitable for conservatories, as the real oak surface is more sensitive to changes in temperature and direct sunlight.

This fitting technique is suitable for the following Real Wood Veneer Luxury Click Flooring ranges:

Aurantis Whitewashed Oak | Essenza Light Oak | Futuris Natural Oak | Eterna Honey Oak | Vitaria Antique Oak

Before fitting, check that the room and subfloor are ready, and that the flooring has acclimatised for at least 48 hours. Leave a 10mm expansion gap around the edge of the room and around fixed objects such as stairs, pillars, internal walls and kitchen cabinets fitted against walls. When running the floor into an adjoining room, leave a 10mm expansion gap across the doorway transition and cover it with a suitable door bar. 

Kitchen islands can be fitted on top of real wood veneer flooring, but kitchen cabinets fitted against walls should be treated as fixed furniture, so the correct expansion gap must be left around them.

The maximum fitted area before a transition joint is required is 12m in any one direction (or a total area of 12mx12m). 

Real wood veneer flooring must always be fitted as a floating floor, so never fix the boards down using adhesive, screws or nails. It can be fitted in standard bathrooms and kitchens, but it is not suitable for wet rooms or anywhere the floor would be exposed to standing water. In bathrooms, kitchens and other wet areas, fill the 10mm expansion gap with a suitable sealant to help prevent water reaching the subfloor.

Start in the left-hand corner of the room and work from left to right, with the tongue side of the board positioned to fit the next panels. Place spacer wedges between the first row and the wall to maintain the 10mm expansion gap.

Line up the short edge of the next board with the edge of the previous board, ensuring the panels align perfectly. Gently tap the joint with a rubber mallet until it locks into place. The connected boards should sit level, with no visible height difference between them.

Take your time, as it is important to ensure each panel of the first row is perfectly aligned and locked together. This will make the rest of the floor easier to install.

At the end of the row, measure the space left to the wall and cut the final board to size, remembering to allow for the 10mm expansion gap. Real wood veneer boards should be cut using a suitable saw. Any board used to start or finish a row should be at least 200mm long.

Continue across the room row by row, checking regularly that the boards are aligned and the joints are tight.

For the final row, measure the remaining gap to the wall and cut the boards to width, allowing for the 10mm expansion gap. Use a pull bar to draw the final row into place.

Once the main floor area is fitted, follow the guidance below for pipes, underfloor heating, wet areas and finishing the room.

Herringbone real wood veneer flooring uses the same i4F glue-free click system as the plank format, but the laying pattern needs a little more planning. Each double pack contains right-hand panels marked A and left-hand panels marked B, so separate them before you start. This makes it much easier to follow the sequence as the pattern builds.

This fitting guide covers the herringbone laying pattern for the following Real Wood Veneer Luxury Click Flooring ranges.

Aurantis Whitewashed Oak Herringbone | Essenza Light Oak Herringbone | Futuris Natural Oak Herringbone | 

Eterna Honey Oak Herringbone | Vitaria Antique Oak Herringbone

Before fitting, check that the room and subfloor are ready, and that the flooring has acclimatised for at least 48 hours. Leave a 10mm expansion gap around the perimeter of the room, as well as around fixed objects like stairs, pillars, internal walls, and kitchen cabinets fitted against walls. When running the floor into an adjoining room, leave a 10mm expansion gap across the doorway transition and cover it with a suitable door bar. 

Kitchen islands can be fitted on top of real wood veneer flooring, but kitchen cabinets fitted against walls should be treated as fixed furniture, so the correct expansion gap must be left around them.

The maximum fitted area before a transition joint is required is 12m in any one direction (or a total area of 12mx12m).

Real wood veneer flooring must always be fitted as a floating floor, so never fix the boards down using adhesive, screws or nails. It can be fitted in standard bathrooms and kitchens, but it is not suitable for wet rooms or anywhere the floor would be exposed to standing water. In bathrooms, kitchens and other wet areas, fill the 10mm expansion gap with a suitable sealant to help prevent water reaching the subfloor. 

Separate the A and B panels before you begin. The A panels are right-hand panels and the B panels are left-hand panels, so keeping them apart will help you build the pattern correctly.

As you work, take panels from several packs. The real oak veneer surface means there will be natural differences in grain, tone and markings, and mixing packs helps spread this variation evenly across the floor.

Start installing the herringbone pattern from the left side of the room. Connect the first A and B panels together, making sure the grooves on the long edges of both panels are facing towards you. Gently tap the connection with a rubber mallet to lock the joint together.

Once the panels are connected, check that the top surface of each panel sits flush, with no raised lip between them. Make sure to position the corner of the B panel 10mm away from the wall to allow for the expansion gap.

Continue installing the left-hand and right-hand panels in sequence, tapping the short edges with a rubber mallet to lock each panel into position.

When you reach the final panel in the row, measure the distance from the corner of the last panel to the wall. Mark this distance on the next panel, remembering to allow 10mm for the expansion gap. Use an angle rule to measure the angle between the short edge of the panel and the wall, then mark this angle on the panel as your cutting line. Cut along the marked line using a suitable saw.

Position the cut piece into place and tap the short edge gently to lock it together.

Once the first row is complete, continue fitting the next panels and rows in sequence until four complete rows have been installed. As you work, gently tap the short edge of each panel to make sure it is correctly fitted. The panels should sit flush with the previous panels, with no raised edges or gaps.

Once four rows have been fitted, mark a straight cutting line across the panels. This line should run from the leading corner of the furthest left panel across to the ending corner of the furthest right panel from the first row.

Cut the panels in place using a suitable depth-adjustable electric saw. If cutting by handsaw, unclick the panels in the reverse order they were fitted, cut each panel individually, then reassemble them.

Once the panels have been cut, reposition the fitted section against the wall. Maintain a consistent 10mm expansion gap against the wall.

When fitting around radiator pipes or other fixed pipes, mark the pipe position on the panel and drill a hole 20mm larger than the pipe diameter. This gives the floor space to expand and contract.

Cut from the edge of the panel to the centre of the drilled hole, then fit the panel into place around the pipe. Once the panel is installed, glue the cut piece back into position using a suitable glue.

Real wood veneer flooring can be fitted over water-fed and electric underfloor heating systems, as long as the surface temperature does not exceed 27°C.

Before the flooring is fitted, the heating elements must be covered with a minimum 20mm screed or overlay. The floor should be heated evenly across the room, and where more than one heating loop is used, the difference between loops must not exceed 5°C.

After installation, leave the underfloor heating switched off for at least 48 hours. When turning it back on, increase the temperature gradually. Furniture placed on the floor, including sofas, tables and beds, should have legs and be raised from the floor by at least 10cm. Rugs should not be used with underfloor heating.

Once the floor is fitted, remove all expansion spacers around the room. In bathrooms or other wet areas, fill the 10mm expansion gap around the edges and fixed items with a suitable flexible sealant to help protect the subfloor from moisture.

Next, add any trims, scotia or door bars needed to finish the space. Always fix these directly to the wall or subfloor, never through the flooring itself, so the floor can expand and contract naturally. Matching skirting boards are also available for selected ranges and can be used to cover the expansion gap for a neat finish.

For daily care, sweep with a soft brush, vacuum using a hard-floor attachment, or wipe with a damp cloth. Never use a steam mop, and wipe up liquid spills promptly. For more advice on looking after the floor, read our guide on how to clean LVT flooring.