A well-laid oak floor will outlast almost everything else in your home. We supply and fit solid and engineered oak across Devon and Cornwall, from waterfront flats in Plymouth to slate-floored cottages near Truro, with the subfloor preparation that older and coastal properties demand.
Our oak flooring service covers the whole job, not just the glamorous part. We start by surveying your existing subfloor — whether that is suspended timber joists in a Victorian terrace, a concrete screed in a newer build, or the uneven flagstones of a period Cornish cottage. We measure moisture content, identify any damp ingress, and tell you honestly what the floor needs before a single board is laid.
From there we handle acclimatisation of the timber on site, fitting of a damp-proof membrane and acoustic or thermal underlay where required, the installation itself, and the finishing trims, thresholds and scotia beading that give a professional edge. We leave the room clean and the old flooring removed.
Solid oak is a single piece of timber through its full thickness. It is the most characterful option, can be sanded and refinished many times across its life, and is ideal for first-floor rooms and drier period properties. Its drawback is movement: solid oak swells in humid weather and shrinks in dry, which matters a great deal in a county surrounded on three sides by sea.
Engineered oakbonds a real oak wear layer onto a cross-bonded plywood core. That core barely moves with humidity, making engineered boards the more reliable choice for ground floors, rooms over underfloor heating, and the damp, salt-laden air common along the Devon and Cornwall coast. A good engineered board with a 4–6mm wear layer can still be sanded two or three times over the decades.
Oak is sold by grade, which describes the amount of knots and colour variation rather than the quality of the timber. Prime (or AB) grade is clean and uniform; Rustic (or CD) grade shows knots, sapwood and natural character that suits a farmhouse or barn conversion beautifully. We help you match the grade to the property so the floor looks intentional rather than accidental.
On finishes, a hardwax oil penetrates the grain and is easy to spot-repair — a real advantage in a busy coastal home where sand and grit are a fact of life. Lacquer offers a tougher surface film but is harder to patch locally. We also offer brushed, smoked and bevelled-edge boards, and wide-plank formats up to 220mm for a more dramatic, traditional look.
Oak flooring is priced per square metre, supplied and installed. The figures below are a 2026 guide for Devon and Cornwall; your final quote depends on board choice, subfloor condition and access.
| Option | Price (supplied & fitted) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Engineered oak, prime grade | £45 – £65/m² | Best all-round choice for coastal & ground-floor rooms |
| Solid oak, prime grade | £60 – £80/m² | Drier first-floor rooms & period properties |
| Wide-plank / character grade | £75 – £90/m² | Hand-finished, ideal for barns & farmhouses |
| Subfloor prep & damp work | Quoted separately | Levelling, screed, DPM as required |
We have spent over a decade laying floors in the exact conditions that catch out generalist fitters: cob and granite walls that are never quite square, suspended floors with poor underfloor ventilation, and the relentless humidity of coastal Cornwall. With more than 200 projects behind us, we know that the floor is only as good as the preparation underneath it.
Every quote is free, written and itemised, so you can see exactly what you are paying for. We are happy to bring board samples to your home so you can judge the grade and finish in your own light before committing.
Oak flooring typically costs between £45 and £90 per m² supplied and installed in 2026. Engineered oak sits at the lower end of that range, while wide-plank or character-grade solid oak with a hand-finished oil sits towards the top. Subfloor preparation, underlay and trims are quoted separately where significant levelling or damp remediation is needed.
Engineered oak is usually the better choice for coastal and older Devon and Cornwall properties because its plywood core is far more stable when humidity swings. Solid oak is beautiful and can be sanded back many times, but it expands and contracts more, so it needs a dry, well-ventilated subfloor and a generous expansion gap to perform well near the sea.
A typical single room takes one to two days once the subfloor is ready. We always acclimatise the boards in the room for several days first, and any screeding, levelling or damp-proof membrane work adds time before fitting begins. We give you a clear schedule with your quote.
Yes. We supply and fit oak flooring throughout Devon and Cornwall, including Plymouth, Exeter, Torquay, Barnstaple, Truro and Tavistock, plus the surrounding villages and rural properties.
Get a free, no-obligation quote with board samples brought to your home anywhere in Devon or Cornwall.
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