Abbey Wood floorboard prep — ready for any decorative floor
Covering old boards properly is the difference between a floor that reads flat for 15 years and one that telegraphs every gap in 12 months. Standard prep on SE2 period property fits.
What cover old floorboards in Abbey Wood actually involves
Covering old boards properly is the difference between a floor that reads flat for 15 years and one that telegraphs every gap in 12 months. Standard prep on SE2 period property fits.
New-build screed slabs are LVT-ready straight from the developer; council-era boards need ply.
- Ply, hardboard or latex prep depending on board condition
- Fixes squeaks, gaps and unevenness
- Ready for LVT, laminate, vinyl or carpet
- Suits Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war floorboards
What we check first on a Abbey Wood subfloor prep job
- Stair nosings
Older Abbey Wood stairs often have shallow treads — we re-cut grippers rather than force a standard kit.
- Doorway transitions
Most post-2018 new-build apartments doorways here need a bevelled bar rather than a Z-bar to clear the carpet next door.
- Underlay choice
8mm crumb is the usual call for Abbey Wood bedrooms; 10mm PU on stairs to stop bounce.
"Sitting room boards kept original, everything else overlaid — clean transitions." — SE2 homeowner
Bottom line: old boards aren't a subfloor. Cover them properly and the new floor lasts.
Postcodes: SE2 · Routes: the Elizabeth line corridor · Common build: post-2018 new-build apartments.
Covering Southmere, Lesnes Abbey, Bostall.
Cover Old Floorboards jobs we've finished nearby
Cover Old Floorboards in Abbey Wood — common questions
Absolutely — a lot of Post-2018 Elizabeth-line new-builds plus 1960s ex-council terraces customers in Abbey Wood keep original boards in a sitting room and overlay the halls and kitchen. We coordinate the transition.
6mm overlay plus 4mm LVT plus 1mm underlay = 11mm rise. Interior doors often need trimming. We handle it as part of the SE2 prep.
Yes — that's the whole point. We fix loose boards, screw where the boards are moving, then overlay on top. Skirting stays in place on most Southmere fits.
Usually just a heavy underlay is enough for carpet in Abbey Wood period rooms — the underlay bridges gaps. LVT, laminate and vinyl all need proper ply or hardboard overlay.