CRAFT Hardwood Guides
How Long Does Hardwood Floor Installation Take?
Honest timelines for herringbone, parquet, and hardwood floor installation and restoration across Lancashire and Greater Manchester — what affects the schedule and what to expect.
Written by Wojciech, founder of CRAFT Hardwood | Updated May 2026 | 7 min read
One of the most practical questions we're asked before any project begins is: how long will this take? It's a reasonable thing to want to know — you need to plan around it, arrange time off, move furniture, and in some cases vacate a room or property for the duration.
The honest answer depends on several factors. But here are the real timelines for every type of work we carry out across Lancashire, Chorley, and Greater Manchester, so you can plan with confidence rather than guesswork.
Straight-Lay Plank Installation
A single room of 20–30m² with a standard straight-lay installation typically takes 1–2 days, including subfloor preparation and fitting.
Larger rooms or open-plan areas scale proportionally — a 50m² open-plan kitchen-diner would typically take 2–3 days.
This assumes the subfloor is in good condition and requires no significant remedial work before installation can begin.
Herringbone and Parquet Installation
Patterned installations take considerably longer than straight-lay because every board must be individually cut and precisely aligned. There is no margin for error — a single misaligned board affects every board that follows.
Typical timelines:
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20–30m² herringbone or chevron: 2–4 days
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30–50m² open-plan herringbone: 4–6 days
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Complex bespoke patterns, Versailles panels, or rooms with intricate borders: 5–8 days depending on scope
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Whole-house herringbone across multiple rooms: 1–2 weeks depending on total area and subfloor condition
These are installation timelines only. See below for the additional time needed for acclimatisation and finishing.
What Affects the Timeline
Several factors can add time to a project — and understanding them upfront avoids surprises.
Subfloor preparation
If the existing floor needs levelling, old adhesive removed, boards repaired, or a liquid DPM applied, this work happens before installation begins. Minor preparation adds half a day. More significant subfloor work — grinding down high spots, applying self-levelling compound across a large area, or repairing a damaged suspended timber floor — can add 1–2 days to the project.
On period properties across Lancashire, suspended timber subfloors often require more preparation than modern concrete. We assess this on the site visit and include it in the project timeline at quotation stage.
Acclimatisation
Solid hardwood must acclimatise to the temperature and humidity of your home before fitting. We usually arrange delivery 14 days before the installation date and leave the timber in the room it will be fitted in. This is not a delay — it is built into the project schedule from the outset. Skipping acclimatisation is one of the most common causes of gapping and movement after installation, so we don't.
Underfloor heating commissioning
If your property has underfloor heating, the system must be fully commissioned before any wood floor is installed above it. Commissioning means running the system at full operating temperature to dry residual moisture from the screed, then reducing to installation temperature. After fitting, the temperature is raised gradually — around 2°C per day — back to operating level.
This process adds time before and after installation but is non-negotiable. A floor installed over uncommissioned UFH screed will move, gap, or cup when the heating is turned on. We provide specific commissioning requirements with every UFH quotation and ask for written confirmation before installation begins.
For full detail on wood flooring and underfloor heating, see our UFH guide.
Site-applied finishing
If the floor is sanded and finished on site after fitting — rather than using pre-finished boards — allow additional time for finish application and curing:
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Oil or hardwax oil finish: 1 day application, 8–12 hours before light foot traffic, at least 2 days before furniture returns
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Lacquer finish: 1–2 days for multiple coats, 8 hours before light foot traffic, 2 days before furniture
We always advise leaving furniture off a newly finished floor for longer if. possible regardless of finish type. The surface may feel dry before it has fully hardened. See our oil vs lacquer guide for more on finish types and curing times.
New build properties
New builds require additional time at the start of the project for moisture testing. Concrete slabs in new builds release residual construction moisture for months after occupation. We test every new-build subfloor before installation.
If moisture levels are elevated, we advise waiting and retesting rather than proceeding. Installing over wet concrete is one of the most damaging mistakes in wood floor installation.
For Chorley and Manchester new builds specifically, see our new builds guide.
Floor Restoration and Sanding Timelines
Restoration projects — sanding, refinishing, and repairing existing herringbone and parquet floors — follow different timelines from new installation.
Single room floor sanding and refinishing
A standard room of 15–30m² takes 1–3 days for sanding, repairs, and finish application. This includes gap filling, minor board repairs, and two to three coats of finish depending on the product chosen.
Hallway or staircase restoration
Hallways and staircases typically take 1–3 days depending on length and complexity. Staircases are slower — each tread and riser must be sanded and finished individually.
Whole-house restoration
A whole-house restoration across multiple rooms typically takes 5–7 days, depending on the total area, the condition of the existing floor, and whether we have access to the entire floor at the same time.
We can also work room by room to minimise disruption, although this will usually extend the overall timescale as each area needs to be completed and cured before moving on to the next section.
Period property parquet restoration
Original Victorian and Edwardian parquet floors — which we restore extensively across Lancashire — can take longer than modern installations due to the need to re-glue loose blocks, source and match missing blocks, and sometimes lift and relay sections that have moved significantly. We assess condition thoroughly on the site visit and build a realistic timeline into the quotation. See our guide on signs your floor needs restoration for more on what restoration involves.
Our Typical Project Process and Timeline
Every project follows this sequence.
The total elapsed time from first contact to completed floor is typically 4-12 weeks for a straightforward installation, longer for complex projects or those requiring subfloor remediation.
Week 1: Consultation and quotation Free site visit, subfloor assessment, sample viewing, and written quotation. We aim to turn quotations around within 48 hours of the site visit.
2 weeks before installation: Timber delivery and acclimatisation Timber is delivered to the property and left in the installation room. Solid oak acclimatises 14 days. Engineered oak requires less acclimatisation time but we still allow a minimum of 48 hours.
Installation: 1–8 days depending on scope As detailed above. We work Monday to Friday. We leave the site clean at the end of every working day to protect adjacent areas from dust and debris throughout.
Finishing and curing: 1–2 days application, ready for furniture in 2 days. Finish is applied after installation or as part of the installation process for pre-finished boards. We carry out a final quality check before handover and address any snags before leaving site.
After handover We're available after completion for any questions about care and maintenance. Our seasonal maintenance guide covers everything you need to know about looking after the floor once it's down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you do the installation faster if I need it done quickly?
We understand that schedules aren't always flexible, and we'll always do our best to accommodate clients with tight timelines — in many cases we can make it work. What we won't do is compromise on the quality of the result to hit a deadline. If the timeline is genuinely too tight to do the job properly, we'll tell you honestly rather than rush and disappoint.
Q: How long does the floor need to be off limits after installation?
For foot traffic: 8–12 hours after oil, 8 hours after lacquer. For furniture: 2 days minimum for both finishes. For rugs: 4 weeks — rugs trap moisture and prevent the finish curing fully if laid too early.
Q: Do I need to be home during installation?
Not necessarily. Many clients give us access and continue with normal life. We'll agree access arrangements before the project begins and keep you updated throughout with photos and end-of-day messages.
Q: Can you work around an occupied house?
Yes, and we do regularly. We work one room or area at a time where possible and keep the rest of the house accessible. The main disruption is dust — we use dust extraction equipment throughout but some dust migration is inevitable.
Q: What's the longest project you've completed?
Our longest single project was a full residence in Altrincham that took just under three months from start to finish. The project involved bespoke cutting of custom oak floor panels designed specifically for the property, followed by installation, sanding, and finishing throughout the entire home. It's worth noting that the installation itself was completed in under three weeks — the majority of the overall timeline was taken up by the design, planning, and precision cutting of the bespoke panels before a single board went down. It's the kind of project that requires a completely different pace and level of precision — and one of the most rewarding results we've produced.
Q: How do I find a specialist herringbone flooring installer near me?
A: Look for a company that specialises specifically in parquet flooring rather than general flooring installation. Herringbone and chevron require accurate subfloor preparation, precise layout planning, and experienced fitting. CRAFT Hardwood installs herringbone flooring across Manchester, Chorley, Buckshaw Village, Preston, and the wider North West using our own craftsmen. Contact us to get your free no-obligation quote.
Planning a flooring project in Lancashire or Greater Manchester?
We offer free site visits across Chorley, Preston, Wigan, Manchester, and the wider Lancashire and Greater Manchester area. At the site visit we'll assess the subfloor, discuss your project, and give you a clear timeline alongside the quotation — no vague estimates.
Call: 07856 308 208 Email: contact@crafthardwood.co.uk
We serve Chorley, Preston, Leyland, Wigan, Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Altrincham, Liverpool, and throughout Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and the North West.