Flooring fittedin Exeter
A floor that's flat, quiet underfoot and finished neatly at every doorway. Laid by carpenters who fix the subfloor first, because that's what decides how long a floor lasts.
Backed by our 12-month workmanship guarantee
City & Guilds Level 3
Plus a Diploma in Site Carpentry
£2m public liability
Insured while we work
12-month guarantee
On all our workmanship
One point of contact
Small team, trusted regular trades
Flooring
A good floor starts underneath
Flooring covers far more than clicking boards together. A proper installation starts by checking and preparing the subfloor: fixing loose or squeaking boards, levelling dips and humps, checking for moisture and choosing the right underlay. Only then are the boards laid, finished at doorways with the right thresholds, and trimmed with scribed skirting or beading.
Our flooring service is for homeowners in Exeter and across Devon who want solid timber, engineered wood or laminate floors in living rooms, hallways, bedrooms, kitchens and extensions. It suits renovations, new rooms, and anyone replacing old carpet with a hard floor.
You usually need it when an existing floor is worn, damaged or noisy, when you're renovating or extending, or when you want a hard-wearing floor that is easier to keep clean.
Professional fitting matters because most flooring problems are caused by what's underneath. Boards laid over an uneven or damp subfloor will flex, creak, gap or lift, and the manufacturer's warranty on the product itself may not cover a floor that wasn't installed to their instructions.
Why it matters
What goes wrong when flooring is rushed
A floor laid over an uneven subfloor moves every time you walk on it. Click joints wear and open, boards creak and bounce, and in time the locking edges break. Timber laid without an expansion gap has nowhere to go when it expands in warmer, damper months, so it can buckle or push against walls and door frames.
Moisture is the other big risk, especially on concrete floors in extensions or older ground floors. Wood laid over a damp slab without the right membrane can cup, swell or grow mould underneath, and the only fix is to lift it and start again.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Laying new flooring straight over old, uneven boards without fixing or levelling them first.
- Not letting boards acclimatise to the room before fitting.
- Missing out the expansion gap around the edges.
- Using the wrong underlay for the floor type or for underfloor heating.
- Forgetting that doors may need trimming once the new floor is down.
Our process
How your flooring job runs.
- Step 1
Site visit
Jake comes out, sees the job in person and talks through what you want, what's possible and anything that could affect the work.
- Step 2
Individual quote
Every job is different, so it's priced individually. Access, location and the layout and contents of your home all play a part, so you get an accurate quote rather than a guess.
- Step 3
Deposit and booking
A deposit secures your booking. The amount depends on the size and scale of the job.
- Step 4
The work
Our small team carries out the work, coordinating any trusted trades needed. Longer jobs use stage payments as the work progresses.
- Step 5
Completion and guarantee
We finish, check the work with you and hand over. Invoices are sent online and paid by bank transfer, and all our workmanship is guaranteed for 12 months.
What you get
The difference it makes.
Flat and quiet underfoot
Subfloors are secured and levelled before anything is laid, so you don't get bounce, creaks or open joints.
Longer lasting
Correct preparation, underlay and expansion gaps help your floor last as long as it should.
Neat edges and doorways
Skirting is scribed or beading fitted cleanly, thresholds are chosen to suit the change in floor height, and doors are trimmed to clear the new floor.
Carpentry included
Because we're carpenters, lifting and refitting skirting, trimming doors and repairing joists are all part of the same job.
12-month guarantee
All our work comes with a 12-month workmanship guarantee. Materials supplied by the client are not covered.
Insured
£2 million public liability insurance while we work in your home.
Why JCK
Who'll be doing the work.
JCK Carpentry & Building is run by Jake Killen, a City & Guilds Level 3 qualified carpenter with a Diploma in Site Carpentry. Jake started an apprenticeship straight from school, spending three years on loft conversions, and went self-employed as soon as he qualified. He has since worked as a carpenter in Australia, fitted kitchens, built timber frame houses and worked as a groundworker with a house building company, alongside nearly every other trade on site.
That breadth is why your flooring project is in good hands. Jake understands how carpentry fits with groundworks, bricklaying, plumbing, electrics and plastering, so he can plan the work in the right order and spot problems before they become expensive.
Jake works with a small team of carpenters and a regular, trusted network of plumbers, electricians, plasterers and decorators. He uses the same subcontractors wherever possible, so the people in your home know each other's work and standards. You have one point of contact from the first site visit to the finished job.
Every job is priced individually after we've seen it in person, insured with £2 million public liability cover, and backed by a 12-month workmanship guarantee. We work across Exeter, Exmouth, Dawlish, Cullompton, Tiverton, Crediton, Teignmouth, Silverton and Honiton, Monday to Saturday.
Read Jake's storyIn detail
Flooring types and methods
The right floor depends on the room, the subfloor and how you live. Here's how the main options compare.
Solid wood flooring
Solid timber boards, often oak, can be sanded and refinished many times over their life. They're usually secret-nailed to timber subfloors or fully bonded with adhesive. Solid wood moves more with changes in humidity, so it isn't always the best choice over underfloor heating or in rooms with big swings in moisture.
Engineered wood flooring
Engineered boards have a real wood top layer bonded to a stable core. They look like solid wood but move far less, so they suit extensions, concrete subfloors and many underfloor heating systems. They can be floated on underlay, glued or nailed depending on the product.
Laminate flooring
Laminate is hard-wearing and budget-friendly, with a printed surface over a fibreboard core. It's normally floated on an underlay. Laminate is sensitive to standing water, so edge sealing and the right product choice matter in kitchens and hallways.
Subfloor preparation
On timber floors we fix loose boards, screw down squeaks, replace damaged sections and overboard with ply where needed. On concrete we check for moisture and flatness and use the appropriate membrane or levelling. This is the part you won't see, and the part that matters most.
Finishing touches
Skirting can be lifted and refitted over the new floor for the cleanest finish, or beading fitted where the skirting stays. Thresholds and transition strips are chosen for each doorway, and doors are trimmed so they swing freely.
Hallways, kitchens and extensions
Hallways take the heaviest wear, so board choice and a good threshold at the front door matter. Kitchens need a floor that copes with spills, and extensions often have new concrete slabs that must be dry enough before any wood floor goes down. We'll advise on what suits each room.
Stairs and landings
Continuing a new floor up the stairs or across a landing needs careful detailing at nosings and edges, which is carpentry work rather than simple floor laying.
Related services
Flooring near you
Good to know
Flooring questions, answered.
Can't see your question? Call Jake on 07487 872620 or send an enquiry.
Can you lay flooring over my existing floorboards?
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Often, yes, once they've been secured and levelled. We check the subfloor at the site visit and tell you what preparation is needed.
Which flooring is best over underfloor heating?
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Engineered wood and many laminates are generally better suited than solid wood, but it depends on the product and the heating system. Always check the manufacturer's guidance; we'll help you choose.
Do you move the furniture?
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Tell us at the site visit what's in the room. How much furniture needs moving affects the time the job takes, so we include it when we price the work.
Will my doors need trimming?
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Often, if the new floor is higher than the old one. As carpenters, we trim and rehang doors as part of the job.
Do you fit flooring in Exmouth, Tiverton and other towns?
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Yes. We work across Exeter, Exmouth, Dawlish, Cullompton, Tiverton, Crediton, Teignmouth, Silverton and Honiton.
How much does flooring cost?
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Every job is different, so we price each one individually after seeing it in person. Things like access, location and the layout of your home all play a part, so we'd rather give you an accurate quote than a guess.
How long will the job take?
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It depends on the scope of the work, access and how much needs moving in the property. We'll talk through the likely timescale when we visit and price the job.
Is the work guaranteed?
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Yes. All our work comes with a 12-month workmanship guarantee. Any materials or fixtures supplied by the client are not covered under this guarantee.
How do payments work?
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We take a deposit to secure your booking, with stage payments on larger projects. All invoices are sent online and paid by bank transfer.
Are you insured?
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Yes. We hold £2 million public liability insurance.
What if my job is urgent?
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Call Jake directly on 07487 872620 (Mon–Sat, 7:30am–7:30pm) and he'll tell you honestly what he can do and when.
Get a floor that stays flat, quiet and tight
Tell us which rooms and the type of floor you have in mind. Jake will check the subfloor and give you an accurate quote.
Next step
Ready to talk about
your project?
Get in touch to arrange a free site visit and quote. Jake comes out, sees the job in person and gives you an accurate price, not a guess.
Prefer to talk? Call Jake07487 872620Mon–Sat, 7:30am–7:30pm