CM20 · M11 J7a / A414 · 24 mi from central London · Apartments & Flats
Engineered Wood Flooring for Apartments & Flats in Gilston
Around Harlow we do a lot of new build apartment work — Victorian conversions in CM20, Regency townhouse maisonettes, modern purpose-built flats. Each has a different acoustic starting point but the same lease requirement: IIC 60+ impact sound and airborne rating STC 55+.
Why Gilston clients book us for apartments & flats
- Delivery access and working hours planned around Gilston building rules
- Floated installation over habitable rooms — never glued
- Delivery access and working hours planned around Gilston building rules
- Floated installation over habitable rooms — never glued
Lease-safe flooring in Gilston (CM20) flats
Every Gilston flat install includes a written acoustic build-up spec sheet with manufacturer test data, addressed to the freeholder or managing agent. Handed over on completion day.
Why we float on Gilston flat installs
On Gilston flats over a habitable room we float every floor — never glue directly to the subfloor. Glued floors transmit impact sound as a rigid drum; floated floors over acoustic underlay attenuate it. This is a rule we don't break in CM20 apartments.
Local context
Major 23,000-home Gilston Garden Town in build
Nearest station
Harlow Town
Working around Gilston flat access and lease constraints
For new build Gilston apartment blocks with lift restrictions we palletise material to fit standard lift dimensions and stage delivery across 2–3 days if the whole load can't be moved in one lift trip.
Apartments & Flats in Gilston — questions
- What acoustic rating do I need for a Gilston apartment floor?
- Standard Gilston lease minimum is IIC 55 or 60, with STC 55 airborne. Our default build-up tests at IIC 66/STC 58 — comfortably above both.
- Can we do this floor with a neighbour below still in residence in Gilston?
- Yes — floated installation is quiet during fit (no drilling into the deck). Neighbour-below courtesy notice is standard courtesy on Gilston apartment jobs; we handle the paperwork.
- Can you fit around a fitted Gilston apartment kitchen?
- Yes — we scribe boards to the kitchen plinth line and finish with matched beading. Only jobs where the kitchen is being replaced anyway get full floor-under-cabinets install.
- Do I need freeholder consent for a Gilston flat floor replacement?
- In most Gilston leases — yes, if the existing floor is carpet and you're switching to hard flooring. Our acoustic spec sheet is what the freeholder needs to approve. We provide it as part of every Gilston flat quote.
- How thick is a lease-compliant floor build-up in Gilston?
- Typical Gilston lease-compliant build-up: 22–26mm total (14mm engineered board + 5mm acoustic mat + 3mm underlay + skirting reveal). We plan door clearance on every Gilston flat survey.
- Is engineered wood better than LVT for a Gilston apartment?
- For owner-occupied Gilston flats — engineered wood usually. For BTL and portfolio Gilston apartments — LVT often. Both meet acoustic requirements on the right build-up.
Speak to a Gilston apartment flooring specialist
Direct advice on acoustic requirements, lease clauses and freeholder liaison.
Apartment Engineered Wood Flooring in Gilston (CM20) that meets the lease clause by design — not by luck — is what separates a compliant fit from an insurance claim.