How to choose flooring, in order
Flooring is chosen by answering four questions in this order: how each area is used, what substrate lies underneath, how it meets other materials and doors, and how much upkeep you are willing to do. Only then do you choose among the options that pass the filter by colour and look. Reverse the order and you end up with a floor that looks great in the photo but cannot take the entrance traffic, does not fit under the doors or is incompatible with underfloor heating.
In a high-end home the usual families are engineered or solid wood, porcelain, natural stone and microcement. Each has its place; almost none suits every room.
How each area is used
Describe real use, not ideal use: where beach sand comes in at a Castelldefels house, where the dog eats, which area gets several hours of direct sun from the balcony, whether you cook daily or occasionally, how the home is cleaned. Sand scratches wood and varnish; sun fades some species; water by the sink punishes parquet joints.
Do not trust broad labels such as "durable" or "suitable for kitchens". Ask for the specific product's properties, such as use class, top-layer hardness or slip resistance in bathrooms and terraces, and compare them with what you described.
What lies underneath: substrate, moisture and underfloor heating
In an older Eixample flat, underneath there may be original hydraulic mosaic tiles, sometimes worth keeping, or uneven screeds on beam floors that cannot take much added weight. Thick stone on its mortar bed may be too much for an old floor structure; the technician assesses that before choosing.
If a new screed is laid, wood is not installed until the substrate moisture drops to the level the manufacturer requires, and that is measured, not guessed. With underfloor heating, porcelain and stone conduct heat well; wood works if it is engineered, of moderate thickness and declared compatible by the manufacturer. This decision comes before the screed.
Herringbone and other patterns
A herringbone pattern, like the one in the Urgel flat in the Eixample, transforms a room, but it demands more than straight planks: a very flat substrate, more cuts and therefore more spare material, more fitting hours, and prior decisions on where the pattern starts, which direction it runs relative to the light and the main room, and how it finishes at the walls.
These decisions are drawn on a setting-out plan before ordering the material. Otherwise the pattern ends up off-centre relative to the room's axis, or with small slivers at the front door, exactly where they show most. In the quote, compare material and fitting separately: herringbone mainly increases labour cost.
Transitions: doors, skirting and changes of material
Where wood meets porcelain, for example between hallway and bathroom or living room and kitchen, the two finishes have different thicknesses. For them to sit at the same level with no trim or step, the screed in each zone is laid at a different height, and that is decided before laying it. The same applies to terraces if you want visual continuity between inside and outside.
Also check the clearance under doors, especially bespoke or flush ones, the skirting type, which for a skirting flush with the wall is decided before plastering, and the expansion joints wood needs in large rooms. None of this shows much in a photo and all of it shows in daily life.
The sample in context and the batch
A small sample in a showroom tells you little. Ask for a large piece or several planks, place it in the home next to the planned paint, joinery and fabrics, and look at it in the morning and afternoon, in the flat's real light. With naturally variable materials such as wood or stone, ask how that variation looks across a large area.
When ordering, confirm that all the material comes from the same batch, since two batches of the same model can differ in tone, and that a reserve percentage is ordered for cuts and future repairs. Approval of the product and the setting-out is given in writing, with the exact reference.
Upkeep and records
Oiled wood can be repaired locally but needs periodic maintenance; varnished wood copes better with daily wear, but a deep scratch means sanding a larger area. Porcelain needs almost nothing; natural stone needs treatment depending on the type. Choose knowing what upkeep you will actually do.
Keep the exact reference, finish, care instructions and a few spare boxes. In the Urgel flat the photo shows the herringbone parquet; what turns a photo into a floor you can still repair in ten years is that documentation. If you are choosing flooring for your renovation, send us the plan and photos; we reply within an hour.