Are you renovating at home and considering changing the floor? Whether you want to be trendy, stylish or stick with the classics, you can never go wrong with parquet flooring. But, you might find yourself having more questions than answers with regards to this type of flooring. Here, we breakdown various things you didn’t know about Parquet Flooring.
What are the different types of parquet flooring?
Within this group are solid wood flooring, multilayer parquet, and veneer. Composed of thick wooden boards, the solid wood flooring is the most expensive, although they are also the most durable, as they allow multiple polishing and varnishing over the years. Usually, they are already varnished.
The multilayer parquet is distinguished by including several layers of glued wood in its composition, being the upper one – which must be more than 2.5 mm, which determines its useful life or, which is the same, the number of restorations it supports.
Lastly, veneers allow the home to be redecorated for a small fee, although they cannot be sanded. However, thanks to new treatments and specific care, they can exceed 20 years.
Quality:
The thickness of the plank marks its quality. The thickness of the planks, which is generally between 8 and 15 mm, is what determines important aspects such as durability, resistance, and the best acoustic behavior when stepped on.
Placement:
There are different ways of placement. Among the main systems of laying the parquet are those of regular joints (of equal lengths), those of free joints (the boards are of unequal lengths), checkerboard (practically in disuse) and herringbone (wooden slats are placed perpendicular to each other).
Maintenance of a parquet floor:
The maintenance of parquet floors is very easy, practical and fast. The first thing to keep in mind is that the less water we use the better. It is recommended to use either a vacuum cleaner to remove dust or a mop as a more continuous or daily option. Then it is recommended to remove more embedded dirt through a passage of a fairly drained mop and with specific cleaners for wooden floors.
These floors must be protected from humidity. Natural wood floors are very sensitive to the action of water, so in rooms such as the bathroom, it is better to lay laminate floors with a 100% moisture-resistant coating.
Is it possible to install parquet flooring on any type of surface? Yes, it is possible, as long as the base is properly leveled. If not, this would cause noise and subsidence and lead to deformation of the floorboards.
How long does a parquet floor last?
The duration or useful life of a wooden floor always depends on factors such as the quality of the flooring materials, the installation or subsequent maintenance. If all these factors are optimal, their approximate duration can range between 20 – 30 years of life. Unlike laminate flooring, parquet has the possibility of being slashed and having a clean appearance as if it were the first time it was laid.
