Parquet Flooring - What is it?
Once called inlaid wood flooring, parquet flooring was traditionally made using several different types of wood, which were geometrically designed and assembled to create a patterned floor. It was very expensive and time consuming to install.
Today, parquet flooring is manufactured as tiles that are fit together over a subfloor. The more intricate the design, the more the price increases, but due to modern technology in flooring manufacturing, there are less-expensive parquet flooring options available.
Parquet flooring is still a beautiful flooring option that looks like wood, even when it is made of alternate materials.
Types of Parquet Flooring
Wood is still the most popular type of parquet flooring. Generally, parquet flooring comes in square tiles, and can be made from a wide variety of different hard and softwoods, including oak, walnut, cherry, pine, spruce and even lime. Today, some parquet flooring is made from bamboo, a renewable resource that is becoming a favorite for green floor options.
Many parquet floors are made from exotic woods as well, and option that would be almost impossible with solid wood floors. Due to the fact that parquet flooring can be made similar to engineered wood flooring, where only a layer of wood is used over a cheaper wood base, this makes it more affordable and feasible to manufacture.
Parquet flooring manufacturers also offer complete mosaic designs and borders, which add an elegant and exquisite element to any parquet flooring design.
For those who desire the look of parquet flooring but want a less expensive and possibly more durable surface, parquet flooring is also available as vinyl tiles, which are easier to install and to maintain.
Where Can Parquet Flooring Be Fitted?
Parquet flooring is popular in many rooms of the home, including living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways. It is not recommended to install solid wood parquet flooring in bathrooms or below grade due to moisture issues.
Parquet flooring can be installed over in-floor heating, but there are very specific instructions to do this properly and a professional is usually the best person to handle the installation.
Commercially, they are popular floors as well, and have even been used as flooring in many NBA courts, including the most famous one for the Boston Celtics (which was eventually sold in pieces as souvenirs). They are also popular in restaurants, gymnasiums, and they make beautiful dance floors.
Pros and Cons of Parquet Flooring
Parquet flooring offers one of the most beautiful flooring options available, and while it usually requires a professional installation, it can be installed over many different subflooring types, including old flooring such as plywood, concrete, ceramic, slate, vinyl, marble, and even cork.
Maintenance is fairly simple, as it usually only requires brushless vacuuming or sweeping, and cleaning with a product designed for wood floors.
Like solid wood floors, parquet flooring can be refinished, but because of the patterns of the wood and the possibility that certain woods sand faster than others, the refinishing process takes longer.
Parquet flooring is very susceptible to humidity and proper care must be taken to ensure that the proper humidity is maintained during the heating seasons.
Vinyl parquet flooring is fairly simple to install and maintain, making it popular when the look of parquet is desired, without the cost.
Please remember the above is just a guide and you should seek professional advice.
