Flooring

Everything you need to know about flooring

Flooring is an essential part of any interior, whether a home, an office or commercial premises. It has a major impact on the look, comfort and function of a space. The right choice depends on many factors, such as the interior style, the intended use of the room, durability requirements and ease of maintenance.

The most common floor coverings are tiles, wood, laminate, vinyl, linoleum and carpet. Tiles are often used in wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms because they are easy to clean and moisture-resistant. Wood and laminate are the most popular choices for living areas because they are durable, attractive and available in a wide variety of styles and finishes. WoodPartners offers a wide range of wood flooring.

How do you choose the right wood flooring?

Caring for parquet is the same as for any other hardwood floor. Sweep or dry-clean it daily with a microfibre mop. Blot spills and wet marks with kitchen roll, then wipe with a damp cloth. Clean the floor about once a month with a cleaner formulated for wood floors. Avoid wax, which can make the floor slippery and damage the finish. Never use a steam mop on parquet (or any other wood floor), as the wood may absorb moisture.

Modern parquet is often made of solid hardwood rather than veneer. It can be sanded and refinished, but the work is made harder by the grain running in alternating directions, so major renovation should be left to qualified specialists. Owners can refresh the surface by lightly abrading it with a sanding screen and applying a fresh coat of varnish.

What style does parquet bring?

Made up of many small pieces, parquet tiles create a rich, three-dimensional look that enhances a home. Future owners may not share this taste, however, and some buyers may find it dated. Parquet suits mid-century modern homes but can look out of place in other styles. If you are restoring or rebuilding an older property, though, parquet may be the best choice, depending on the period style you want to recreate.

How do you lay oak parquet?

Parquet tiles are much easier to lay than solid hardwood boards, as they are glued rather than mechanically fixed to the subfloor. Urethane adhesives, with a drying time of 60 minutes, give you plenty of time to position the tiles. Being fairly thin (about 5/16 in), they are easy to cut with a jigsaw. Most parquet tiles are prefinished, so the floor will not need staining or varnishing once laid.

However, because the tiles are thin, the substrate must be perfectly flat and sound. Any flex in the subfloor will make the floor visibly deflect underfoot. And because parquet patterns are so strongly geometric, care is needed to keep them straight and symmetrical at the edges.

As a genuine wood floor covering, parquet performs best when laid at ground level or above. Basements and concrete slabs are not recommended unless an intermediate subfloor is used. And because of the many joints between the pieces, parquet is not recommended in damp or wet rooms such as bathrooms.

How comfortable is oak parquet?

Parquet has much the same properties as other hardwood floors. Wood floors feel softer and warmer underfoot than hard coverings such as ceramic or stone tiles, but colder and harder than carpet, cork or luxury vinyl. Like other wood floors, parquet can be fairly noisy, and many people add rugs for extra comfort.

Source the best sweet chestnut and oak parquet.