Parquet Flooring: Different Types, Finishes, Pros and Cons

Parquet flooring can prove a very eye-catching, vibrant and original flooring option for your home. The name “parquet” originates from the French word “parqueterie”, dating back to the 1600s.

In the XVII century France, the popular marble slabs were becoming too difficult to maintain. Frequent washing would lead to the rotting of the wooden joints underneath, and the rich Frenchmen and royal families were not pleased. So, parquet emerged. It was used in the “Royal Chateau” of Versailles, but nowadays, that name is associated with flooring panels (blocks).

Nowadays, parquet is made chiefly of oak, walnut, maple, cherry, and even some mahogany or exotic hardwoods. Our ESB collection of parquet flooring is mostly oak, and you can check it out yourself by visiting our North London showroom.

Types of Parquet Flooring

Apart from the wood species, you should also decide what type of parquet flooring you want. Should it be solid or engineered?

The first parquet option is made of solid pieces of timber. Engineered wood flooring consists of layers of wood with hardwood veneer at the top. Whether you choose solid or engineered, there is no difference in the final look. It’s more a question of durability in the long term.

How is it different from ordinary wood flooring?

Classic wood flooring consists of wooden planks wider than 10 cm and longer than 1 m. For parquet, we use smaller pieces of wood arranged in different patterns to make the floor more attractive and decorative.

Geometric and angular shapes are very popular. However, you can also go for a more classic herringbone or chevron parquet flooring.

So, to sum it up, solid wood flooring consists of solid pieces of timber. Parquet is made of layers of wood with hardwood veneer at the top. This is the main difference.

Types of Parquet Flooring Finishes

Unfinished parquet flooring can get stained pretty easily. So, we don’t recommend this look if you know your floor is prone to various damages. Therefore, you can choose from a wide variety of parquet finishes:

• Brushed and lacquered
• Brushed and oiled
• UV Oil
• Lacquered
• Natural Oil

Moreover, you can pick different colours and patterns, such as dark or brown Versailles panels, light, white-washed, brown or dark oak, grey herringbone etc.

Furthermore, you can sand and refinish parquet flooring a couple of times. So, don’t be afraid to add a new touch to your engineered wood floors from time to time.

All in all, parquet flooring is elegant and versatile. It is a popular option for living rooms, bedrooms, foyers, even dining areas. The geometric patterns of herringbone or chevron engineered flooring are enough to fill a room. However, it would be best to keep them out of smaller spaces, where they can be almost too much visually.

Installation and Maintenance

We recommend you employ professional fitters to install parquet flooring. Of course, you can do it yourself, but you have to be well-versed in DIY.

If you are a highly-skilled DIY kind of person, here are a few dos and don’ts to installing parquet flooring:

• Don’t use nails. Use a high-quality urethane-based parquet adhesive, with a long working time, preferably 60 minutes. This way, you will have plenty of time to install the floor tiles
• Best to include a layer of polythylene film on concrete slabs
• Cut wood pieces using a handsaw or circular saw and do it on a work table. It’s safer
• Make sure the subfloor is perfectly flat. If there is any flex, the flooring might also bend under your feet

As for the maintenance of parquet floors, you don’t have to worry too much. Vacuum the surface lightly 2-3 times a week. If you’ve got one of those 2022 vacuuming robots, you won’t have to lift a finger, you know.

Mopping once a week or once every two weeks is also recommended. This might also depend on the type of finish you have. Here’s a guide on how to maintain unfinished floors.

Oiled and lacquered wooden floors might also require a bit of a different maintenance routine, but nothing too complicated.

Feel free to contact our ESB sales team for advice. If you’re interested in parquet flooring for your residential or commercial flooring, you can come down to our North London showroom for a closer look.