Parquet Hardwood Flooring:

Parquet Hardwood Flooring:

This is the least expensive wood floor, if we look at the typical parquet on the market. It is put together like a jig saw puzzle. Multiple pieces of wood approximately 5/16" thick by 1" wide by 6" long are fit together in various arrangements to make a standard 12" by 12" tile.

That being said though, there are a lot of very sophisticated iteriations of this type of flooring. Artisan have created sophisticated quilt like patterns using various coloured species of wood and inlays of manmade products.

Thus the designs can run from very common to very complex, and the pricing reflecting that level of sophistication.

All parquet floors are designed to be glued down either on grade or above grade. It is important to check on "manufacturer's recommendations" for the appropriate adheasive to use.

Why choose parquet?

Price: standard parquet patterns offer the lowest price for a real wood floor.

Installation: relatively straight forward glue down installation, easy for the DIY· If your sub floor in very uneven, parquet flooring will "bend" with most bumps in your sub. It is quite forgiving. Can be install above and below ground.

Why would you NOT choose parquet?

Appearance: This is a very busy looking floor, with the grain changing direction frequently. Is that the look you want?

More importantly, in the less expensive lines, it is difficult to get every piece in the puzzle to fit perfectly tight with its partner. Cracks in the floor are very common. The home owner must be particularly diligent in preventing water from penetrating below the surface. This can cause the tiles to lift and/or discolour!

Lucky for the consumer this is an easy feature to identify at the time of purchase, thus open a box and study it carefully. Does it have accurate fitting between ajoining pieces of wood?

Further Information:
Hardwood Flooring