Parquet Flooring

Originally created for the royal floors of King Louis XIV in Palace of Versailles in 1684 as an alternative to marble, parquet flooring quickly became fashionable not only in France but across Europe.

In the UK parquet became a popular design style in the early 20th century, now enjoying a popularity revival as both homeowners and businesses discover elderly parquet flooring nestling below tiles or carpet.

Although delicately designed, parquet is amazingly tough and resilient so unless your elderly wooden houseguest is too badly cracked or warped to be used, it is worth having a professional evaluation to see if the parquet blocks can be rejuvenated and coaxed back to the real wood beauty they once were.

Parquet styles and designs

In a nutshell, parquet is geometrically designed wood blocks laid along the lines of a mosaic. The repeated design then covers long hallways and corridors or for a dramatic effect, a parquet sunburst design in the middle of a formal room is a real talking point. Common parquet design tablet are square, rectangular, chevron, lozenge, herring-bone and triangle.

In addition to being a popular choice for floors, parquet was used at the turn of the 20th century as table top design, shelving and bedstead surrounds.  Parquet has retains its charm over the centuries and is now every bit as popular all over again.

Homes with parquet flooring are adding genuine value to their home as well as having beautiful flooring to enjoy. Parquet is a sound investment and can last a lifetime if properly cared for.

Colours and grains

Popular wood for parquet has always been those with pronounced grain such as oak, cherry, lime, walnut, pine and maple. The luxuriously beautiful mahogany and oak are also used although these will be rather more expensive. Other tropical hardwoods such as teak work well too.

For something a little different, bamboo parquet is ideal, especially for summerhouses and conservatories.

How to fix, how to clean

Parquet is affixed to the floor via a cold adhesive solution which is non-toxic and has no noxious odour.

Brush your parquet with a soft brush and get into any corners, nooks and crannies with a mop head covered with a soft dry cloth. You can also use a light vacuum but care must be taken not to damage the delicate pattern motif, especially if your parquet has been restored.

When mopping use a well squeezed mop which is barely damp as any excess of water will damage your parquet.

Low maintenance and beautiful

When your parquet has been either professionally restored or newly laid you will be delighted to know this type of flooring really needs the minimum of ongoing maintenance. Brush twice a week, light mop once a week – job done.

Always a talking point

Always beautiful whatever the design, parquet floors are forever the centre of attraction in any room. Business owners and senior managers in the 1920’s and 30’s would show their superiority by having parquet designed floors in their offices.

Parquet has a rather warm and cosy feel underfoot, even on the coldest of days and for this reason is perfect for use in bedrooms and halls.

Restoration is everything

You may wish to consider a professional restoration of your parquet flooring for your peace of mind. Restoring ancient flooring is a fairly exacting science and one which you would be wise to give over to the professionals. It could well be the best investment you make.

Properly restored parquet will, as well as adding thousands to the value of your home, make you the envy of visitors and guests.

Restoring Wooden Floors | Sanding Parquet