Parquet: types, characteristics and design

The history of the parquet dates back to many centuries, and it begins in the medieval Europe of the XIII century. In modern interiors, parquet flooring is still relevant, but due to the variety of types, materials, designs and a wide range of prices, its selection has become quite a challenge. In this article we will tell about all options of a parquet existing in the modern market.

Parquet is a floor covering that consists of rectangular plates. For its production using different breeds of natural wood. Modern manufacturers of parquet offer a variety of types - from individual strips of parquet, which make up the pattern, to the finished original textured segments.

Parquet, in comparison with other types of flooring, has several advantages. However, he has drawbacks.Consider them in more detail.

Pros:

• The main advantages of the parquet floor are natural pattern, repeating wood pattern, and environmental friendliness (it has no chemical smell, on the contrary, it smells like natural wood, is pleasant to the touch and safe for health).
• Parquet board, in contrast to laminate, is rather thick, therefore it provides very good noise and heat insulation. But the thickness of the parquet must be considered if it spreads into the apartment with the doors already installed.

Minuses:

• Requires special care and washing with special products. It is adversely affected by changes in temperature, high humidity and chemical detergents. Therefore, it is not very recommended for the floor in the kitchen (it can swell) or the cold hallway (gaps can form between the boards).
• The floorboard is easy to scratch or push heavy furniture.
• Parquet is an expensive material.

There are many types of parquet, so before you choose it, you need to understand their features.

Shield parquet is a two-layer board-board, from which the floor is laid out in a square. Due to the presence of two layers, it is resistant to temperature and humidity extremes.Its easy to lay. An important advantage is the many variations of patterns. Among the shortcomings can be noted the high price and low wear resistance.

Piece Type It is a separate planks, which are attached to each other with grooves and spikes. Such parquet is distinguished by high durability and reliability, since for manufacturing they use solid wood of solid species without veins. An important advantage is the low price and variety of patterns that can be folded from individual plates. However, its installation is a rather painstaking work that requires skill and accuracy. Isolation under the coating is also required.

Mosaic, or typesetting An option is a set of individual slats of different shades and shapes, folded into a small square. This flooring will be quite expensive, but it is easier to lay, it looks rich and has many different patterns.

Modular parquet used in cases where the floor covering becomes an important part of the design of the room. Each square shield of such a parquet is a complex design pattern. Different types of wood are used to produce each shield. It is important that they coincide in density, structure, moisture and heat resistance, etc.

For large country houses and mansions characteristic elite parquet natural wood, eco-parquet, with a luxurious texture and a very high price. The massive parquet represents a plank from the massif of a natural tree of a linear form. It can be single-lane, two-and three-lane, as well as straight (saw) or curved. Such a parquet looks unusual and as if repeats the natural forms of a tree trunk. From individual boards folded floor covering row to row. It is durable and durable.

The strongest and most reliable and also wear-resistant type of parquet flooring is rare end parquet. The die of such a parquet is a square, made from an end cut of a tree. Due to this, the flooring can withstand heavy loads. Due to the high price, this type of parquet flooring is extremely rare today and, as a rule, only as separate inserts into the pattern.

Garden flooring used to cover grounds, lawns and paths outside the home. For its manufacture using wood-polymer composite, which holds the temperature well, does not overheat in the sun and does not slip in the rain and frost. It has a characteristic parquet texture, making the tracks look beautiful and well maintained.

Industrial or industrial flooring made from the remnants of the material of various woodworking, furniture, parquet plants and factories. Because of this, it has a low price, but retains all the advantages of a coating of natural wood. It is quite simple to pack.It can be made of oak, merbau, ash and other wood species.

Brush Type has a pronounced texture of natural wood. It is obtained as a result of a special brushing process, when a soft layer of fibers is removed from the surface of the wood, due to which the effect of “artificial aging” is created.

Castle parquet made of bamboo wood for environmentally friendly production technology. He acquired the name due to fastening in two locks. On the front side, each plate has a groove or a crest, with which they are held together with each other. Bamboo coating is eco-friendly (eco-parquet) due to the special production technology.

Parquet quality, wear resistance, heat and water resistance, as well as color depend on the material for its production.

The front side of the parquet is always made of hard or soft wood. To give natural wood more hardness and heat resistance, it is subjected to heat treatment.Thermowood floor covering (thermal ash, thermal blow, etc.) has one drawback - it fades in the light over time. It is used quite often for the production of the top layer of the floorboard.

The most popular wood species in Russia for the production of parquet boards and solid wood are oak and ash. These are quite durable rocks, the flooring of which looks very noble and elegant due to the pronounced texture of the wood. Oak has a light beige shade, bog oak is darker, ash is a honey yellowish color. Birch parquet and natural larch parquet have a light color. Harder, as well as wear-resistant compared to conventional birch is Karelian birch.

Maple parquet is a light, almost white floor. But maple has a tendency to acquire a yellowish, honeyed shade over time.

Bamboo has a number of advantages compared with other wood species, because it is quite hard and moisture-resistant, has a very high wear resistance and does not require special care.

Mahogany is a dark breed. The flooring of it has a high price tag, but is in great demand due to the quality and noble appearance.

Walnut parquet has a warm brown tint. European as well as American walnut are very hard woods, therefore they are in high demand. It is an expensive material, it is moisture resistant and difficult to mechanically damage.

If for the production of a parquet massif, as well as piece parquet, one type of wood is used, then for mosaic, artistic, modular parquet and parquet boards, several species are needed at once, which coincide in thermal, moisture, and durability.

Modern parquet is made using not only valuable wood species, but also from inexpensive natural (for example, leather parquet) and artificial materials.Artificial vinyl parquet, imitating the look of natural, has several important advantages. It consists of almost 80% of PVC and therefore has very good moisture resistance, wear resistance and elasticity, is not exposed to chemicals and insects.

An alternative to traditional parquet flooring is cork parquet. For its manufacture use the bark of cork. As a rule, such a floor covering has several layers. The first layer is cork substrate, followed by fiberboard, then cork plate. A decorative lacquered veneer is placed over the cork layer, providing the cork parquet with a more elegant look.

Depending on the density of the wood from which the board is made, parquet of high or low density is distinguished. Dark brown woods are most often high density. Pink wood (cherry, pear, alder and others) has a lower density.

The grade is determined by the method of cutting the tree from which the parquet is made.

Consider the following varieties:

• "Select" - high-quality expensive parquet, made using a radial cut. There are no knots or sapwood left on the board, the tree has a uniform color, only slight deposition of minerals are possible.
• "Radial" - also a high quality grade with smooth color and without sapwood, however, the percentage of deposition of minerals on the surface is higher and can reach 60%.
• The next grade of cut quality "Standard", it is distinguished by high quality, it does not have knots and sapwood, a slight difference in shades is possible. Parquet of this grade is obtained by using mixed cutting.

• Less quality, but affordable is parquet varieties "Rustik". It is obtained as a result of mixed cutting, it has on the surface not only knots and sapwood, but also small cracks, as well as different natural shades of wood on the surface.

The length of the floorboard is usually 2 meters. The thickness of the slats can vary from 0.5 to 8 mm. The average thickness of the strip is usually 4 mm, this is the best and most common option. The width of the board can also vary and is usually not more than 20 cm.

Despite the fact that the most familiar is the parquet of light and dark brown shades, today there are various ways of finishing the parquet, allowing you to change the original color of the wood and get a color parquet. So, there are:

• Light. Light shades include beige parquet made of such wood as bamboo, birch, pine, larch, ash, maple or oak. Due to its strength, oak parquet is the most popular in Russia. It has a light brown tint. Beige parquet is made of walnut, merbau, mutation, lapacho and others.

• Dark. The bog oak will have a very dark color. The same dark shade and wood wenge - the color of coffee. It is quite expensive. Dark flooring made from walnut and mahogany.

• Colored. The floor covering of alder, cherry, pear and beech will have a pinkish tint. From yellow wood, olive, teak and iroko (flounder) are in high demand. Red wood is the color of wood brought from Asia and Africa, Dissium, Yarra, Yatoba, and Padouk.

Wood can be bleached, brushed or varnished. Lined parquet will be white. Brushed, or artificially aged, will have a strongly pronounced texture of the tree due to the special removal of the upper soft layer with special brushes. With the help of brushing, industrial parquet is also produced from antique oak. This does not affect the shade of the tree, but the color of the board becomes more pronounced and prominent. After brushing, parquet is usually coated with oil, rather than varnish, in order to preserve the natural relief of the parquet.

The floorboard has many different patterns. Depending on the size of the room, the texture of the floorboard and the tasks that the flooring solves (to expand or narrow the space, give the interior a festive or elegant look, etc.), it is worthwhile to dwell on one or another pattern. Drawings can also be combined. Consider the options in more detail.

• Ramp, or deck pattern - a common classic pattern, suitable for any size of room and interior. Each plate is fixed with grooves and ridges on both sides, the boards are laid parallel to each other. Variations: straight and diagonal, straight deck, double or triple, with offset dies.
• Herringbone. This pattern can also be called a classic. Plates laid out at an angle to each other. There are options: diagonal, straight, double Christmas tree, with a transverse insert, French with angled corners, etc.

• Geometric pattern of squares ("checkers") or from the trapezoid, allows you to split the floor into separate zones. This can be either an ordinary square of 4-5 dies, or framed (from several shades of wood).If the room is small, then it is recommended to use one shade of wood with an unexpressed texture. You can also use dies of various shapes (for example, squares, rectangles, trapeziums and rhombuses) to create a geometric pattern, combining them to your liking and creating a unique pattern.
• Parquet of pentomino figures (five square dies connected together) can also be laid out in various ways. The layout of such a pattern requires a lot of effort, but it looks very sophisticated, especially if you use several different types of wood.

• Pattern "braided" It is created from 2-3 shades of the floorboard. This pattern looks elegant and neat. It may have a more massive appearance, if you use more dice in one segment. Due to the presence of separate decorative inserts in the pattern (square dies), the floor looks interesting and elegant.

• "Rhombus" - an unusual graphic pattern, rather catchy, so it is recommended to use it not for the whole space of the room, but for individual sections as a border or, on the contrary, to center the room.

Today, the Russian parquet market offers products from European, Asian and domestic manufacturers. Some foreign firms have their own factories in Russia, and vice versa, factories abroad supply products for Russian brands (for example, the Russian company Grunwald, which sells parquet produced in Germany). The most famous countries-producers of parquet are Sweden, Finland, Italy, Poland, Russia.

• Swedish companies Kahrs and Tarkett widely known in our country. Kahrs offers a wide range of quality parquet from low-cost to luxury models. Tarkett produces parquet of exclusive quality, including from exotic woods (mahogany, merabu, etc). The elite floorboard is produced by the well-known Austrian company Scheucher.

• Finnish parquet (Upofloor) - These are quality samples at affordable prices. The company offers products from traditional as well as exotic woods such as wenge, jatoba, merbau, iroko, etc. The Polish company Barlinek also manufactures a variety of products, parquet with exclusive patterns at very affordable prices. Eco Parquet is another Polish company producing affordable parquet from traditional and exotic wood,

• Italian manufacturers parquet more than others excel in design. In their assortment you can find a very stylish designer flooring, attractive and with a high quality and aesthetic side.

• Due to the reasonable price and good quality, they are in great demand in our country. Russian and Belarusian parquet. Famous in Russia is the German-Russian company Alpenholz, producing the highest quality floorboard at an affordable price.

• The company also produces parquet flooring of high quality. Panaget (France)which has nearly 100 years of experience in the production of wooden floors.

Choosing parquet for a house or apartment, you must take into account the overall style of the interior. The parquet should correspond to it, otherwise it will look inappropriate. In addition, the parquet flooring itself plays a huge role in creating the atmosphere of the house, attracts attention and is able to perfectly highlight the best and transform the interior.

• For the interior in style rustic or country, as well as vintage, perfect parquet flooring without patterns with brushing. Rubbing and muted shades of the flooring here are more appropriate than ever.
• For Scandinavian interior Parquet is everything or almost everything.Characteristic is mainly light parquet made of solid oak, ash, beech and other light species.
• For classicsAs well as the English style, honey shades of parquet are characteristic with or without a pattern. Mosaic, shield, massive parquet or parquet flooring made of oak or (rarely) other species of saturated colors look great in the interior of a classic style. Quite often for the classics choose parquet from oak or mahogany.
• For loft style perfect parquet dark brown or black with scuffs. As a rule, it is massive boards or linear parquet.

Choosing the right flooring for an apartment is not as easy as it seems.

Make it easier if you follow a few helpful tips:

• When choosing parquet be sure to consider the overall style and color range of the room. It is necessary to think over the design concept in advance. Parquet should blend in harmoniously with the interior.

• For a too sunny apartment, it is better to choose a lighter floor color so that dust on the floor is not so noticeable. Light floor is also able to visually increase the size of the room.
• If the apartment has several small rooms, then it is recommended to use a single parquet pattern, otherwise the rooms will seem even smaller.
• The color of the doors should be several tones darker than the floors.
• Consider the size and shape of the room. A room with a modular parquet seems more square, and with a narrow strip parquet, on the contrary, it is elongated. The smaller the room, the finer the parquet should be. For a small room is best to use piece parquet, lined with patterns. For a large room - an array.
• For a balcony and outdoor platforms, it is better to choose heat-resistant parquet or artificial floorboard (laminate), it is less sensitive to temperature and humidity. It is better to use a two-component, rather than a single-component adhesive, since it guarantees not only a high level of strength, but also is not affected by mold and bacteria.

• Keep in mind that the parquet flooring changes color over time. Dark floors become slightly lighter, light ones become more golden.

Parquet made of natural wood requires careful handling and special care.In order for the parquet floor to serve for more than one year and keep the original look for a long time, it is important to take care of it correctly.

It is important to maintain a temperature in the room with parquet floor not less than 15 and not more than 25 degrees. In winter, too dry air in a heated room can lead to a narrowing of the parquet and the formation of cracks between the strips or shields. Therefore, the apartment must maintain a humidity level of 45-60%.

It is also necessary to care for the varnished parquet. Firstly, it is better to do wet cleaning no earlier than two weeks after the varnish has dried. The furniture should have soft rollers that will not damage the shiny varnished surface.

If instead of lacquer the parquet is covered with oil, then it also needs to be updated from time to time. Grouting old oil locally, only in the place where you need to refresh the oil surface and applying a new layer of oil is made every few years.The wax and tools based on it are also excellent at protecting parquet. However, it should be borne in mind that you cannot use a steam cleaner to clean a waxed parquet. In the case of lacquered surfaces, it is possible to clean them with a steam cleaner at a minimum rate.

If the parquet is scratched, it is necessary to remove the scratches immediately so that moisture does not penetrate. From time to time it is necessary to apply a new layer of varnish (having previously cleaned the surface of the remnants of the old) in order to remove scratches and eliminate the possibility of rotting and damage to the parquet.

Cleaning at home should be done only with special means for cleaning the parquet. They allow you to wash without stains from dirt and stains, do not harm lacquered surfaces. Stains from the surface can also be removed by grouting or using wax.

If the parquet floor loses its color in the sun, it is necessary to lay a carpet on this place or put furniture in order to create a shadow. Closed from the sun, the place on the floor after some time will reappear.

The classic herringbone pattern looks great in a modern interior. The choice of several types of wood, dark and light, in this case makes the flooring even more refined.

Beautiful design and expensive natural wood - features artistic parquet. This type of parquet floor looks most advantageous in spacious rooms.

Shield parquet in a classic interior looks luxurious and stylish. Proper care of an expensive parquet floor will allow to preserve its surface in the best possible way for more than a dozen years.

An example of a bedroom in the style of minimalism. The most advantageously dark parquet looks in combination with light, almost white walls.

Light parquet allows you to visually enlarge compact spaces. An example of the advantageous use of the parquet floor in the updated "Stalin".

On what parquet is better to choose and about the types of design, see the next video.