You would like to lay a parquet floor but you are unable to choose one. Choosing a parquet floor is a difficult step. There are three types of parquet flooring :
solid wood flooring: made up of 100% noble and authentic woods
engineered parquet or floating parquet : a layer of genuine noble wood
laminate "parquet": imitation wood flooring
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE WOODEN FLOORS?
WHAT IS A SOLID PARQUET FLOOR?
Solid parquet, as the name suggests, is made of solid wood only. The most suitable species are oak, chestnut or pine. Generally expensive, it can be found in old houses and gives elegance to a room. We advise you to call in a professional to install this type of flooring. Indeed, it is installed by nailing it on joists (long pieces of wood) which can quickly become complicated if you are not used to it.
If your solid wood floor is well maintained, you will be able to enjoy it for a long time. The indicated lifespan is more than 80 years. To maintain your solid parquet, we recommend the Parquet Glazer VP500.In some cases, the Parquet Vitrificator is commonly known as parquet varnish. To find out more about parquet vitrification, you can consult our guide How to seal a parquet floor?
The choice of covering is important. Not all woods have the same resistance to moisture. For a room subject to very high humidity such as the bathroom, choose a wood species that has a good tolerance to humidity. We advise you to apply a parquet sealer to facilitate the protection of a wooden floor. In fact, sealing a parquet floor makes your wood waterproof and resistant to external aggressions such as water, humidity, scratches...
WHAT IS A FLOATING FLOOR?
engineered or floating parquet consists of three layers:
The top layer, called the facing layer, consists of a noble wood covering. This is the layer that you can sand to renovate your parquet floor and that must be protected to preserve its solid wood appearance. Oak is the most sought-after species.
The middle layer is intended to support the facing layer.
Finally, the lowest layer, called the counter-balancing layer, has the role of ensuring the stability of the parquet floor.
If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can lay this floating parquet very easily, unlike solid parquet.
The layer of noble wood is less important than for solid parquet. As a result, it is cheaper while offering the elegance and authenticity that a solid parquet floor could bring to your room. Choosing a floating parquet floor is a good value for money. It is also more difficult to renovate. The layer of noble wood is thin, you will not be able to sand your parquet indefinitely. The choice of a solid or glued parquet floor therefore depends above all on your budget and your level of requirements.
We advise you to protect your wood beforehand rather than renovate it. You can use the Parquet Glazer VP500 to protect a floating wooden floor. As soon as the glued parquet floor is laid, the application of the Parquet Vitrificator will protect the wood from all aggressions such as water, stains and abrasion, while preserving the natural appearance of the wood.
WHAT IS LAMINATE FLOORING?
Laminate flooring, like floating parquet, is also made up of several layers. The notable difference is that none of the layers is made of solid wood. It is a covering that imitates wood. Choosing laminate flooring will cost you less than solid or engineered parquet and will be easier to install. Anyone can do it, no need to be a DIY expert. However, laminate flooring will be less solid. The maintenance of this parquet is very simple. Choosing a laminate floor is a good option if you don't have much time to spend on it . You may be wondering or have heard that you need to seal a laminate floor. Laminate flooring is an "imitation wood". It does not need to be fed. There is no need to seal the floor, just cleaning with normal household products is sufficient. To protect and clean a laminate floor, we recommend cleaning with Black Soap such as Liquid Black Soap SN800, but this should be exceptional and only be done with a damp cloth, not with a lot of water. No renovation is possible. When your floor is too worn out, it will have to be changed.
TWO QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF IN ORDER TO CHOOSE A WOODEN FLOOR PROPERLY
In order to know which parquet to choose, we advise you to ask yourself a few questions before you choose your parquet:
How will your floor be used? If you have a lot of traffic in your home, it is best for you to choose solid or engineered parquet. These are the most resistant parquet floors. The choice of the type of flooring you choose should also be taken into account. For high-traffic areas such as a living room, it is advisable to choose an exotic wood species for your parquet floor.
Do you want a parquet floor in a damp room such as a bathroom? Pay particular attention to the choice of wood species for your wooden floor. We advise you to choose exotic wood species such as teak, which are naturally more resistant to damage.
CAN WE STILL TALK ABOUT WOODEN FLOORING?
The facing layer of your wooden floor must be at least 2.5mm thick of noble wood. Solid wood flooring is the most genuine wood flooring since it contains only noble wood. But then how do you choose your floating parquet? For this type of parquet, remember to check that the facing layer is thick enough, otherwise you will have difficulties later on to renovate. Finally, laminate flooring does not contain any type of wood. We cannot really talk about a wooden floor. To sum up, two types of parquet contain wood: solid parquet and floating parquet. The choice of a solid or laminate floor will depend on your budget. Laminate flooring is more of a covering. The choice of laminate flooring is suitable if you have little time and money to spend. You now have all the advice you need on how to choose your parquet floor.
