Parquet is a flooring that our feet perceive as warm. That is why it is pleasant to walk on it.
Parquet found its way into the home during industrialization in the 19th century. Parquet in the form of narrow wooden strips was fashionable at the time, and laying the sometimes laborious floor covering was simplified thanks to thin steel nails and better adhesives. In the 1950s, varnish sealing was developed and this made parquet easy to maintain.
The parquet is solid wood
It also consists of elements of solid wood or of soft wood veneered with hard wood. The parquet is single-layer and multi-layer, with the single-layer consisting entirely of solid wood, and the multi-layer – of two or three layers, where the coating is made of solid wood.
The thicker the all-wood layer of the parquet, the more often it can be sanded and resealed.
Parquet also differs in its surface. There are many types of trees – from sycamore to pear or olive to cedar – the choice is large. Each parquet has its own charm and specific color range. No wooden surface matches another, which is why parquet is also very popular. Who, for example, prefers a light parquet, the birch tree is suitable for him.
The variety of wood types, color tones and shapes provide individual possibilities for shaping the parquet and suit absolutely any style of furnishing. Lighter woods range from white sycamore, birch, ash and alder. The reddish tones are in the range of beech, cherry, mahogany, etc. Recently, parquet made of wenge – a wood that grows in the tropical forests of Africa – is also in demand.
Parquet is an ecological, sustainable building material
If you have chosen the type of wood, it is time to lay the parquet. There are many options – from the classic single-strip parquet to the option with a woven structure. Individual parquet strips can be created in different patterns.
When buying the parquet flooring, you should also be interested in how it was harvested – it is best for the manufacturer to declare that as much wood was taken from the forests for the production of the parquet as will grow in a new forest in the future. This ensures sustainability and the forests remain healthy and intact.
In addition, the processing of parquet and other wood flooring pollutes the environment less than plastic, for example.
The long life expectancy, as well as extending the use of the parquet with the application of various varnishes and oils, makes it popular. If you ever have to throw away the parquet, its wooden components can be recycled and further processed. Parquet that has already lived its life can be converted into “green” energy.
Parquet in the bathroom
Why not put parquet in the bathroom? For a long time this was not possible because it is sensitive to water and in contact with moisture it tends to swell and swell. In the meantime, however, a parquet was created, which is suitable precisely for the wet room. When laying it in the bathroom, everything depends on the right type of wood. It is best to choose trees that by their nature tend to absorb water to a very small degree. This is, for example, the parquet made of afzelia or teak wood, which are of high hardness.
Its laying should be as perfect as possible. This means that the joints are as tight as possible and that the parquet itself is perfectly even, so that puddles do not form. And instead of varnish, a coating with special oil or wax is recommended. Varnish is actually much more water resistant, however, even with the smallest irregularities in the coating, water can penetrate the parquet and cause damage. The joints at the edges should be additionally sealed with majun.
Anyone who regularly refreshes the seal with oil or wax and disciplinedly dries the parquet after a bath or shower can enjoy a charming parquet in the bathroom for many years.
Keep in mind that parquet is also particularly suitable for representative floors of administrative buildings and for all those who like wood to be present in the furnishings at home.
