An Introduction to Parquetry Flooring
What is Parquetry Flooring?
Parquetry or Parquet wooden flooring is the type of flooring that originated in France. Its name is taken from the French language “Parquetry”. Herringbone is the most famous parquetry flooring pattern use nowadays. Made popular in the seventeenth century, Parquetry flooring had to be painstakingly constructed by hand. It was made by cutting small pieces of wood and arranging them in a geometric pattern.
Back in the time of its inception, it was one of the most expensive types of flooring that could only be afforded by the rich. However, after the industrial revolution, machines made it much more affordable. If you are thinking about changing your current floor, then parquetry flooring is the most recommended type of flooring which can give you an appealing look.
To this day Parquetry flooring remains a popular flooring option and is considered classy and artistic.
How does it work?
The word “parquet” means “small compartment” and thus staying synonymous to the name, wood is cut into small pieces of different dimensions. These pieces of wood are cut in a way that they can fit into a pattern, much like a puzzle. Wood is cut into a variety of shapes like rectangles, triangles, squares, etc. depending on the desired design, the pieces will ultimately form. Parquetry flooring is always beautiful and an endless variety of designs are possible.
From simple shapes to complex shapes, even patterns like sun and stars are possible. However, for someone not looking to go for overly complex patterns and keep things simple, herringbone or chevron designs will be best suited. In fact, in the modern day, it’s the traditional herringbone pattern that may be argued to be the most popular.
Parquet wooden floors also have the advantage of being made from various kinds of high-quality woods. Oak, Walnut, Maple and Pine are just some of the examples of woods that can be used to craft a parquet floor.
The Appeal of Parquetry
Even though it is centuries-old technique parquetry flooring is popular to this day. This is because of the exquisite craftsmanship that goes into this type of flooring to make as beautiful as it is. You will get an option to choose from variety of colors and patterns.
It’s versatile. Not only can it be made from many different types of wood, but a wide variety of designs can be created when laying the parquetry. This level of customization is hard to find even with modern types of flooring.
Installation of Parquetry Flooring
When it comes to installation, parquet flooring can be made in three ways. You will need a professional for installing of parquetry flooring. With the help of cold adhesive they are installed to give best results. It can be made of 100% wood, as it was done originally, the more modern engineered wood and finally as an overlay on an existing floor.
These options also vary in costs. The most expensive option is when the floor is made of 100% solid wood, while engineered wood costs slightly less and the overlay method even lesser.
Parquetry flooring needs to be installed on a stable and plain base sub floor. The base should be dry and moisture free. The wood also needs to be acclimatized to the room before laying down the pieces to prevent swelling later on.
Conclusion:
There is no escaping the fact that the entire process of is an expensive one. Parquet floors also take a long time to finish, as there is almost no margin for error, such a job cannot be rushed. Laying down parquet flooring is a job for professionals or someone with substantial experience. DIY is not an option if you’re a novice. This kind of flooring suffers from the same woes as hardwood flooring, meaning it can not be left wet.
Repairing can be a costly proposition too. You should hire a company who provide parquetry flooring service and who can assure you quality results.