Cover the floor with parquet. We pour the self-leveling floor under the parquet. Artistic parquet. Laying artistic parquet

Cover the floor with parquet. We pour the self-leveling floor under the parquet. Artistic parquet. Laying artistic parquet

Parquet board is a multilayer material based on natural wood, suitable for creating a practical, warm, natural floor. Proper care of your parquet boards, following the recommendations of specialists and using products specially developed for this purpose, will help extend their service life.

Like any other covering, parquet needs to be looked after, and especially carefully.

General care means delicate use of the floor based on parquet boards, protecting it from moisture, mechanical damage and regular cleaning in compliance with the manufacturer's requirements.

Simple measures will help ensure the protection of the coating from scratches, chips and bald spots. For example, furniture legs will not scratch the coating if you stick small felt pads on them. If this is furniture on moving casters, special plastic mats made of transparent materials will help save the situation.

There are even special designer nozzles with felt, which can be easily removed if desired or necessary.

Considering that natural wood parquet is subject to the abrasive effects of sand brought into the room from the street, it is necessary to consider the construction of a protective zone. Again, specialized mats of two types are suitable:

  • hard;
  • soft.

The former will collect solid particles, the latter will prevent liquid dirt from spreading across the floor in bad weather.

As for care, for general cleaning a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner with a retractable brush that cannot scratch the coating will be sufficient. Periodically, it is necessary to carry out wet cleaning using a soft rag slightly moistened with water.

Under no circumstances should the coating be flooded with water, even if there are heavily contaminated areas. To remove them, special means are used, which are discussed in more detail below.

Oil-wax coating of the board - features of operation and maintenance

To properly care for parquet, you need to know exactly what products were used to finish it. If we are talking about oil-wax compositions, then there are certain nuances. When applied to the surface of a board, such a coating does not form a film, but is only absorbed by the pores of the wood, protecting it from moisture and dirt.

If it is necessary to restore a parquet board with such a layer of protection, the areas requiring it are sanded, and then re-treated with oil, repeating the procedure several times.

For wet cleaning of oil-wax impregnated floors, soap solutions are best suited. The rag should not be too wet; in addition, it is recommended to move it parallel to the grain of the wood.

Before cleaning any surface, you should always study the methods and means of cleaning it.

Wet cleaning is carried out infrequently, but only as needed. In order for the floor to completely dry after treatment, it is left for at least half an hour, after which it is polished using universal parquet care products to enhance the protective properties and give the coating an aesthetic appearance.

The greater the load on the parquet board or parquet flooring, the more often it will need to be updated. So, for example, if we are talking about a public space, then reconstruction will be needed at least once every six months. In apartments and private houses, where the coating is carefully monitored, following the recommendations for care and use, updating once a year or even less often will be enough.

Wax floor - features of use and care

Wax flooring imposes certain obligations on its care. To understand how to care for parquet under a protective layer of wax, you need to know about its properties to respond to certain tests during operation. For example, wet cleaning of the coating will not give the desired effect due to the surface repelling any moisture. That is why only dry cleaning using special wax or solvent-based products, if necessary, will be effective.

Soap solutions containing alkali are unacceptable. Their contact with a waxed coating will lead to a change in its color.

The more carefully you use and clean the surface, the longer it will last and retain its attractive appearance.

Prevention for wax-oil-coated floors

Preventative maintenance of the floor depends on the duration and intensity of its use. In the first year after installation, the coating is treated every three months in the following order:

  • clean;
  • wipe with a damp cloth;
  • give time to dry;
  • soaked in oil;
  • remove excess oil with a napkin;
  • give time to dry (days);
  • apply wax for protection.

With the onset of next year, the frequency of processing is reduced and carried out as needed.

Cleaning the floor too frequently can also negatively affect the condition of the parquet surface.

Lacquered surfaces - how to care for them correctly?

To extend the life of varnished parquet, you also need to comply with certain care and preventive maintenance requirements. Regardless of the durability of the parquet wood and the quality of the parquet varnish used for its processing, over time the surface will wear out and lose its aesthetic appearance due to cracks, chips, and abrasions.

Prevention is as important as routine parquet cleaning.

Preventative measures can also be considered as caring for your parquet flooring, extending its lifespan. For example, to restore the lost shine of a surface and remove small stains, a special “freshener” composition is suitable. Polishing the surface at least once every few months will enhance its protection from moisture.

A complete renovation of such a floor is carried out no earlier than 12 years after active use with scraping, sanding and re-treatment with varnish mixtures. It is possible that restoration will be required earlier if there was no one and no time to properly care for the parquet boards, for example, in public premises.

What products are used to care for wooden floors?

Specially for the care and restoration of parquet and parquet boards, products and preparations have been developed that simplify the task, but most importantly, are safe for natural wood. When it comes to cleaning solutions, they are called cleaners. Just like classic household chemicals, they are sold in concentrated form. The compositions do not harm parquet and help clean it efficiently without smudges or stains. Below are the most famous of them.

One of the popular parquet care products

It is believed that the leading product on the market is an American-made product for cleaning parquet floors, both at home and in public buildings, called Aqua Sport Wood Flor Cleaner. It is followed by the Spanish analogue Rubi, the Ukrainian remedy for greasy stains on wood Glutoclean Pufas and the German concentrate, including surface polishing wax - Thomas Floor Pro, are practically not far behind.

Choosing a soap solution that is accessible to everyone involves observing certain subtleties during use. Soap should be with a small alkali content, liquid, diluted with water. A rag for wet cleaning must be soft, with elastic bristles. The ideal solution is special microfiber or felt rags with a high level of absorbency.

You can make caring for varnished or oiled parquet as easy as possible by following the general tips:

  1. You only need to wash the floor parallel to the grain (as mentioned above).
  2. Pots with plants should not be placed on the floor, not only for fear of getting it dirty, but also because of the accumulation of condensation under it.
  3. Protective nozzles on furniture, house “socks” for animals with claws, rugs - all this will protect the coating.
  4. The humidity level in the room should be maintained in the range from 30 to 60%.
  5. Temperature level is 20-24 degrees Celsius.
  6. For cleaning and restoration, use only specialized preparations, without trying to resort to traditional methods.

A simple but important nuance - indoor shoes are not only for animals, but also for people. These should be soft, non-scratching slippers without heels.

Don't forget to stock up on slippers for guests

Simple restoration actions - how are they carried out?

If, despite all your efforts, you still cannot protect the parquet, you need to move on to radical measures. It is not always possible to remove chips and scratches, numerous abrasions and stains, especially long-term ones, with local repairs of a separate area.

In cases where all else fails, looping is the solution. This procedure is effective and uncomplicated. It is carried out no more than several times during the entire period of operation of the coating. The number of scrapes allowed for parquet depends on the quality and type of wood and the thickness of the facing layer. The largest number of permissible scrapings is 7 times, the smallest is 1 time.

For processing, special machines are used that delicately remove a few millimeters of the damaged layer. It's easier to rent them than to buy them. As an option, it is worth considering ordering the services of specialists who have in their arsenal the equipment and tools necessary for grinding and surface treatment, as well as experience, skills and the desire to return the coating to its original appearance in a timely manner.

Cycling is a slow and expensive procedure, so it is better not to bring the floor to this state and take good care of it in advance

Experts can also advise on how to cover a parquet board and what to use after repair to extend its life, depending on the level of load, and will help you learn how to independently cope with minor floor repairs using varnish, oil, special mixtures based on parquet chips and glue for solutions to problems with dents and scratches.

In conclusion, we note that proper and careful care with periodic updating of the parquet floor on time will extend its service life by several decades.

Floors made from parquet boards will decorate any home. This elegant and practical flooring has all the properties of natural wood, pleases the eye and gives any room a cozy atmosphere. And the three-layer construction of this material provides the surface with a long service life. If you take proper care of it, you can enjoy your brand new floors for many years to come. What ways and means are there to maintain their pristine purity and beauty?

Caring for a parquet floor is in many ways similar to caring for a wooden one. Although the first case has its own specifics, which largely depends on what is applied on top - varnish or oil. These materials enhance the texture of the wood and protect it from wear and various damages. Varnish enhances the beauty of wood and enhances its strength. Oils usually contain beeswax and natural resins, which have a beneficial effect on the condition of the top layer. But we must remember that an oil-coated board requires special care - the applied layer must be periodically renewed.

So, brand new boards are laid by the skillful hands of parquet floor workers and impregnated with varnish or oil. We do not recommend immediately starting their merciless exploitation. You should start arranging furniture no earlier than after a week, and for greater reliability - after two. During this time everything will dry well.

At first, it is recommended to follow a gentle regime - walk carefully on the floor, do not jump, and do not move heavy objects. When assembling cabinets and other pieces of furniture, it doesn't hurt to cover the area where this happens with thick cardboard.

The varnished surface should be wiped with a soft cloth or hair brush. If the dirt is small, it can be removed with a damp cloth without wetting it too much. Products containing abrasives should be completely avoided. Same with hard brushes. It cannot be guaranteed that they will not damage the varnish by causing scratches through which dirt and moisture will penetrate into the wood. It is better to apply care products with a dry cloth and not in a very thick layer.

Parquet floors, like wood floors, require regular vacuuming. This should be done using a special soft nozzle so as not to scratch the coating. It is not recommended to pour water; it is better to simply wipe it with a wet cloth once every two or three days.

The worst enemy of any gender is sand. Its abrasive particles, brought from the street on shoes, especially damage the surface. To avoid this trouble, you should lay a special rug, or preferably two, at the front door. On the first, made of hard rubberized fabric, the main layer of sand will remain, and the second, made of a softer material, will take on the rest of the dirt.

It is unlikely that anyone walks around the house in sharp heels, hard boots or rubber boots. But still, let us remind you that, upon entering your own home, it is better to change your street shoes to soft indoor slippers or woolen socks.

Pets also cannot be called parquet floor friends. They can scratch the surface and leave various contaminants on it. In the first case, regular trimming of your pets' claws will help, and in the second, timely cleaning of the consequences of their physiological manifestations.

Wood is an environmentally friendly natural material. It breathes and lives, sensitively responding to environmental conditions. If, for example, the air in the room is too humid, then products made from it absorb excess moisture and swell. And when it’s too dry, they behave accordingly.

How to ensure that nothing dries out or cracks? The answer is simple: follow optimal regimes. The relative humidity in the premises should be within 45-60%, and the temperature should not exceed 25°C. Helpers here will be regular air humidifiers or water sprayers. Or you can simply place water containers in several places in the apartment. If the humidity in the room is higher than normal, regular ventilation will help.

What and how to clean?

Cleaning products are considered one of the main components of parquet care. Their choice is quite wide. These are various types of polishes, emulsions, wax, and oil mixtures. When using them, you should strictly follow the instructions.

For regular cleaning of parquet, neutral concentrated products are suitable, for example, emulsions or shampoos specially designed for cleaning floors. With their help, dust and dirt are perfectly removed, leaving the room fresh and clean. Such products are diluted in water in a ratio of 100-250 milliliters per 10 liters and applied with a simple rag. But it is not advisable to pour a lot of water - the rag should be thoroughly wrung out. It is best to use a special mop, the design of which includes a sprayer.

General cleaning is carried out infrequently. Three to four times a year will be enough. Solvent-based or concentrated formulations are used. Having carefully treated the surface, a primary protection agent is applied to it, keeping the top layer in proper condition.

It happens that the top layer of the floor has been waxed more than once. Its layers can be removed using the same solvent-based products. However, then you will have to apply the protective coating again.

Help you keep it looking its best

To preserve the beauty and durability of floors, manufacturers have developed various devices. As you read this article on your computer screen, you are most likely sitting on a computer chair equipped with small wheels. This is, of course, convenient, but they tend to leave dents and scratches underneath. A special mat - rubber or polycarbonate - will help to avoid this. The latter are also transparent, almost invisible on the floor.

Special furniture that does not leave marks is also produced. Such chairs, for example, are equipped with soft rubber wheels. You can maneuver them around the room completely calmly, without fear that traces will remain.

Felt stickers for furniture, which are attached to the legs of furniture from below, are very effective and, importantly, cheap. They are absolutely indispensable when you have to move tables, cabinets and sofas.

People often ask whether it is possible to lay carpets on parquet floors. Alas, these two things are very difficult to combine. After all, most carpets are made on a hard adhesive base, which also tends to crumble all the time. Small pieces of glue “draw” on the surface a kind of cobweb made up of thin scratches. The covering under the carpet or rug gradually loses its original appearance, becomes rough, discolored, and the varnish gradually wears off.

Different parquets require different care

The varnished coating has differences from its close “relative”, coated with oil. In another way it is also called polished. This difference is manifested not only in appearance, but also in the methods of caring for it.

Parquet coated with varnish, which gives a glossy shine, is good because during the first 6-8 years it does not require any special care. Regular dry cleaning and wet cleaning are sufficient. However, after the specified period you will still need to update the coverage. At the same time, old layers of varnish are removed and fresh ones are applied instead.

Or you can completely “change the floor” of the coating by impregnating it with oil instead of varnish. To do this, you need a special sanding machine that removes the varnish and the top layer of wood. After scraping and grinding, the working surface is treated with impregnating compounds and oil.

A polished board looks noble and preserves the natural texture of wood well, but it wears out faster. Therefore, it requires special protection with impregnations based on vegetable oils and beeswax. And they take care of it by cleaning it with a vacuum cleaner and wiping it with a dry or slightly moistened cloth.

As you can see, providing good care for parquet boards is not so difficult. It is enough to follow the listed rules, carry out cleaning on time, immediately removing any dirt that has appeared, and, if necessary, do “cosmetic” and, in difficult cases, “surgical” interventions. To put it simply, take care of your parquet and protect it from adverse external influences. Then it will delight you with its attractive appearance for a long time.

from 450 RUR/m2

Free price calculation

Repairing parquet is much more profitable than replacing it! Parquet restoration involves local replacement of damaged elements, complete sanding of the wooden floor surface and subsequent application of protective layers of varnish or oil. Restoration can eliminate the most common defects and wear of wooden flooring, for example parquet: swollen after flooding, scratched, rotted, cracks appearing. The cost of repairing old parquet is determined individually, after a free visit by a technologist. A specialist will assess the damage to the parquet floor and the required amount of repair work. Call us! We are ready to undertake the repair of wooden floors of any condition. You will be surprised at the condition in which you can cycle parquet and get the perfect result.

    • WHAT CAN BE REPAIRED
    • potholes and scratches;
    • bloating after flooding;
    • cracks;
    • creak;
    • heavy wear.
    • WORK DATES
    • Depends on the type of parquet restoration. On average, the work takes from 1 hour to several days (check by phone)
    • DISCOUNTS
    • -10% for educational institutions

Restoring parquet after flooding

If there is flooding in the room, as a result of mechanical stress the parquet expands, warping and twisting of the parquet blocks occurs. Even coated with varnish or oil, it quickly absorbs moisture, which renders the parquet tiles completely unusable. After complete drying, the parquet can return to its original state if a sufficiently small amount of moisture has been absorbed. If the parquet, after drying, swells in some places and is completely damaged, you will have to replace the dies or re-lay the parquet covering. The cost of restoring parquet after flooding with water is higher than other prices for parquet repair because... re-sorting the floor and replacing damaged areas of parquet is a labor-intensive process. In order to restore parquet after flooding, be sure to contact the professionals of the Parquet Service company.

Scope of repair work:

  • dismantling and replacing damaged dies with new parts;
  • scraping the parquet in order to align the new boards in color and height with the old dies;
  • tinting – will help improve the appearance of the parquet;
  • applying a protective layer of oil or varnish.

Restoring scratches in varnish or wood

The most common damage to parquet flooring is scratches. They occur from falling heavy objects, when rearranging furniture, from careless children playing or from the claws of pets. As a result, the varnish coating or wood of the dies is damaged. Repairing a wooden parquet floor in these cases differs in budget and duration. Restoring parquet with such damage is a fairly common job for a qualified specialist. After inspection, the technician makes a conclusion about the extent of the damage and a rational method for eliminating it. There are several options for restoring parquet: for single, minor, superficial scratches, you will need a special putty that is matched to the color of the parquet. After it has completely dried, sanding is carried out, followed by painting with varnish or oil; if abrasions and scratches are present in large quantities and are deep enough, scrape the dies until the relief is completely leveled. After which the parquet is primed, tinted if necessary and always protected with varnish or oil.

Scope of repair work:

  • replacement of individual parquet boards (in case of serious damage)
  • puttying
  • parquet sanding
  • varnish coating

Repairing cracks in parquet

The reason for drying out of wood and the appearance of cracks is a change in humidity in the room or a violation of technology when laying parquet boards. To ensure that there are no gaps between the parquet strips, it is necessary to maintain optimal humidity in the room. Especially in winter, when the air becomes drier due to the heating system. To do this, it is recommended to purchase an air humidifier. To calculate the cost of parquet repair, it is necessary to inspect the parquet flooring by an experienced specialist who can give an accurate assessment of the extent of damage and methods for eliminating it. If the damage is minor, you can carry out cosmetic repairs to the parquet. If the gaps between the dies are 3 mm or more, restoration of the parquet is carried out.

Scope of repair work:

  • deepening and leveling the gap, thoroughly removing debris;
  • selection of wooden inserts according to the size of the gap;
  • processing the insert with a special compound and placing it in the recess
  • filling the remaining space around the insert;
  • sanding after the putty has dried;
  • covering the floor with varnish or oil.

Repairing squeaky parquet

It often happens that when walking on parquet floors, an unpleasant, irritating squeak appears. The reasons for parquet creaking can be caused by the unevenness of the base on which the parquet floor was laid; friction of dies on fastening screws; rubbing parquet boards against each other or pushing them against walls. After a specialist has identified the source of the squeak, you can begin repairing the parquet. If the reason is that the parquet is peeling off from the base, the only solution to the problem is to completely re-lay it, having first leveled the subfloor. If the problem is in the quality of the fastening system, it is necessary to identify and eliminate local faults. If the dies are laid too tightly, you should determine the friction points, remove the boards and process them to the desired size. In any case, it will be necessary to implement a full cycle of activities, including puttying, sanding and applying varnish or oil at the final stage. Prices for parquet repair and restoration depend on the area and complexity of the work.

The scope of repair work is determined after identifying the cause of the creaking

Restoring cork flooring

Cork is one of the types of natural materials used for flooring. It is made from the bark of the cork oak tree. Despite its positive characteristics, like any floor covering, cork wears out over time and develops dents and scratches. The owner is faced with the question of how to update it. Sanding machines used for restoring parquet cannot be used for sanding cork floors. They are too heavy and cork is softer than wood. To sand cork material, belt or vibrating sanders are used. Such a delicate matter must be entrusted to a professional, because he knows better all the nuances of working with such capricious material. The cost of reconstructing cork flooring, as well as the price of parquet repair in Moscow, depends on the area and complexity of the work performed.

Scope of repair work:

  • removing the damaged plate and replacing it with a new one
  • grinding cork using a special hand-held machine
  • varnishing the floor.

Complete restoration of the old “killed” parquet

Over time, any parquet floor loses its beauty and shine; the tiles become loose or crack. Restoration of old parquet is carried out in a comprehensive manner, thanks to which it is possible to restore its original appearance. Depending on the complexity of the damage to the floor covering, the following types of repairs of old parquet are carried out: replacing damaged or missing tiles with new products; if replacement of parquet boards is not required, cracks and scratches on them are repaired; scraping; primer; coating with oil or varnish. After replacing the dead dies, the gaps between the boards are removed. If there are a large number of gaps, it may be necessary to completely lay parquet. The next step is to scrape the wood to remove the old layer of varnish and eliminate deep scratches and relief irregularities formed due to the laying of new dies. After this, the parquet floor is puttied and primed. Before applying varnish or oil, parquet flooring can be tinted. It is difficult to carry out such work efficiently without the appropriate knowledge and skills, so you should contact specialists who can assess the degree of damage to the surface and make a decision on restoring the parquet or laying a new floor covering. Contact Parquet Service, we carry out restoration of old parquet of any complexity.

It is quite natural that when purchasing materials for finishing, the choice of buyers often leans towards parquet flooring - natural and aesthetic. It is parquet flooring that has more than positive characteristics, but everyone wants the floor finishing in the house to be warm, environmentally friendly, bring comfort and please the eye with an aesthetic appearance.

For parquet floors, wood from different species of trees and shrubs can be partially or completely used: oak, ash, beech, birch, merbau and even bamboo. These floors:

  • Environmentally friendly;
  • They do not emit harmful substances (and some, for example, larch floors, have antiseptic properties);
  • Create a single space with wooden furniture elements;
  • If artistic parquet is used, it can become the dominant element of the room’s decoration.

Parquet flooring has more than attractive characteristics: it has high soundproofing qualities, retains heat and combines home comfort with status.

For finishing the floor it is used:

  • Solid board made of natural wood (the most expensive coating in this series);
  • Panel parquet;
  • Modular;
  • Piece.

It is a tongue and groove covering made of solid wood. Equipped with a four-sided tongue-and-groove locking system, which facilitates installation and allows the boards to be joined as tightly as possible.

In design and quality it has much in common with block parquet, and in terms of performance characteristics it is not inferior to laminate. It is resistant to deformation and can be laid directly on the joists.

Attracts with its tactilely comfortable surface and noble natural texture. Relevant in classic interiors. It is characterized by low thermal conductivity, excellent sound insulation properties and the ability to absorb excess moisture.

It is made from solid wood and is a planed plank with a length of 15 to 90 cm and a width of 3-12 cm.

The planks can be fastened with glue, nails, screws, staples, or by means of a tie using special strings (tensile parquet).

The main advantages of piece parquet are environmental friendliness and wear resistance. The installation is tight thanks to double-sided tongue and groove (tongue-and-groove system), but it requires skill and is almost impossible without inviting professionals. And further maintenance of the parquet floor requires compliance with a number of rules.

Even with very careful handling, the varnish coating of parquet wears out. It’s better not to wait for this and regularly cover the floor with a special varnish.

Parquet boards appeared on the construction materials market in the 40s of the last century, but to this day they are the most popular method of finishing floors. It consists of several layers compressed under strong pressure and at high temperature.

Oil-wax impregnation requires annual renewal, but the coating can be sanded, cleaned, replaced, or repaired individual parts without fear that the fragment will stand out strongly after repair.

It is significantly cheaper than solid wood, and due to its structure (the fibers of different layers are arranged perpendicular to each other), it is less susceptible to deformation when the temperature changes or moisture enters.

Artistic parquet floors are the most expensive. Modular parquet is an artistic installation option that simplifies the work of the craftsman, since the pattern is made up of panels using piece strips.

Additional elements are also used - borders (friezes), rosettes (inserts).

Modular parquet flooring goes on sale completely ready for installation - with a coating. This eliminates the need for subsequent scraping. The working layer is up to 7 mm, which allows you to increase its service life by grinding.

The only drawback is the lack of a base, and therefore, with prolonged exposure to moisture, the floor begins to warp.

It has several names - parquet panels, engineered wood, etc. It can be called a prototype of modular. But, unlike its descendant, the panel board has a durable base made of fiberboard, plywood or two-layer wood with multi-directional fibers.

Small elements (slats) made of hard wood are glued onto it. Made in a square shape.

The top of the shields is coated with a protective polyurethane varnish that is cured under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The working layer is ultimately up to 8 mm, which also allows for repeated sanding.

With excellent strength characteristics, engineered board is also repairable. Damage to an individual element does not require replacing a large section of the floor covering; it is possible to replace it in fragments.

It belongs to the panel group, as it is made in the form of medium-sized square shields assembled from small planks. But, compared to engineered parquet, inlaid parquet is more decorative, thanks to a large selection of colors and textures. It is also called “mosaic” for its ability to create designer patterns.

The panel base is equipped with soundproofing material - depending on the manufacturer, it can be foam or rubber.

Paper or a thick film is glued to the front side, which protects the design from deformation and is removed after installation. The working layer is a maximum of 5 mm.

Here we consider the most popular methods of arranging a parquet floor, making it possible to make sure that the parquet flooring truly has unique characteristics.

If you have made your choice, you can start looking for companies that sell and install, and if for some reason the choice has not yet been made, get acquainted with the technology of laying cork floors, wooden, and plywood floors for painting.

They are also made from natural materials, therefore, they have many of the listed qualities of the options described in the article.

Parquet flooring: characteristics, video

Parquet floors are a beautiful solution for the interior of any room. At the same time, high demands are placed on them in terms of aesthetics, sanitary and hygienic standards and thermal and sound insulation. As a rule, the use of this flooring material is advisable not only in residential buildings, but also in educational institutions, theaters, museums, and sanatoriums.

What are the features?

The main advantages of parquet floors are their beautiful appearance and durability of the coating. They are also characterized by minimal sound permeability and thermal conductivity. But it is not easy to install parquet floors, since high demands are placed on them in terms of evenness, smoothness and durability of the surface.

Each type of parquet consists of a covering, a layer and a base, which is played by various elements - from wooden logs to subfloors and prefabricated fiberboard screeds. The layer can be leveling layers based on a mixture of cement, sand or polymer mortar, as well as bedding, hydro- and As for the coating, it can be pieced and mosaic, in the form of parquet boards or panels with different sizes and patterns.

How is the floor constructed?

Modern parquet floors have a complex structure, so their installation requires professionalism and the ability to work with such material. High-quality installation begins with surface preparation. Since parquet board is a high-quality floor covering, the permissible difference in surface height cannot be more than 1 mm per linear meter. Therefore, in addition to leveling the base with a screed, you will need to use a self-leveling mixture. The final leveling is ensured by plywood - it is a kind of intermediate link between the parquet and the concrete base.

We carry out the screed

Installing a parquet floor involves laying a cement-sand screed or a wooden “subfloor” on joists. However, a screed is most often used. It has certain requirements:

  1. Surface evenness. Leveling is mandatory if there are defects on the surface.
  2. Compressive strength. Depending on the thickness of the floor covering, experts advise using a durable screed. Its minimum thickness is 40 mm.
  3. Low humidity. Since wood is hygroscopic, it will deform over time. The humidity of the base under parquet should be no more than 5%. To make the screed dry faster and better, a waterproofing material is used.

Plywood as an insulating material

Installing a parquet floor is a complex process in which it is important to consider many details. For example, installation technology involves creating an intermediate layer of plywood. Its purpose is to compensate for the “movement” of the parquet as a result of changes in humidity in the room. Before doing so, many experts suggest covering the screed with a waterproofing material - this will protect the wooden floor from moisture accumulation and further rotting. In such cases, it is best to use foil film or a special polyurethane-based primer.

The substrate is created on the basis of moisture-resistant plywood up to 20 mm thick - it depends on the thickness of the parquet strip. It is best to cut plywood into squares:

  1. This way the likelihood of the plywood coming off the surface will be lower.
  2. The dimensions of the squares will match the size of the planks, so the floor and underlay will exhibit the same amount of expansion and contraction, thereby increasing the durability of the flooring.

The plywood is glued to the base and additionally secured with self-tapping screws or dowels. After installation, the parquet floors are finished and sanded.

Choosing glue

To attach plywood and parquet, you need high-quality glue. It comes in several types:

  1. Dispersible (water-soluble). This glue is optimal in price and quality, shows excellent adhesion, is elastic and easy to use. There are no odors when using it, and the glue dries quickly. When choosing such a composition, you need to pay attention to the amount of water - the more there is, the more the geometry of the plank will change due to the glue. Dispersion adhesive should not be used if the floors (parquet boards) are made of European wood species - beech, hornbeam, cherry, cherry. They are considered unstable because water will cause the slats made from them to warp. You should not use this glue if the planks are too large in size.
  2. Polyurethane. This adhesive consists of two components and is excellent when using materials prone to warping and laying wide planks. Such compositions are expensive, but they have good adhesion to the surface and no shrinkage. The short drying time means that parquet flooring must be installed as quickly as possible.

Laying on a screed: pros and cons

There is another option for laying parquet boards - without using plywood directly on the screed. Previously, this method was not used, since the adhesives lacked elasticity, as a result, moisture could leak into the parquet from the screed.

Today, laying parquet flooring directly on the screed is possible by applying a waterproofing primer to it. And a highly elastic adhesive is applied to it, which holds the planks in place. In some cases, it is advisable to supplement the substrate with non-woven fibrous material, which will compensate for the force of the parquet to come off the base. The technology is good, but too expensive, and besides, the work is carried out exclusively on a flat and solid base.

Finishing

Once the glue has cured and the planks have stabilized (usually this takes about two weeks), you can begin sanding the parquet. This is done in different types, gradually reducing the grain of the sanding paper. Before sanding, you need to putty all the cracks and recesses in order to get a beautiful parquet floor - as neat and smooth as possible.

Now you can coat the surface with varnish or oil. It is best to use compounds from the same company that produces the rest of the parquet chemicals. The purpose of varnishes is not only to make the floor decorative, but also to protect it by creating an artificial film on the surface. Most often, up to 7 layers of varnish are required. Parquet can also be coated with oil, which contains natural ingredients. The peculiarity of this finish is the ability to emphasize the texture and naturalness of the wood and protect it from moisture. True, the oil coating will need to be updated from time to time.

Warm board or parquet?

How to make a parquet floor if you prefer a heated system? Until recently, it was impossible to think through such a repair method, since the choice of parquet boards was limited. Today, experts offer more modern solutions that avoid the appearance of gaps on the surface between parquet planks. Of course, any tree reacts to temperature changes and humidity. But in Scandinavian countries, parquet flooring has been used for a long time.

Warm parquet floors can be installed using the floating floor method, which uses metal brackets. They are needed to fasten the boards together, which are subsequently laid on the base without fastening. Such a floor will never be torn off from the base, because it is not connected to it. Staples allow you to regulate the natural expansion and contraction of wood that occurs with changes in temperature and humidity. And this is very important if you are laying parquet on a floor with a heating system.

What kind of wood is parquet made from?

Modern parquet floors have a different base, since different types of wood are used to produce the material - soft, medium and hard. The higher it is, the stronger it will be, showing a high degree of wear resistance. Soft wood is found in birch and cherry, medium wood in oak, ash, merbau, hard wood in ebony and jatoba.

An important role is played by the stability of wood, that is, the degree of its deformation during temperature changes and changes in humidity. The most stable species are teak, oak, merbau, and beech. However, the latter is highly sensitive to changes in the level of humidity in the room. All tree species on which parquet flooring is created can be divided into groups according to color. Light flooring material will be made from beech, maple, ash, birch, hornbeam, and white acacia. This wood darkens slowly and looks beautiful indoors. Pink tones distinguish the wood of pear, cherry and alder, red shades can be observed in merbau, jatoba, doussia and other rare species of trees. Brown parquet is made from walnut, teak, and ipe lapacho wood.

How is parquet classified?

Parquet flooring is beautiful and bright. But it is important to consider a few points before choosing a material. Firstly, the type of cut plays an important role - it can be radial or tangential. Radial cutting is considered wear-resistant, reliable and requires the presence of parallel lines along the entire length of the die. Tangential cutting is distinguished by arched lines and is considered the most affordable.

Secondly, you need to pay close attention to the wear layer - that is, the layer of the strip from the front surface to the upper edge of the tenon. Thirdly, the thickness of the parquet determines how long and reliably the floor will be used. And most importantly, the fastening of the tenons and grooves must be airtight and tight while maintaining a gap of 1 mm.

Solid board

The modern market offers a wide selection of wooden coverings - parquet, solid wood, parquet boards. Solid board (GOST 8242-88) is created from solid wood and is large in size, unlike parquet. Its distinctive feature is the chamfer that exists around the perimeter of the board. It highlights each board in the covering and emphasizes its dimensions. Solid wood boards can be supplied sanded or already treated with varnish, oil or wax. In the second option, the parquet floor will not need to be treated.

In the standard version, the installation technology involves fastening a solid board with glue and screws. When laying this variety, you need to remember several rules:

  1. Varnishing is possible only after installation.
  2. Solid wood boards cannot be installed with water-based or solvent-based adhesives.
  3. The “floating” method for laying solid boards is not suitable.
  4. You cannot attach the board to a screed based on cement and sand.

Most often, errors in installation occur when the boards are incorrectly selected in width, the wrong glue is used, or the material is not pressed down sufficiently.

Parquet

The most beautiful is parquet flooring. The photo shows how many interesting solutions you can implement in your home. Piece parquet is created from solid wood with a thickness of 14-22 mm and complies with GOST 862.1-85. If the length and width of the planks are multiples, then you can lay out a pattern in the form of a deck or herringbone. Parquet planks are available left and right, and if a herringbone or square pattern is installed, the same quantities of both planks will be required.

Parquet planks are securely connected to each other thanks to tongues and grooves. If the implementation of artistic elements or borders is required, then modular elements are used for this. The parquet strip is fixed with special nails using a pneumatic gun. All types of block parquet are semi-finished products that, after installation, require sanding and treatment with a protective compound.

Parquet laying is carried out with a number of reservations:

  1. If the parquet is chamfered, it cannot be treated with varnish after installation.
  2. Parquet is installed only by gluing it to the base (the “floating” method is not suitable).
  3. The parquet is not attached directly to the screed.
  4. If the installation was carried out with dispersion adhesive or a solvent-based composition, then sanding should be done immediately.

If installed incorrectly, a wooden parquet floor will, at a minimum, look unsightly, and at maximum, the varnish layer will begin to crack, cracks will form, and the integrity of the base structure will be compromised.

After preparing the base, you can begin laying the parquet:

  1. Laying starts from the long wall: the first board is applied to the wall in the corner, a wedge is installed between them to create a gap between the flooring and the walls.
  2. Subsequent planks are laid along the wall. Monitor the accuracy of the joining of the ridge and grooves.
  3. All subsequent boards are laid in the same way.

Parquet board

This flooring material complies with GOST 862.3-86 and is a multi-layer structure. The top layer is solid valuable wood, the middle layer is pine or spruce bars, the bottom layer is needed to stabilize the base and is made of plywood or coniferous veneer. All elements are securely glued together with a special waterproof glue, which ensures uniformity and adhesion strength of all layers. These parquet floors have received good reviews because the surface is smooth, smooth and beautiful.

When using this type, you must carefully follow the installation steps. The parquet board can be laid in a “floating” way, but it is necessary to monitor the level of humidity of the base and the gap with the wall.

Features of care and repair

Floor coverings, which are based on natural wood, require careful and thorough care. The most important thing is that the room must provide optimal temperature and humidity: 20-24 degrees with a humidity of 45-60%. The real enemies of parquet are dust and sand, which lead to rapid abrasion of the varnish or oil coating. You can clean such a floor with a damp cloth or vacuum cleaner, but do not wash it!

To avoid scratches, you should stick special felt pads on the furniture legs. Laying parquet should be done in well-heated rooms in winter, since a sharp change in temperature and humidity will lead to rapid destruction of the floor.

How to repair a parquet floor? If the problems are minor, for example, scratches appear, they can be removed with a retouching pencil or repaired with putty. Such areas will only need to be sanded after drying and treated with varnish. If water is spilled on the parquet, the damaged area may become deformed. In such cases, it is often necessary to re-lay the parquet or lay a new one.

Another serious problem with parquet floors is squeaking. It can become stronger as it is used. There are several ways to correct the situation:

  1. Drill a hole in the center of the area where the creaking is heard. As a rule, this is enough.
  2. If the base of the floor is hard concrete, you can pour a special mixture of cement and water into the hole.
  3. If the creaking area is too large, then the only way to get rid of the creaking is to re-lay the parquet. It is costly and labor-intensive, but reliable.

Another common problem is parquet drying out. This is due to the fact that the slats dry out and decrease in size as they are used, so they begin to wobble. Such planks must be replaced, since these areas cannot be repaired. If this occurs in a small area, then it is easier to replace individual strips with new ones.

Under the influence of changes in humidity, the parquet becomes moisturized, then dries out, and as a result, cracks appear. It is impossible to eliminate this process; you can only monitor the humidity in the room using a humidifier. If the gap is very small, it is enough to clean it and then putty. If the gap is larger than 5 mm, then putty will not help. In this case, it needs to be deepened, cleaned, an insert cut from suitable wood and driven into the gap. Then the surface is sanded and varnished.

In some cases, the planks may peel off. This is caused by several reasons: poor-quality glue or mastic, violation of installation technology, or high humidity in the room. In this case, the problem is solved differently depending on the reason. If it is concrete, then the nests of the planks are carefully processed, then primed and dried. The planks are glued back with mastic. In the case of a wooden base, the nests of the planks are also cleaned and coated with glue, then the loose planks are inserted back and nailed.

A beautiful parquet floor is an excellent solution for any interior. The main thing is to approach its installation correctly.