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Parquet rules the roost when it comes to ornate flooring. Parquet flooring, which is made up of tiny pieces of hardwood placed together in geometric patterns, gives a striking aesthetic element to any area. Parquet’s popularity peaked in the 1960s in the United States, but demand dropped after that, as it did with many other boom phenomena.
The word “parquet” is derived from the French word “parquetry,” which means “little compartment.” It began in the 17th century in France, when artists produced intricate patterns by chopping and fitting simple angular pieces of wood altogether one by one, subsequently gluing them to the floor. Parquet flooring were formerly the domain of rich families and public buildings due to the skill and time required. A handful of the oldest instances still survive and are regarded masterpieces in their very own right, like the Galerie d’Hercule at the Hôtel Lambert in Paris.
Installation Tips
- Many contractors including flooring specialists are skilled at installing parquet tiles, and whether you hire a pro or do it on your own, the following suggestions will help you understand the process. Always follow the directions included in the box of parquet flooring tiles because manufacturer standards vary. Make preparations for the installation. Installing parquet flooring on a firm substrate, including a solid subfloor, is essential. It’s important that the substrate be dry and level. Baseboards must be removed before installation.
- Allow time for it to adjust. Because the parquet is made of actual wood, it must be allowed to acclimatize to the room in which it will be installed to avoid gaps between the panels later. Two weeks is the normal acclimatization time for hardwood. No need to remove the tiles; simply place the boxes in the room. During this period, the wood strips may shift slightly as they respond to changes in temperature as well as humidity.
- Carefully plan out your arrangement. Every following tile in a parquet tile pattern repeats itself, and if the rows are not exactly straight or coordinated with the walls, the overall product will be unprofessional. Because not all rooms are completely square, you’ll need to account for this while planning your arrangement. The tiles come with step-by-step directions on how to create a floor plan. For quality results, execute these instructions to the letter.
- Make use of the resources and tools that have been advised. Don’t chance it with what you have on hand; the suggested tools and supplies are meant to give you the best results. Not only may the type of glue differ based on the tile brand, but the manufacturer may also suggest a trowel with certain size notches.
- Instead of using a circular saw, use a jigsaw. When it is common to use a circular saw to cut other forms of wood flooring, parquet typically has microscopic wires buried in the wood strips. These wires can become tangled in a circular saw’s revolving blade, posing a hazard, destroying the tile, and perhaps harming the saw. A jigsaw’s up-and-down action slices easily through wood and wire without any issues.
