Parquet Flooring: A Guide and Source of Inspiration to Get You Started

Posted Jan 04, 2021 by Aaron Schaalma

parquet flooring design by christmas tree

Parquet wood flooring has been on the rise in popularity over the last 5 to 10 years. Herringbone and Chevron have been the most popular. More specifically, the wider and longer length styles have become the most popular. These parquet wood flooring designs could have grown more trendy thanks to designers in the industry.

What is Parquet Wood Flooring?

What It’s Not - Marquetry

First of all, parquetry is not to be confused with marquetry. Marquetry is when you have small pieces fitted together. For instance, medallions are often used to create pictures in wood products.

What It Is - Geometric Patterns

Sports fans might think of the Boston Celtics of the NBA. Their floor is a square-paneled parquet wood flooring style. It is sometimes referred to as finger block parquet flooring. Most people often think of this geometric floor pattern when they think of parquetry. However, the available types of patterns can vary greatly.

Types of Rooms and Homes for Parquetry

In general, parquet wood flooring goes well with specific settings, rooms or styles of houses. It depends on what kind of style, the space and the house can determine the look. For example if you’re going for English or something along those lines you might be interested in some of the patterns like Chevron, Herringbone which is mid-century. Versailles and Chateau are a bit more classic or vintage type of house. The finger block type of pattern is more of a retro style.

Types of Parquet Designs

Patterns

Colors

Endless, link to blog about colors. You can pretty much choose any color that you want... read more

Wood Types

The same goes for wood types - the options are endless. I generally see patterns like Versailles and Basket weaves tend to be a lot of oak, and now with the popularity of different species like Hickory and other exotics. The good news here is that you’re not limited.

Cost and Maintenance

Overall, the cost is going to be significantly more expensive due to the extra amount of labor that is required. I personally like to work by hand as much as possible. This means figuring out sizes and cutting things down to exact measurements.

Installation

The installation process is the foundation of any install. This in particular is even more so true with any patterned floors. Any deflection in the subfloor can can change the straightness of the pattern. Its critical to make sure the subfloor is as flat as possible. Here are some of the things that are done in preparing the subfloor for wood.... read more

Cleaning

The cleaning process involves sweeping, dusting, vacuuming with the right equipment to prevent scratches....read more

Refinishing

Refinishing any parquet wood flooring is going to be more involved. The wood grain does not run the same way. Therefore we need to prevent scratch marks for the wood opposite of the grain. You generally have to take it up a bit higher grit. The entire job is finished with a planetary sander which is a machine that rotates in a circle with sandpaper. This is going to make the floor flatter and remove any cross scratches. If you’re applying a hard rock soil it doesn’t matter as much how you apply since this simply soaks into the wood. If applying polyurethane on top, generally the best method is to roll it as opposed to the snow plow method.

Top Pros and Cons to Parquet Flooring

Pros

You can customize the look and feel of any room with parquet wood flooring. Make it unique, handcrafted and generally something different. This design certainly draws your eyes in and the feel of the space can greatly change. You can accent areas like the foyer and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the whole room with a parquetry pattern.

Cons

First is the cost. In this regard it may not be for everybody. Secondly, if you do choose something that is not a classic pattern, it can feel dated. Overall there aren’t too many cons in my opinion. It’s classic, inviting. It’s wood so you can always change the color. Most parquet doesn’t go out of style and can be used hundreds of years later. It gives the space a higher end look. Here are some more parquetry designs to inspire you! [caption id="attachment_3382" align="aligncenter" width="300"]