What is Parquet Flooring?
Parquet comes from the French word ‘Parqueterie’ and dates back to the mid-17th century. Parqueterie used to involve hand cutting blocks of wood and arranging them on your floor. Thankfully, these days you can buy pre-cut real wood flooring, engineered wood flooring or even luxury vinyl tiles that can be used to create parquet patterns in your home.
Parquet Patterns
- The most popular pattern is surely the Herringbone. The Herringbone pattern interlocks blocks diagonally and really directs the eye when entering a room.
- Perhaps the second-most common patter is Chevron. The Chevron pattern provides clean lines in your room, which again directs the eye nicely.
- The Weave is a pattern that can be achieved in different ways. It essentially involves arranging the wooden blocks into squares. This provides a grounding effect in your room.
- The Ladder is perhaps the easiest pattern to install. It involves laying the blocks in parallel lines across your floor.
Parquet Materials
- Real Wood – This is the original material used in parquet flooring. If you want an authentic feel in your home, then this is the way to go. Things to bear in mind though: It’s fairly expensive, it will expand and contract with temperature differences, and it will require more maintenance work to keep it in tip top condition.
- Engineered Wood – A hybrid between real wood and laminate, Engineered Wood offers the look and feel of real wood with the ease of installation that laminate flooring offers. Consider: The price (again fairly expensive); however, maintenance is less work and the stability is improved greatly.
- Luxury Vinyl Tiles – The look and feel of real wood, but at a fraction of the cost. With the development of technology, flooring manufacturers are able to capture the beauty and texture of real wood flooring, but by using synthetic, stable and easy to install materials. Considerations: Cheapest, waterproof, easy to maintain, stable; however, it isn’t ‘real’ wood.
Final Thoughts
Despite originating some 400 years ago across the British Channel, parquet flooring is still popular today (Actually, it’s experiencing something of a resurgence!). The timeless patterns, like Herringbone and Chevron, will never go out of date or out of fashion. This iconic flooring style will always be a talking point in your home and a feature in any room, such is the prestige and luxury associated with parquet flooring. When it comes to installation, you may require a professional because installing the patterns can be tricky. And when it comes to supplies, we hope you choose Flooring Hut. Happy Flooring!
