Parquetry floors are beautiful and tough

Parquetry floors will give you years of hard-wearing service while always looking great. Parquet may be pricier than other timber floors, but they provide a stunning floor covering that will defy the ages.

Parquetry has a history dating back to the 15th century and can still be found gracing the floors of cathedrals throughout Europe. Today the enduring popularity of parquetry flooring is not only a tribute to how great it looks, but also how hard-wearing it is. So if you're casting about for a home renovation idea that marries tradition with durability, then look no further than parquetry flooring.

Quality hardwood parquetry for your home

Unlike strip flooring, which is engineered from a variety of timber products, parquetry floors are solid hardwood timber that, according to Dave Angus of Boral Timber Flooring, is available in a couple of forms. "Parquetry is made up from smaller sections of timber that can be designed into many different patterns," he says. "There are mosaic designs, using small 'finger'-shaped timbers, or block patterns, which are made from larger blocks of timber."

Choosing the right parquetry

Dave advises doing your homework before selecting a parquetry floor. "It really is worth spending time in a few showrooms, as once the floor goes down it's not so easy to change it," he says. "There are at least 11 species of timber in different colours, tones and grades, and there is a variety of patterns, such as herringbone, to choose from." You can also create your own design using a range of pre-cut feature panels, parquetry tiles and borders. 

Due to the complex patterning of parquetry, as opposed to strip flooring, laying it is definitely a job for a professional. "It's probably the most difficult flooring for a DIYer, as proper sub-floor preparation is very important, and if your alignment is off, it's hard to fix," says Dave.

Costs

It's worth spending a bit of money on proper finishing, but if your floor ever begins to look a little tired it can be restored to as-new condition with sanding and resealing. And although the hard-wearing nature of parquetry means it's unlikely to happen, if a section is ever severely damaged the blocks can be replaced.

Parquetry provides the natural insulation common to all timber floors and is kinder to allergy sufferers than carpets, as it won't harbour dust mites. But this comes at a price, as parquetry is one of the more expensive timber floor options.

Once upon a time it was quite popular to polish parquetry floors, but today you just clean them like any other hard-surface floor, e.g. with an electrostatic mop. "As with most timber floors, you have to be careful of furniture legs and, as it is a natural product, it will darken over time, but with a high-quality finish it will hold its condition and look great for many years," Dave says.

Give your home floors a parquet makeover with help from the flooring professionals: