Wood flooring: laminate or parquet?

1. “I am delighted with the artistic parquet in the Yusupov Palace. Is it possible to order a copy of such a floor somewhere? And is it possible to come up with a drawing of the parquet yourself? ” Maria, St. Petersburg

Nikolay Sharapov, “Parquet Hall”: Modern technologies allow both to recreate the palace parquet and to come up with a drawing on your own. An example of a “royal” floor, completely recreated by our company according to drawings, is the block parquet in the “Dream” hall in the St. Petersburg Hermitage.

Mikhail Sorochkin, Kovcheg-Parquet: There are a huge number of parquet laying patterns, developed by many generations of artists, decorators and parquet flooring. In addition, at the request of the customer, the artists of the parquet company often make individual designs: floral or geometric ornaments, logos and coats of arms, symbols and monograms, even portraits and images of animals. The starting point for creating such a drawing can be a sketch or a more or less intelligible explanation in words or on fingers.

2. “I absolutely do not like the varnish on the parquet. I know that the only alternative is impregnation oils. Please tell us more about them. ” Galina, Volgograd

Fedor Beloborodov, Ebony and Co: Naturally oiled floors require careful maintenance. Wine, juice, tea and even water spilled on the surface of the board can leave a stain that cannot be removed. When cleaning such a floor, you should always use special wood protection products. Alternatively, apply a layer of transparent hard wax on top of the natural oil. It will create a protective film that, on the one hand, will protect the tree from moisture and mechanical damage, and on the other, will allow it to “breathe”: it will release excess moisture accumulated in the board if it does get there. Spots on such a floor are almost invisible. Tung oil has similar properties. The Chinese were the first to use it more than a thousand years ago: they impregnated their boats with it from decay.

3. “I had an idea to make a floor from different types of wood. Please advise which combinations are the most effective. How to care for such combined floors? ” Lyudmila, Vladimir

Fedor Beloborodov, Ebony and Co: You can combine only those types of wood that are suitable for each other in hardness, for example walnut and maple, oak and walnut … Do not combine pine with Brazilian walnut – pine wears out much faster. Combined floors are easy to care for if the same coating is used: only varnish or only oil.

4. “A friend told me about a metal plank floor covering. It sounds strange, but she claims that this method makes the floors stronger, and also gives them an incomparable glow. Do such “alloys” really exist? ” Zinaida, Minsk

Fedor Beloborodov, Ebony and Co: Yes, wood can be coated with an alloy of nickel and silver, white or yellow gold, copper, brass. Such coatings are wear-resistant and completely unlike anything. And the degree of penetration of metal into the texture of wood depends on its species.

5. “In my opinion, the most beautiful floors are old planks. But I live in a modern apartment building. Can you please tell me where you can order antique floors and how difficult is it to take care of them? ” Polina, Yekaterinburg

Fedor Beloborodov, Ebony and Co: There are technologies for artificial aging, but we do not use them. In our company you can order an antique floor (which is more than 200 years old), dismantled from old houses, barns, factories, etc. This floor does not require any special care. Moreover, he is even less whimsical, since everything that could happen to him has already happened.

6. “Finally I’m moving to a new apartment. I’d like to put some unusual floor in the living room. What developments should I pay attention to? ” Zhanna, Dnepropetrovsk

Irina Kuvaeva, Veranda 7: One of the latest novelties of our company is the beech parquet flooring from the Fresco collection by Dunkel Vulcano. With the help of a milling machine, a relief in the form of a wave (Duno), raised points (Punto) or rhombuses (Rombo) is applied to the wood, which massages the feet and has a beneficial effect on well-being. Also take a look at American Cobblewood and Cobbleblock parquetry, made from antique oak ceiling beams. The tree is very durable and very beautiful. Another unique technology is the implantation of bacteria into the wood, which cause darkening on the soft fibers of maple. This creates unique patterns (Spalted Maple by Birger Juell).

7. “Tell me how to avoid mistakes when laying a parquet floor.” Elena, St. Petersburg

Vladimir Bogomolov, Unilin Flooring: Parquet laying should be carried out strictly after finishing plastering and painting works. Wood is a living material that is sensitive to the level of air humidity (it should not exceed 40-60%). Therefore, the wood must be “kept” in unopened packaging at room temperature for 2 to 10 days. After this period, make sure that the base (concrete screed) is solid, dry, clean and even (the permissible slope is up to 0,2%, the moisture content of the “subfloor” should not exceed 5%). Another trick. Parquet boards should be laid parallel to the direction of incidence of light in the room. It is recommended to leave a so-called expansion joint with a width of at least 8-10 mm around the perimeter of the room, as well as around the risers and sills: depending on the microclimate in your apartment, the tree will slightly shrink and expand.

8. “I saw a painted plank floor at my acquaintances. It looks very impressive! Can you please tell me if it is difficult to care for such a floor? ” Vladimir, Krasnodar

Mikhail Sorochkin, Kovcheg-Parquet: Painted wooden floors – nostalgic theme XIX – XX centuries. In the language of them even the term “floorboards” remained. The advantages of such a floor are that it looks laconic, can be installed quickly and is cheap (as a rule, coniferous wood is used). Cons: painted boards should be carefully and rarely washed, tinted and vacuumed in time. And in general, such a floor is morally and technologically outdated. Today it is being successfully replaced by new coatings. For example, boards made of solid hardwood under varnish or oil.

Nikolay Sharapov, “Parquet Hall”: In general, the palette of natural wood is so rich that artificial tinting can be avoided. But if you are dreaming of painted floors, we have a wide range of woods in a wide variety of colors. With regard to maintenance: it is important to prevent the paintwork from “rubbing off” to the paint layer. When the parquet or “plank deck” is tinted with colored oil, defects can be easily removed by rubbing the same oily composition into the floor.

9. “I love throwing noisy parties. What kind of floor can withstand such loads? The larch in the old apartment could not stand the bullying and lost its appearance a year later. Nastya, Moscow

Vladimir Bogomolov, Unilin Flooring: Of course, a wooden floor requires a delicate attitude. So the army of girls in stilettos is not quite what he needs. And if one of the guests accidentally drops a cigarette on the floor, a charred trace will be imprinted on its surface. If you like noisy parties, lay a laminate flooring: it is not afraid of such influences and, moreover, is highly flammable. And he knows how to imitate any wood species, even the most exotic ones.

10. “I really don’t want to put tiles and stones in the bathroom. I would like the floors to be made “wood-like”. What can you recommend?” Oksana, Cherepovets

Vladimir Bogomolov, Unilin Flooring: Lay down laminate flooring. Pay particular attention to the Quick-Step Lagune range. The kit includes a special rubber gasket that fits into the joint of the panels. The short side of the panel is sealed with a sealant. Thus, the floor surface is completely sealed. Moisture does not enter the joints, and your floor is reliably protected from both high humidity and spilled water. The five ornaments in this series, designed for a ship’s deck, are suitable for use in any environment, including the bathroom.

11. “Is it true that oiled floors do not tolerate wet cleaning?” Zhanna, Kiev

Grigory Pashkov, Europol: You cannot do without water. But you should start with dry cleaning. vacuum… Then wash the floors with soapy water. If the dirt has absorbed very deeply, special cleaners (cleaners) will help you: they “soften” the dirt and push it out of the pores of the tree, after which it is easily collected with an ordinary lint-free cloth. Rinse the floor with detergent again. Let the board dry and apply a layer of oil on it to freshen up the color of the floor. For stubborn stains, you will need a stiff nylon rag or even fine sandpaper. As a last resort, use a razor blade or knife. Rub some oil into this area to mask this area.

12. “Tell me, what kind of wood is the strongest and most durable floor from? Which one is the most fragile? ” Igor, Nizhny Novgorod

Mikhail Rizhamadze, Tarkett: The hardness of wood is determined by the Brinell test (a metal ball is pressed into the coating with force). The hardest rocks according to this test are jatoba, merbau, maple and msasa with a ratio higher than 4,6. The softest are the species that are more susceptible to deformation (such as pine or spruce): they are usually not used in the upper decorative layer floorboard or they undergo additional heat treatment to make them more dense.

13. “In a magazine I read about brushing wood. I really liked the photographs of the floors treated in this way, but what the essence of this procedure is, I did not understand. ” Larisa, Serov

Mikhail Rizhamadze, Tarkett: The brushing procedure (from the English Brush – brush) means that soft fibers are scraped from the surface of the boards with a special brush, as a result of which the structure of the wood species appears. Floorboards look best after this treatment, but can also be used on deck-laid parquet. Wood species such as oak, ash, walnut, larch, merbau, kempas, wenge, dussia, jatoba (Epoque collection) lend themselves well to brushing. Brushing is ineffective for beech, maple, pear, cherry, teak.

14. “I have three children who are always spilling and dropping something on the parquet floor in the living room. The husband can also add: toss the ketchup on the floor. In general, instructions are required on how to remove all these stains from the wood. Help, all hope is on you! ” Jeanne, Moscow

Artem Kanshin, Karelia: You should get a set of reagents that will remove the different types of stains. Berries, juice, milk, beer, wine, coffee, tea and urine (what if!) Can be removed from wood floors using a synthetic liquid detergent. Chocolate, fat, butter, shoe polish, stripes from the soles are removed with turpentine. Marker, ballpoint pen, ink, lipstick – methyl alcohol. Blood with cold water. Remember: firstly, fresh stains are easier to remove old ones and, secondly, dirt is less noticeable on a dark floor.

15. “Not even half a year has passed since we put parquet in the living room, and large gaps have already appeared between the planks. And in two places it completely swelled. Is it possible to eliminate these defects and how to prevent their occurrence in the future? ” Evgeniya, Moscow

Artem Kolyadin, “Parquet-floor of the 21st century”: The gaps between the parquet strips are sealed with putty to match the wood species, then varnished (2-3 layers) or oil-impregnated. But such a spot restoration will hardly save you from puffing up the wood and undulating cracks. It is quite possible that you cannot do without dismantling the floor – invite a professional to assess its condition. In the future, make it a rule: in the room where the parquet is located, maintain the air humidity of 45–65% and do not allow direct contact of the tree with water.

Vladimir Bogomolov, Unilin Flooring: Humidity and insufficient clearance between parquet strips are causing the bulging you are talking about. This is noticeable on moody woods such as beech and maple. Perhaps you started sanding and varnishing the parquet without waiting for the glue to dry completely, which caused the parquet blocks to swell. Keep in mind: in new houses, parquet should only be laid after the second heating season (by this time the subfloors are completely dry).

16. “I’ve heard that besides the traditional method of laying parquet boards (with glue or nails), there is another, the so-called“ floating ”. Is it suitable for all rooms? ” Irina, Moscow

Artem Kanshin, Karelia: In the hallway, hallway and kitchen, you cannot do without glue or nails. Here the load on the floors is high, so the “floating” method of laying is not suitable for them. But in the bedroom you can quite experiment. Usually, plywood is laid on a concrete screed, on which parquet boards with dies are glued or stuffed. The floating method uses Upolfloor Tuplex instead of plywood. Instead of glue, a rigid mechanical locking system in the form of a frame provides a tight abutment of adjacent boards: it will not allow your parquet to loosen and creep away. But there are also disadvantages: firstly, floors laid by the “floating” method wear out faster than those fixed with glue (after all, the structure somehow “walks” imperceptibly to the eye). Secondly, such an installation is not suitable for large rooms: the boundaries of the castle frame will be visible. And the most significant drawback is that it makes no sense to lay a heating system under this floor: the Upolfloor Tuplex substrate has a low thermal conductivity.

17. “My son is allergic, and I want to put a floor that is harmless to him in the nursery. Which coating is considered the most environmentally friendly? ” Natalia, Moscow

Grigory Pashkov, Europol: For children’s rooms, the Pergo composite floor (laminate) from the Sense collection is the best option. Its top layer is saturated with silver ions. In the first hour after laying, they kill up to 90% of harmful microbes and bacteria.

Nikolay Sharapov, “Parquet Hall”: The most environmentally friendly are block parquet and solid board. Natural wood does not have foreign inclusions, such as glue (as in a multi-layer parquet board) or various resins and plastics used in the production of laminate flooring. As for the coatings, I can recommend the natural tall oil (pine) oil “Karls 90” from the Swedish company Bona. It does not produce harmful vapors that can cause allergic reactions.

18. “I heard that some extraordinary heat-treated wood floors have emerged. Supposedly they are much stronger than usual. Is it true?” Denis, St. Petersburg

Mikhail Rizhamadze, Tarkett: There are two types of wood heat treatment. At the first, the boards are kept in special ovens at temperatures above 2 ˚С. In this case, the tree acquires a rich color, dries properly and becomes more resistant to decay, damage by bacteria, fungus and insects. The surface of the wood becomes denser, rather than porous, and, as a result, more wear-resistant. In our company, such processing undergoes samples of “Ash Cognac”, “Beech Mokka”, “Honey Birch”. The second type of firing is decorative with burners. It gives the wood a very effective shade, but hardly affects the durability. In addition, there is another interesting technology for wood processing – steaming, in which the wood also changes its color to a warmer one (look for samples in the Salsa collection).

19. “I think the wood flooring market is the most conservative in the world. Does anything change here at all? ” Marina, Moscow

Mikhail Sorochkin, Kovcheg-Parquet: You are right, the market is conservative. Technological innovations are rare. This was the case with the invention in the 5th century. polishing machine, and before that for centuries they cleaned the parquet with fishout (dried skin of sturgeon fish), so it was with the introduction in the middle of the twentieth century. parquet varnishes as a protective coating, and before that, for centuries, first pork fat was used, and then wax and mastic, this was the case in the second half of the twentieth century. with the invention of such parquet surrogates as parquet board and laminate. An innovation was the very technology of laying them on the “floating floor”, and then the lock connection. A real technological breakthrough ten years ago was the use of numerically controlled machine tools (CNC). And 6-XNUMX years ago, modules * with artistic parquet laid on them appeared on the parquet market. We were among the first developers of such modules, and now only the lazy does not do them. Today, the main problem requiring new materials and new methods is laying wooden floors on a heated base (we laid such floors in the building of the Constitutional Court).

20. “I have a specific question: is it better to treat wood floors – oil or varnish? Thanks!” Victor, Moscow

Mikhail Rizhamadze, Tarkett: It cannot be said unequivocally which is better – oil or varnish, hence the ambiguity in the answers. For private housing, perhaps, varnish is more suitable, especially if the boards have already been processed with it at the factory. You just lay such a floor, and it will serve you for 7-10 years. Caring for him does not require special equipment – it is enough to regularly dry cleaning with a vacuum cleaner. In rooms with a higher floor load (restaurants, boutiques), it is better to use oil. Although maintenance is more difficult – periodically a special composition must be applied to such a floor, and not by hand, but using a special machine with a disc nozzle.

Artem Kolyadin, “Parquet-floor of the 21st century”: Oil, of course, has a number of advantages over varnish – it is easy to apply, easy to tint, has no restrictions on wood species, and is indifferent to temperature and humidity changes. To restore oil impregnation, it is not required to involve an experienced master; this can be done on your own. But on the other hand, oil does not protect wood as much as varnish. The pores remain practically open, and not only so that the tree “breathes”, but also in order to absorb moisture and dirt, and this is not good.