ABOUT PARQUET FLOORING

Parquet flooring is made up of rectangular wood blocks, typically 230mm by 70mm in plan, and 20mm thick. Traditionally, parquet flooring blocks had straight edges. To avoid shifting and lifting, modern parquet flooring blocks are usually provided with a tongue and groove edge. They may be supplied unfinished, for the customer to stain and finish, or finished with lacquer or oil.

The traditional pattern for laying parquet flooring is the herringbone. Other patterns include basket weave and ladder. Traditionally a decorative border would be placed around the edge of the floor. The more elaborate forms of parquet flooring, sometimes called marquetry flooring, involve complex curved and floral patterns cut into the floor. The most common timbers used for parquet flooring are Oak and Pitch Pine. Other timbers used for parquet flooring include Iroko, Maple, Teak and Wenge.

Reclaimed parquet flooring is available. It is more time-consuming to lay, but produces a floor with great character.

SPONSORED LINKS

LEADING UK SUPPLIERS OF PARQUET FLOORING

The following UK suppliers of parquet flooring have comprehensive and informative websites, with information on types of parquet flooring, and laying of parquet flooring.

Antique Oak Flooring: Parquet Flooring. Antique Oak Flooring, of Muswell Hill, London, specialises in the supply of reclaimed timber flooring, including parquet flooring. It offers from stock reclaimed Oak, Iroko, Pitch Pine and Rhodesian Teak parquet. It also supplies new parquet flooring in Iroko and Oak. Its website contains a Fitting Guide.

Naturally Wood: Parquet Flooring. Naturally Wood of Loughton, Essex, specialises in the supply of parquet flooring, including decorative parquet wood borders. To provide a wide range of colours for decorative parquet, Naturally Wood supplies parquet flooring in a wide range of exotic hardwoods including Black Cherry, Black Walnut, Maple, Jatoba, Padouk, Panga Panga, and Wenge.

Pavex Parquet. Pavex Parquet exports from Romania a wide range of wood floor borders and wood floor medallions for use in parquet and hardwood flooring. The Pavex Parquet border range includes a traditional Greek Key pattern, as found on ancient Greek vases. Made from light and dark oak, this can be combined with a herring bone parquet floor. Medallions include complex patterns of eight rays set in two interlocking square frame borders.

Real Oak Floors: Parquet Flooring. Real Oak Floors imports hardwood flooring including parquet flooring. It supplies parquet flooring in Oak, Maple, Merbau and Teak. Parquet blocks are normally 20mm thick, and are supplied unfinished. They may be stained, and may be treated with oils or lacquers. They may be laid in herringbone, basket weave, or ladder patterns.

Victorian Woodworks: Parquet Flooring. Victorian Woodworks of Barking, Essex, specialises in the supply and installation of reclaimed flooring, including parquet flooring. It offers reclaimed parquet flooring in Pitch Pine Woodblock, Maple Woodblock, English Oak Woodblock, and Mninga Woodblock. It also supplies steps, stairs, bead and butt, and panelling.

Weldon: Parquet Flooring. Weldon Contracts Ltd of Norton Disney, Licolnshire, is a specialist in the supply and installation of very high quality parquet flooring. Weldon has particular expertise in the creation of elaborate marquetry flooring, as used in stately homes a yachts. Weldon offers a design service, providing CAD drawings to 1mm tolerance.

Useful links relevant to oak hardwood flooring:

Contract Flooring Association

Timber Research & Development Association

Wikipedia article on Parquet Flooring

DETAILED INFORMATION RESOURCES ON PARQUET FLOORING

We recommend the following professional construction directories, which include manufacturers' specifications and CAD details: Barbour Compendium at www.barbourcompendium.co.uk, RIBA Product Selector Plus at ww.productselector.co.uk, ASC Bricsnet at www.ascinfo.co.uk, Building Products Index at www.bpindex.co.uk, British Board of Agrément at www.bbacerts.co.uk, British Standards Online at www.bsonline.bsi-global.com.

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Other recommended portals: Archbone, Building Design, Homeone Australia, Lighting Directory, Sapling, Stone Network.

Publisher: Abacus Construction Index is a professionally edited directory of recommended construction websites, published by Extonet Ltd which also publishes a directory of the world's best websites. It is financed only by Google advertisements; no payment is received from included websites.