Flooring types
Strip parquet, engineered and solid planks, parquet panels, inlaid parquet and end-grain blocks: what they are made of and how they differ in installation and repair.
a parquet archive: a journal about wood floors
Parketline Nn — a parquet archive
A wood floor lives along with the house: it darkens in the sun, creaks softly in its favorite spots, opens up barely visible gaps in winter and closes them again in summer. We gather calm, well-checked information about parquet and planks in one place — how they are made, which woods they come from, how they are finished and how to care for a floor so that it outlasts more than one generation of residents.
Good parquet does not need constant fussing. It needs dry cleaning, felt pads under chair legs, steady air in the room and a craftsman who is called in time — not when there is almost nothing left to fix.
Where to start
Laying patterns
Herringbone and chevron, deck, squares, basket weave and Versailles panels: how a pattern changes the way a room feels and the character it gives it.
Finishes
Lacquer, oil and wax protect wood in different ways and age in different ways. We look at what each option gives you and what it will ask of you later.
Care
Dry cleaning, a well-wrung cloth instead of a bucket of water, felt pads and a seasonal check — simple habits that extend the life of a floor.
Journal sections
- Materials
Strip and inlaid parquet, engineered and solid planks, parquet panels, end-grain blocks and wood species. The article catalogue lives here too.
- Ideas
Herringbone, chevron, deck, squares, basket weave and Versailles panels, plus a little parquet history.
- How-to
How to clean a wood floor without harming it and how to hide a small scratch. And what is better not to do yourself.
- Planning
How to approach refinishing a floor: from inspection to sign-off, seasonal humidity and questions for the craftsman.
- Tools
What comes in handy for parquet care and small repairs — no brands — plus protective gear.
- Care
Caring for lacquer, oil and wax, light and dark floors, entryways and sunny rooms, the seasonal check.
- FAQ
Answers about the journal, choosing and laying a wood floor, care and repairs.
How to assess an old parquet floor in five steps
Walk slowly across the room
Walk along the walls and through the middle, shifting your weight from foot to foot. Note the spots where the floor creaks or noticeably gives: sagging is more often related to the subfloor than to the strips themselves, and a craftsman should assess it.
Look at the gaps
Thin, even gaps that appear during the heating season and disappear in summer usually point to dry air. Wide gaps that stay open all year round, or gaps in only one part of the room, are worth showing to a specialist.
Assess the finish
Look at the floor against the light. Lacquer may be worn into paths near doors and the sofa, peeling or darkening in patches. An oiled floor gives itself away with dry, faded areas where the wood has long been asking for care.
Find loose strips
Individual strips sometimes come away from the subfloor, wobble or tap underfoot. If there are only a few, a craftsman can reglue them without a major overhaul; if they turn up all over the room, the cause lies deeper.
Look for signs of moisture
Darkened patches, swollen strip edges and cupped boards near windows, radiators, the bathroom or the kitchen point to water. First deal with its source, and only then think about repairing the floor itself.
Common questions in brief
Do you install parquet?
No. Parketline Nn is an independent journal. We do not install, sell or repair floors, and we do not refer readers to particular craftsmen.
Can you tell me what parquet costs and whose is best?
No. We do not name manufacturers, brands or prices. We explain how different floorings are made and how they differ, so that it is easier for you to talk to a seller and a craftsman.
Can I sand parquet myself?
Technically yes, but in inexperienced hands a floor sander easily leaves waves and dips, and wood that has been sanded away cannot be put back. It is wiser to leave full sanding to a craftsman and take on care and small repairs yourself.
Why did gaps appear in winter?
Heating dries the air, and the wood gives up moisture and shrinks slightly. In spring and summer the strips take up moisture again and the gaps close. It helps to keep humidity within the range recommended by the flooring manufacturer.
About the project
Parketline Nn is an independent journal-archive about wood floors, and this is its English-language edition. This domain used to belong to another organization, and later unrelated spam pages appeared on it. The current journal has no connection to either the previous owner or those pages; the name simply came along with the domain.
We write about types of parquet and planks, laying patterns and wood species, finishes, humidity and care, small repairs and when it is time to call a craftsman. We do not install or sell floors, we do not name brands, and we do not invent standards and figures where they should come from the flooring manufacturer.
Related sections
- Materials
Strip and inlaid parquet, engineered and solid planks, parquet panels, end-grain blocks and wood species. The article catalogue lives here too.
- Ideas
Herringbone, chevron, deck, squares, basket weave and Versailles panels, plus a little parquet history.
- Care
Caring for lacquer, oil and wax, light and dark floors, entryways and sunny rooms, the seasonal check.
Sources
- Encyclopedic and etymological dictionaries
- Technical documentation from manufacturers of parquet, lacquers and oils
- EMERCOM of Russia — home fire safety guidance
Information about wood floors is given in general terms, based on encyclopedic and etymological dictionaries, technical documentation from manufacturers of parquet, lacquers and oils, and home fire safety guidance from Russia's emergency services ministry (EMERCOM). How to treat your particular floor is up to its manufacturer, and the condition of the floor and subfloor should be judged by a craftsman who sees them in person.