Choosing the right floor

Choosing the right floor

Do you want to lay parquet but don’t know which one to choose between solid parquet, engineered parquet and laminate flooring? The choice of parquet depends on your budget, ease of installation, maintenance and durability. But it is also a question of taste and comfort. Here is ABYSS RENOVATION’s advice to choose the parquet that suits you.

Solid parquet: authenticity and robustness

Solid parquet is the strongest of all parquet floors. It is made of 100% of the same wood throughout its thickness, which gives it strength and prestige. This type of parquet is the most expensive. The thickness of the strips varies between 20 and 23 cm. This thickness allows many renovations and sanding. Solid parquet can be : – nailed on joists (traditional laying) – glued to the floor with a special parquet glue – clipped, the strips fit together. There is a multitude of different native or exotic species. Each one has its own characteristics and is chosen according to :  – its colour – its rigidity – its hardness – its resistance to humidity It can be vitrified or waxed; bleached or natural with more or less shades; in particular when it has a tinted, aged or brushed effect… Solid wood flooring represents a long-term investment and brings an inimitable cachet to rooms.

Engineered parquet: an alternative to solid wood Engineered parquet, unlike solid wood, is not 100% made of the same wood. It consists of three layers on top of each other: only the top layer has the noble wood species and gives it the appearance of solid wood. Also called “facing” or wear layer, its thickness of 2 to 6 mm determines its quality, the resistance of the parquet and the number of sandings it can undergo. This is the layer that will be sanded in order to maintain the parquet. The two other layers are made with wood derivatives. Manufactured in the factory, this parquet is very close to the appearance of solid parquet, but less expensive. Like solid wood, it has a long lifespan and can be renovated. It is also available in many wood species, in many styles and colours. It is often vitrified, which makes it easier to maintain. Engineered wood flooring can be nailed down; this laying technique is no longer used in favour of floating installation, which is faster and more economical. This type of parquet can also be glued for perfect stability and sound insulation, this type of installation is suitable for underfloor heating.

Laminate flooring: easy and inexpensiveIn contrast to solid parquet or laminate flooring, laminate flooring is not made of wood. Abusively called “laminate flooring”, it only imitates wood fibres. It is a composite material that superimposes several layers: the first called the resin layer (wear layer) brings resistance to the floor; the second called the decorative layer (paper or decorative sheet) only imitates the chosen wood species. Laminate has the advantage of being available in countless styles and colours. The cheaper it is, the easier it is to maintain, the cheaper it is.  Floating installation is the most widespread because it is the simplest and quickest. Its clip-on system also allows the floor to be removed without damage and therefore makes it removable. Laminate flooring can also be glued down for greater stability. However, laminate flooring is more fragile than the other two. In use it degrades faster and it is impossible to renovate it, so it has to be changed.

Do you need more information about renovating your floor? Please contact us.