The appearance of a parquet board in the interior we owe to a certain Gustav Cher. Still his grandfather, who lived in the Swedish forests, had a weakness for this material and made doors from it. The family business inherited into the hands of Gustav, who at the beginning of the last century developed a unique technology for gluing three layers of wooden slats. This method allowed to get heavy-duty doors, which were not afraid of temperature drops or sudden jumps of humidity. By the beginning of the Second World War Gustav Cher patented this technology and expanded its production, beginning to produce a "prefabricated" floor. After another couple of decades, his company finalized the technique, adding to it the finishing coat with varnish. Nowadays this material (besides the parquet itself) has a new competitor - laminate. However, the board still retains its leading position in strength. In budgetary versions, the floors are covered with carpet, linoleum, and luxury apartments have been decorated with bulk "layers", which, in terms of wear resistance, are not inferior to concrete.

 

Fragments are connected by a lock principle. The board is classified into three types, depending on the number of wood "strips" on one segment:

Single-strip	Ideally imitates an array of wood. Visually expands the room.
Two-way	In this variant, the illusion of the tree array is lost.
Three-way	Simulates the parquet.

Parquet board has several advantages:

• Beauty and environmental friendliness. The material is completely natural, does not emit toxic substances.
• Relatively low cost, if compared with parquet. When, for example, the owners want to decorate the floor with an expensive tree species, buying its array will be a real test for the wallet. Parquet board allows you to limit only the top layer of veneer, and inside you can use budgetary needles.
• Resistance to temperature changes and humidity level jumps. In fact, the parquet board can be used even for finishing the bathroom or kitchen, but frequent cleaning can quickly "remove" the gloss of the top coating and make the material look unsightly.
• The board perfectly absorbs sounds, ensuring high-quality insulation of the floor.
• The material is not deformed, which often happens with an array of wood when the humidity changes.
• The board is easier to pack than parquet, so installation will not take much time.

Unfortunately, the material is not without certain drawbacks:

• The surface is quite sensitive to mechanical stress. Although the parquet board is covered with a special protective layer, it is easier to scratch than an array of wood and it is completely stupid to compare the material according to this criterion with a bulk floor or ceramic tiles.
• The board is very sensitive to aggressive household chemicals, therefore, during the washing of floors, the compounds must be selected carefully.
• If any part is damaged, the whole fragment will have to be replaced. Unlike a parquet, the board can not be subjected to a cycle, at which the next layer of wood is exposed. It only removes a layer of scratched lacquer, which requires replacement.

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Another advantage is a rather rich color scheme, which boasts a parquet board. The material is presented in various shade variations: from gray to rich chocolate.

The protective layer of the parquet board is made of varnish or oil. The first gives the material a glossy sheen, and the second makes the surface matte.

Variety of wood

The top layer of veneer is made of walnut, apple, cherry, merbau, ash, beech, dark and light oak, camphor, larch, maple and mountain pine, which is valued higher than its usual coniferous relative. The choice of the final layer of wood determines the cost of the material. Modern markets also offer more exotic options: acacia, bamboo, dussia, zebrano, hevea, elm, olive, moabi, wenge, eucalyptus, rosewood, teak, hickory, sukupiru, yarra, imbuia or eben. The two lower layers are traditionally made from inexpensive needles (usually pine). This way of combining sawnwood can significantly reduce the prime cost of the flooring, the surface of which is adorned with valuable wood.

Dimensions of parquet boards

Standards for the size of a parquet board simply does not exist. One can only highlight the limitations on the lower and upper lath, in which the fragment of the material from the bona fide manufacturer necessarily "fits":

• The thickness of the board can be from 7 to 22 mm. The thicker the material, the higher its strength.
• The length of the board usually varies between 100-250 cm.
• The width is 13-25 cm. Narrow boards, as a rule, are single-side.

The larger the fragments, the easier it is to assemble them, but it is more difficult to lay them in the original pattern.

Texture and colors

Before working with the material, the planks of the future board are necessarily subjected to careful selection (selection). It is carried out according to the following criteria: texture, color, the presence of knots, cracks or sapwood (the top layer of wood, located directly under the bark). Depending on the selection of the board, it is classified into three types:

• Rustic. Planks can differ in color. On the surface there are "cracks", sapwood or knot marks. Such a cover organically fits into the interior of a country house or villa. Suitable for a line of rustic and ethnic styles.
• Natur. The bars have small color differences. Defects in the form of knots are present, but in small quantities.
• Select. The surface of such a parquet board can be called almost ideal. On the spears there flaunts only a woody pattern without defects. Ideally similar coating for classical interiors.

As for color, the variations are mass. Most of them represent a gradation of brown - a natural shade of wood. For example, merbau has a saturated almost red color. The nuts are just a couple of shades lighter. The shade of the wenge is a deep burgundy and borders on the violet. Eben has a nice contrasting texture, which combines black and brown. Maple, ash, larch and birch have light brown hues. The surface of zebrano is decorated with dark and light brown stripes.

Ways of laying

The laying of a parquet board is in many respects similar to the installation of a parquet, only by a simplified technology. Regardless of how the floor is assembled, the following conditions must be met:

• The surface of the floor must be clean and free from defects.
• If the parquet board was lying in the frost, its temperature should be equal to the room temperature.
• Laying can be carried out only after the rough work is completed.
• The humidity in the room should not exceed 60%.

There are only three styling options:

• Floating (dry). With this method, the fragments are connected with one another using the "spike-groove" technology. The installation variant is considered to be the simplest, but it is recommended to use it only for boards, the thickness of which does not exceed 14 cm.
• Bonding with the floor and with each other. The boards are connected with a special compound, which provides a more reliable coupling. The surface of the floor must be perfectly even. Of the shortcomings, only difficulties are noted when repairing or replacing individual fragments that are difficult to "tear off." The method is used for boards thicker than 14 cm.
• Use of mechanical fasteners. Fasten the boards with self-tapping screws, which are pushed into the grooves at a certain angle. Some use nails, but such fastening will be less reliable. The technology is used for boards, the thickness of which exceeds 20 cm.

In the latter case, the method is relevant for wooden rough floors or when using logs, which are used in the presence of strong surface defects. To trim the fragments when fitting to the area of ​​the room, use a jigsaw or a small-toothed saw.

Read also: Tile for the floor in the hall: recommendations for choice and design

Herringbone

Укладка «елочкой» считается классическим вариантом, который набил оскомину за последние лет 50. Однако после периода затишья, технология снова вошла в моду, обретя второе дыхание. Она больше не ассоциируется с типовыми интерьерами советской эпохи. Фрагменты образуют ряды, в которых каждый сегмент размещается относительно соседнего под углом в 90 градусов. Herringbone может быть двойной или одинарной, прямой или диагональной. В последнем случае используется простая укладка, в 2 планки или 1 к 3. Прямая тоже может быть классической, в 2 фрагмента или с разной длиной сегментов.

   

Because of the play of light, individual bars, even if they have the same shade, will be perceived as fragments with different textures.

A scaffold or "French" fir-tree

"Lesenka" or the French fur-tree differs from the usual only by joints. Conditionally, the whole room can be divided into bands of equal width. Each of them is filled with slats that are parallel to each other, and in relation to the adjacent row - at an angle of 90 degrees. "Staircase" this type of styling is called because of the resulting "steps" between the rows that pass through the entire room, if you look at the floor from above.

 

Deck laying

Deck laying считается самым простым вариантом монтажа. В результате получится красивый и лаконичный рисунок, с помощью которого можно даже скорректировать визуальное восприятие комнаты и зрительно расширить или сузить ее. Каждый последующий ряд сегментов расположен параллельно предыдущему. Отсюда и название технологии, так как именно такой вариант использовали на корабельных палубах. Отличается только сдвиг фрагментов относительно соседних рядов. Вариант вразброс или хаотичная укладка не предполагает точных замеров и сегменты можно располагать с разным смещением. Чаще всего встречается укладка со сдвигом на 1/3 или 1/2. В последнем случае получается эффект кирпичной кладки. Deck laying может быть прямой или диагональной. Здесь варианты отличаются только углом (90 или 45 градусов) между рядами и стенами.

With a diagonal method, the material consumption usually increases by about 15%.

Stacking with squares or flip flops

"Viet Namka" or squaring is considered one of the simplest ways. In fact, this is a primitive "weaving", about which we'll talk just below. The fragments are "squeezed" into squares (usually 4-5 slats). In each individual module, the bars are parallel to each other. Lay the squares in such a way that the guides of their fragments are located at a right angle relative to the neighboring ones. Do not recommend knocking the bars into large modules, if they cover the floor in a room with modest dimensions. This is equivalent to the use of large prints in tight spaces: visually clutter and reduce space.

Basket or basket

"Basket" fully justifies its name. The slats are knotted into modules whose guides are positioned at right angles to each other. The picture becomes more complicated by the use of rectangles. They seem to become single straight lines that periodically overlap each other. Between the modules, small square "voids" are necessarily formed, which, as a rule, are filled with a material with an excellent texture to emphasize an unusual pattern.

Modular parquet

Modular parquet представляет собой поверхность, которая собрана по кусочкам, словно мозаика. Используют планки из разных пород дерева, отличающиеся по текстуре и цвету. Такой пол грешно застилать ковром, ведь он сам по себе уже является стильным украшением. Modular parquet не подходит для маленьких и тесных комнаток.

   

Art

As they say, there is no limit to perfection, and instead of the typical styling options, you can develop your own, which completely obeys the imagination of the designer. In some cases, several types of combination are used. Actually, this solution when zoning the room. In other cases, well-known variants are complicated by additional details, creating an original, author's pattern. If the bars are stacked too intricately, then the use of different types of wood is not recommended, as a result the floor will turn out too lurid and colorful. The emphasis should be on one thing: either a drawing or a texture.

Use of parquet on walls

Parquet board is used not only for flooring. This type of finishing material is also great for decorating walls. The design solution looks stylish, beautiful and very unusual. They trim the parquet board, as a rule, only the accent areas. Mount the fragments either on the glue, or with the help of mechanical fasteners. The second option is ideal if there are irregularities or defects on the walls, which are difficult to fix with putty. When installing, first fix the rails on the surface, the height of which is adjusted to the desired height, and the parquet board is already attached to them. Most often resort to the deck type of laying, as it looks harmoniously on any surfaces.

Read also: Light floor in modern interior and its combinations

The "parquet" wall fits perfectly into country, Provence (if you use light wood shades), eco-style. It can replace the brickwork, which has become traditional for loft, high-tech and Scandinavian direction. Do not be mistaken, believing that such an option will "cheapen" the interior. It perfectly combines even with expensive finishing of luxury apartments.

Parquet in the living room

Parquet in the living room комнате подбирают под цвет мебельного гарнитура. Сочетаемость по этому критерию считается основной. Комбинирование может проводиться по принципу контрастности или аналогии. Первые вариант выбирают для просторных гостиных, где такое сочетание не повредит визуальному восприятию интерьера. В классических залах доску укладывают елочкой (обычной и французской) или вольным, художественным способом. Для деревенских мотивов подходит палубный или модульный вариант.

 

In the bedroom

Parquet board is used in classic, Scandinavian, village bedrooms. Actually a similar solution for a chalet, loft, ekostilya. Pleasant to the touch, with a soft texture will eliminate the need to wear slippers in the morning, because it's nice to walk barefoot. Tranquil shades of natural wood will please the eye and create an extra cosiness in the rest room. For a bedroom it is recommended to choose a parquet board, the top layer of which is made of bleached oak, larch, ash, maple.

In the kitchen

Parquet board for the kitchen is not considered the best option. Its use is justified if all the floor covering in the apartment has already been made in this material. Choose a parquet board for the texture of the headset. To fix on the surface of the floor you need a "dry" method. Since the most "dangerous" zones - the tops of the working triangle (near the cooker, sink and refrigerator) will inevitably overwrite and lose their "commodity" appearance, they will eventually have to be changed to new ones. Doing repairs is easiest with a "dry" type of fastening the slats. Select the parquet board for the kitchen should only be checked by manufacturers, so that its strength indicators reach the maximum values. Poor-quality material will deteriorate due to chronic changes in temperature and humidity during cooking.

In the nursery

In the nursery комнате необходимо использовать только экологически чистые материалы для отделки. Паркетная доска в этом отношении идеальна. Однако в этом помещении ее тоже стоит укладывать «сухим» методом. Непоседливый ребенок всегда найдет способ испачкать/намочить покрытие, которое в результате может оказаться безнадежно испорченным. Паркетная доска обладает низким коэффициентом «скользкости», благодаря чему значительно снизит риск падений и ушибов.

Care Tips

Parquet board is considered to be very whimsical in the care of the material. At first, after laying on the floor, do not recommend jumping, running and exposing it to other serious loads. If you have to rearrange the furniture, then the parquet board is covered with thick cardboard. Regularly the floor needs to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, using special soft nozzles. If the house has "clawed" pets, then their "marigolds" will have to be systematically cut to exclude the possibility of scratches the top layer. Wet cleaning should only be done with a soft, slightly damp cloth or sponge. In no case can not use abrasive compounds in which there are small solid particles. Such substances will inevitably scratch the top layer of the parquet board. You can not walk on the floor on his heels and put sand on it. The effect of the latter is akin to abrasive compositions. For washing floors recommended to use special tools that are designed specifically for the care of a parquet board. Mobile furniture should be purchased on special rubberized wheels. Alternatively, you can buy special felt pads, which are fixed from below.

Conclusion

Parquet board will be a worthy decoration, both expensive apartments, and budgetary interiors. Coverage perfectly combines the optimal price, aesthetic beauty and strength. Technology, patented by Gustav Cherom, remains relevant even after half a century. It can be safely stated that the test of time has passed. Is not this the main indicator of quality for the finishing material?