Parquet can safely be called the best solution for flooring in your home. It has a luxurious appearance and the best heat retention performance without accessories. But to preserve the appearance and qualities of the parquet, it will not be enough just to lay it and cover it with a protective layer. After all, parquet has many of its whims and nuances in use, and its lovers must take them into account and regularly ensure proper care for the parquet for the entire period of its service. Now let's try to figure out what exactly you will have to face if you lay out the floor from the parquet.
Caring for parquet at home
Parquet is able to serve properly up to 60 years without losing its qualities. But the wood from which it is made is a natural material and requires appropriate treatment and care. Regardless of the coating material, there are basic ways to care for parquet:
- regular cleaning;
- use of specialized care products;
- regular coverage updates;
- air humidification.
Parquet cleaning
Caring for parquet and laminate are similar and have the same features. Following recommendationshelp to properly clean them regularly:
- No need to clean the floor every day - any parquet flooring does not tolerate constant exposure. The number of cleanings should be kept to a minimum.
- You need to carry out only dry cleaning and only occasionally wet cleaning. Parquet does not like moisture very much, and dry cleaning will prevent deformation of the parquet.
- If water spills on the floor, wipe it up immediately. Getting into scratches and cracks between parquet slats, water contributes to rotting and swelling of wood.
- If wet cleaning is required, use only lightly dampened soft materials.
- Feet on all furniture should be padded.
- The most important point for the normal "well-being" of parquet is the humidity and temperature in the room. The temperature must be observed within 18-25 degrees with an air humidity of 40-60%.
- To restore damaged areas on lacquered parquet, use only special products without abrasive or hard physical impact.
Caring for parquet in summer
Humidity greatly affects the "behavior" of the parquet, as the board tends to expand and contract depending on moisture saturation. In summer, the weather is warm and it often rains. Therefore, often the humidity reaches a high level and we should expect the parquet to swell, and sometimes even protrude the edges of the joints. Not everyone feels comfortable feeling the parquet boards underfeet, but this is the essence of natural material, it remains only to wait out the season.
Care in the winter season
Cold weather means turning on the heating in the rooms, which naturally dries out the air and affects the parquet. And the stronger the frost outside the window, the more heat the heating systems emit. The result is a narrowing of the parquet and the appearance of not only gaps between its slats, but also cracks in them. You can fight dry air with the help of humidification systems, which should be used in advance and prevent the parquet from drying out. Moreover, overdried air has a negative effect on human he alth: the supply of oxygen to the body is difficult (which means that the functioning of organs and the performance of their functions deteriorate), the skin becomes tight, headaches occur and concentration decreases, immunity falls. Therefore, the use of air humidifiers will be the best solution for not only caring for parquet in winter, but also maintaining your own he alth.
Types of parquet flooring
Based on the coating, the way to care for the parquet is determined. There are the following materials that cover parquet:
- butter;
- wax oil;
- UV oil;
- varnish and UV varnish.
Uncoated parquet is also used, but it is mainly used for wall and ceiling cladding. Laying parquet on the floor and starting to use it without any protective material is strongly discouraged.
Oiled parquet floor
Initiallysuch a coating appeared for use in places with high traffic and floor load, namely in bars, restaurants, office premises, etc. An oil coating has its advantages precisely in that chips and scratches on it appear in the least possible way, since the oil penetrates into the pores of the wood, and does not create a mirror layer. And although it is recommended to renew the oil layer every six months, it is not necessary to completely sand the oil coating before applying the oil. As well as it is not necessary to take out all the furniture from the room. It will only be enough to manually re-impregnate the floor several times. And the cost of such oil is low. The advantages should also include the absolute environmental friendliness of the material.
But caring for oiled parquet requires some effort. Especially in the first days after treatment, until the pores are finally “saturated” with oil and the dirt stops sticking. In case of contamination, it is allowed to wipe the floor with a slightly dampened mop with the addition of a special soap for such a floor. Since the oil coating tarnishes after contact with water, it must be polished manually with a soft or woolen cloth, and in the best case with a polishing machine. Small scratches can be repaired by sanding them in the direction of the fibers with abrasive paper, followed by pouring oil or wax. Due to the fact that the scratches are not on the varnish layer, but in the wood itself, they have its color and are less noticeable. And after treatment with oil, they swell and tighten over time. ByAt the end of processing, damaged areas are polished. It is also recommended to periodically rub the floor with a special oil mastic or a special care product, followed by polishing.
Hard wax oil finish
This parquet was the next stage in the development of oil coating, because after adding wax, the oil received high strength and additional protection against damage. At the same time, for restoration, the wax also does not require grinding and retains all the environmental benefits of an oiled floor. Restoration takes place every couple of years in the form of impregnation of the coating with the help of special care products for parquet of this type. The care follows the example of oiled parquet.
UV oil
This oil passes through ultraviolet light and hardens with a protective layer that increases the strength of a conventional oil coating up to 30 times. Today, global manufacturers are actively using this type of oil parquet coating, as a high production speed is achieved, combined with high strength and presentable appearance of the parquet. The indisputable achievement is also the absence of the need for regular care. But local restoration of damaged areas is no longer allowed in every model of such a floor. In addition, a special oil for the restoration of parquet must be selected from the same manufacturer that produces the purchased parquet, matching the color of a particular board to the color of the product.
UV polish
Coating parquet UV-varnish occurs on a similar principle with UV-oil. The only difference is that the coating obtained as a result of ultraviolet rays has not only greater strength, but also fragility with respect to the hardening of the varnish in natural conditions. Therefore, such a varnish is more afraid of impacts than an ordinary varnish coating on parquet.
Lacquer
Varnish is much stronger than oil and is characterized by the formation of a "glass" protective layer on the parquet. But its main disadvantage is its high susceptibility to scratches and chips. Even a broom can damage the varnish. And the use of abrasive or hard objects for cleaning stains is strictly prohibited. Therefore, caring for varnished parquet has a number of its own characteristics. To avoid blackening and ensure the perfect appearance of lacquered parquet, it is required to completely sand the coating once every 5 years and apply 4 to 7 layers of varnish, depending on the desired “mirror” layer.
After the varnish has dried, the next two weeks should be carried out exclusively dry cleaning.
If it is decided to use lacquered parquet, then all the rollers and legs of the furniture should be soft and carefully rearranged without dragging across the floor. Heels, any hard and heavy objects on the floor should not be present.
When a scratch appears, it should be removed immediately, as it makes it possible for moisture to get on the wood, which starts the processdecay.
To do this, use only special care products for varnished parquet.
Special parquet care products
Today, the parquet maintenance market is able to satisfy anyone who wants to restore or maintain the beauty of their wooden floor. We offer a variety of products that simultaneously care for and thoroughly clean wood floors from traces of shoes, liquids and stains without losing the shine of the floor. There are also concentrates for regular wet cleaning, which are added to water and do not contain substances harmful to the floor. The concentrate is able not only to refresh a wooden floor with any coating, but also to eliminate stubborn stains from a variety of liquids. And wax pencils or pastes will help to remove a scratch on the parquet. The leading manufacturers of such products are German companies that guarantee the quality of their products and the result.
Of course, the high cost of such goods should be noted. Less expensive products are available from Polish manufacturers and the Swedish company Bona. Caring for parquet with them is more affordable, and the quality of the goods is decent.
However, when choosing a remedy, you should first of all choose it correctly. Otherwise, the money will be thrown away in vain, and the use of the wrong tool may lead to undesirable consequences.
