Parquet can be called the best solution for flooring in your home. It features a luxurious appearance and the best indicators of heat preservation 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, the parquet has a lot of its vagaries and nuances in use, and its lovers need to take them into account and regularly provide proper care for the parquet for its entire service life. Now we’ll try to figure out what exactly will have to face if you lay out the floor from the parquet.
Parquet care at home
Parquet is able to properly serve up to 60 years without losing its qualities. But the wood from which it is made is a natural material and requires an appropriate attitude and care. Regardless of the coating material, there are basic ways to care for parquet:
- regular cleaning;
- the use of specialized care products;
- Regular coverage updates
- humidification of air.
Parquet cleaning
Parquet and laminate care are similar and have the same features. The following recommendations will help to carry out their regular cleaning:
- It is not necessary to clean the floor every day - any parquet flooring does not tolerate constant exposure. The number of cleanings should be minimized.
- It is necessary to carry out only dry cleaning and only occasionally - wet. Parquet does not like moisture, and dry cleaning will prevent deformation of the parquet.
- If water has spilled onto the floor, wipe it off immediately. Getting into the scratches and cracks between the slats of the parquet, the water contributes to rotting and swelling of the wood.
- If wet cleaning is necessary, only slightly moistened soft materials should be used.
- The legs on all furniture should be soft.
- The most important moment for the normal “health” of the parquet is the humidity and temperature in the room. The temperature must be observed within 18-25 degrees with air humidity of 40-60%.
- To restore damaged areas on the varnished flooring, use exclusively special means without abrasive or hard physical impact.
Parquet care in summer
Humidity greatly affects the "behavior" of the floor, as the board has the ability to expand and narrow depending on moisture saturation. In summer, warm weather remains and it often rains. Therefore, often the humidity reaches a high level and we can expect parquet swelling, and sometimes even protrusions of the edges of the joints. Not everyone feels comfortable feeling the planks of parquet underfoot, but this is the essence of natural material, it remains only to wait the season.
Winter season care
Cold weather means the inclusion of heating in the rooms, which naturally dries the air and affects the parquet. And the stronger the frosts 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 rails, but also cracks in them. You can deal with dry air with the help of humidification systems, which should be used in advance and prevent parquet from drying out. Moreover, overdried air negatively affects human health: the intake of oxygen in the body is hindered (which means that the work of organs and their functions are worsened), the skin becomes tight, headaches occur and concentration decreases, and immunity decreases. Therefore, the use of humidifiers will be the best solution to issues not only about caring for parquet in winter, but also maintaining your own health.
Types of flooring
Based on the coating, the method of parquet care is determined. The following materials are used to cover the parquet:
- oil;
- oil with wax;
- 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.
Oil-coated parquet
Initially, such a coating appeared for use in places with high traffic and floor loads, namely in bars, restaurants, office rooms, etc. The oil coating has its advantages precisely in the fact that chips and scratches on it are manifested in the least 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, you will not have to completely grind the oil coating before applying the oil. As it is not necessary to take out all the furniture from the room. It will be enough only a few times to manually re-infiltrate the floor. And the cost of such oil is low. The advantages also include the absolute environmental friendliness of the material.
But caring for a parquet covered with oil will require some effort. Especially in the first days after treatment, until the pores are completely "saturated" with oil and the dirt does not stop sticking. In the event of contamination, it is allowed to wipe the floor with a slightly moistened mop with the addition of special soap for such a floor. Since the oil coating fades after water has entered, it must be polished manually with a soft or woolen cloth, and in the best case, with a polishing machine. Small scratches can be fixed by grinding them in the direction of the fibers with abrasive paper, followed by pouring with oil or wax. Due to the fact that the scratches are not on the varnish layer, but in the wood itself, it has its color and is less noticeable. And after oil treatment they swell and tighten over time. At the end of processing, damaged areas are polished. It is also recommended that you periodically rub the floor with a special oil mastic or a special care product, followed by polishing.
Solid wax oil coating
Such a parquet became the next stage in the development of an oil coating, because after adding wax, the oil received high strength and additional protection against damage. At the same time, wax does not require grinding to restore and preserves all the environmental benefits of the oil floor. Restoration occurs once every couple of years in the form of impregnation of the coating with the help of special parquet care products of this type. Care is carried out according to the example of oil-coated flooring.
UV oil
Such oil passes through ultraviolet light and hardens with a protective layer that increases the strength of a conventional oil coating by up to 30 times. Today, global manufacturers are actively using this type of oil parquet coating, as a high production speed is achieved in combination with high strength and a presentable appearance of parquet. The indisputable achievement is the absence of the need for regular care. But local restoration of damaged places is no longer allowed in every model of this gender. In addition, special oil for parquet restoration needs to be selected by the same manufacturer that produces the purchased parquet, with the color of a particular board matching the color of the product.
UV varnish
Parquet coating with UV varnish follows 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 solidification of the varnish in natural conditions. Therefore, such a varnish is more afraid of strokes than an ordinary varnish coating on the floor.
Lacquer
Varnish is much stronger than oil and is characterized by the formation of a "glass" protective layer on the floor. But its main drawback 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, care for parquet, varnished, has a number of its own characteristics. In order to avoid blackening and to provide an excellent appearance of varnished parquet, it is required to completely polish the coating every 5 years and apply from 4 to 7 layers of varnish, depending on the desired “specularity” of the layer.
After the varnish has dried, the next two weeks should be carried out exclusively dry cleaning.
If the decision is made to use varnished parquet, then all the rollers and legs of the furniture should be soft and carefully rearranged without being pulled over the floor. Heels, any hard and heavy objects on the floor should not be present.
If a scratch appears, it should be removed immediately, as it gives rise to the possibility of moisture entering the tree, which starts the rotting process.
To do this, use only special care products for parquet, varnished.
Special parquet maintenance
Today, the market for the supply of flooring is able to satisfy anyone who wants to restore or maintain the beauty of their wooden floor. A lot of products are offered for attention, which at the same time care and thoroughly clean the wood coatings from traces of shoes, liquids and stains without losing the luster of the floor. There are also concentrates for regular wet cleaning, which are added to the water and do not contain substances harmful to the floor. The concentrate is able not only to refresh the wooden floor with any coating, but also to eliminate stubborn stains from a variety of liquids. And wax pencils or pastes will help remove a scratch on the floor. The leading manufacturers of such products are German companies that guarantee the quality of their products and results.
Of course, it should be noted the high cost of such goods. Less expensive products are present among Polish manufacturers and the Swedish company Bona. Parquet care is more affordable with them, and the quality of the goods is decent.
However, when choosing a product, you should first select it correctly. Otherwise, the money will be thrown away in vain, and the use of the wrong means can lead to undesirable consequences.