Parquet Flooring

About Parquet Flooring

Wood flooring is not just a series of long straight planks aligned next to each other. Parquet flooring is composed of multiple timber pieces arranged in different geometrical patterns, offering a lot of design versatility.

Traditional hardwood still makes the most favourable choice of parquet material in New Zealand. However, modern parquet flooring comprises many other options, from stone varieties like slate and travertine to bamboo, cork, vinyl and engineered hi-tech tiles.  

Advantages of Parquet Flooring    

• Unique appearance: Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and all kinds of intricate patterns create a unique visual feature in the room. 
• Versatility, with plenty of design options: The choices of parquet materials are broad in New Zealand, and the same applies to design options. Solid or engineered wood can be manually arranged into desired patterns, while prefabricated tiles come already embellished and ready to use. 
• Longevity: Most parquet floors can be resurfaced and resealed many times, and with some proper care easily last for decades.
• Convenience: Premade parquet tiles are DIY-friendly and exceptionally easy to install. 
• Health:  Wood parquet floors do not trap dust, pollen, or other common allergens.

Types of Parquet Flooring in New Zealand    

Solid Hardwood Parquet Tiles 

Solid hardwood flooring belongs to the higher price end in New Zealand, depending on the species used. However, it’s also durable, easy to maintain, and long-lasting. 

Solid wood colour normally doesn’t fade, and the surface can be refinished until good as new. The colour can also be changed during the remaking process. Finally, solid wood floors add a lasting and steady value to the property.  

Engineered Wood Parquet 

Engineered wood is more affordable than solid wood parquet floors in New Zealand, also with lower installation costs. It’s a durable option with low maintenance requirements, hard to distinguish from the real things by mere appearance. For instance, solid oak parquet and engineered parquet flooring with oak veneer on top look exactly the same once installed and sealed. 

Vinyl Parquet Flooring

Parquet vinyl flooring is budget-friendly, with a price similar to engineered wood flooring, but cheaper installation costs. DIY is also possible with vinyl parquet due to the convenience of use. 

Laminate Parquet Flooring 

Laminate is comparable with vinyl in properties and price. Both options belong to the composite floorings, with a laminate being slightly more eco-friendly.

Tile Parquet  

Tile is a parquet flooring option that can mimic the look and feel of timber floors. The patterns and design options are virtually endless in New Zealand, while the snap-together tiles make the installation process quick and easy.  

Bamboo Parquet  

Bamboo flooring belongs to the most eco-friendly options on the market in New Zealand. Bamboo parquet tiles are sustainable, affordable, versatile and exceptionally hard. 

Cork parquet 

Cork floors are similar to bamboo in terms of eco-friendliness and sustainability. It’s still far from being a common material for parquet floors, but its properties make it competitive with hardwood in terms of looks and performance.

Parquet Flooring Installation 

Almost any type of flooring plank can be arranged in a geometric pattern to become parquet flooring. However, installation can be pricey and demanding in New Zealand, and it often requires a professional service. Premade parquet flooring tiles are an exception since they are designed for easy installation that can be DIY with some skills. In general, floating parquet floors are more manageable and more affordable to install.

Parquet Flooring Styles

Herringbone Flooring

One of the most traditional ways to lay parquet planks is the herringbone pattern. It’s easily recognised by its W-like, 90-degree angle design. Herringbone parquet flooring is one of the most accessible designs with a little cutting involved and can be made from any material, from solid wood to vinyl. 

Chevron Parquet

Chevron pattern is similar to herringbone flooring, with a small difference in the angle. Chevron requires that the ends of each plank are cut at a 45-degree angle to produce a diagonal network. 

Basketweave Parquet

Basketweave parquet resembles the woven fibres of a rattan basket. Square and rectangular planks are mixed and intertwined to create such an effect.

Brick Parquet

Brick pattern floors comprise groups of planks in straight rows. Each adjacent brick is perpendicular to the planks of adjacent bricks. This design is a quintessential part of a mid-century modern style, commonly found in New Zealand. 

Parquet Flooring Care & Maintenance    

Regular cleaning: The right cleaning method for parquet flooring depends on its material. Most floors do well with dry mopping once a week. However, parquet flooring with varnish and lacquer requires semi-annual polishing with special waxes. 

Low to no moisture exposure: Although most modern parquet floorings feature moderate moisture resistance properties, it’s best not to instal them in humid environments. Additionally, all spills should be removed immediately using a soft cloth. 

Physical damage protection: Parquet flooring is sensitive to physical damage and can easily turn to appeal worn out and aged. Using felt pads on the furniture bottoms and mats & rugs in traffic areas is highly recommended. 

Things to Consider Before Choosing Parquet Flooring 

Parquet flooring is convenient for any room, but certain materials are better suited for high-traffic areas. The kitchen and living room, for instance, require harder wood or more frequent maintenance.

Frequent movement of furniture, heavy utensils falling and floor staining require a lot of cleaning and a material that can sustain it.

The bathroom, on the other hand, is a low-traffic area with a lot of humidity. Using parquet in a bathroom requires routine maintenance and is best made of vinyl or exotic wood species with glued laying.

Trends change in New Zealand, but bleached, grey or dark wood parquet flooring is almost always in demand. Oiled parquet offers more colour options while the patterns remain unchanged. 

If you need assistance to find parquet flooring for your home or office, ArchiPro provides a connection to the various professionals in New Zealand, ready to assist with all requirements and questions. Simply click "Contact supplier" on the product's page, or visit the supplier's website directly from the product's page.