Varnished parquet: a professional advises you!
29 september 2022
Easy to maintain and resistant, varnished parquet has many assets to seduce. However, before making this choice of flooring, there are some things you need to know. Here is the advice of Ben, our manager, who tells you what you need to know about it before adopting it, or not
Parquet “Boen – Eiche Medium Grey_LHD Castle”
What is a sealed parquet floor?
To glaze or varnish a floor is the same thing. The purpose of this finish is to apply a film to the raw wood, which forms a protective layer on top and provides lasting protection against wear and tear, traffic, impact and, to some extent, moisture.
Application of varnish on a raw floor
The transparent film of varnish closes the pores of the wood to prevent sticky stains (such as food or grease) from becoming deeply embedded in the wood.
Sealing the floor is a common finish in more classic style interiors, it is suitable for all rooms in the house and is very suitable for offices and high traffic areas such as stores and restaurants.
BOEN brand parquet floors – factory varnish
All parquet floors (solid and engineered) can be varnished. Other floor coverings – and this is something less known – such as linoleum, cork or even égaline (equalization cement) and concrete can also be. However, laminate flooring, which should not be confused with parquet, will not be varnished.
What is the interest of varnished parquet?
Its maintenance is easy
Its maintenance is very simple, just dust it with a vacuum cleaner or a cloth. In case of sticky dirt, you just need to clean it with a slightly damp mop, adding a neutral soap to the water if necessary. For more information on the maintenance of your floors, we invite you to consult this other article of our blog.
It can be renovated
Another advantage of parquet is that the wood can be sanded back to its raw state, allowing it to be repaired and/or renovated entirely. Even though the sanding step can be tedious (especially if you don’t have the proper equipment or don’t hire a professional) it allows you to remove scratches and thus make almost new with old.
Be aware, however, that the amount of sanding you can do is going to depend on the thickness of the wood or its siding.
Many types of finishes are possible
A varnished floor will not necessarily be glossy. Varnish manufacturers have developed products that offer more matte finishes, which are visually almost invisible and imitate the raw look of wood.
It is also possible to have both a varnished and stained floor finish. It is sufficient to apply a first coat of colored oil on the raw wood before proceeding to its vitrification. The oil penetrates into the wood fibers to give it the desired color while pronouncing the wood grain that the varnish will then protect.
BOEN parquet with “Live Pure” finish which gives a natural look of untreated wood.
What are the disadvantages of varnished parquet?
A patchy renovation is complicated, usually a whole room has to be sanded down to avoid visible color differences.
Scratches that damage the varnish and reach the raw wood layer will darken over time.
Varnishing does not bring out the natural look and grain of the wood like oil does. In addition, a varnished floor will tend to age less well than an oiled floor.
What types of wood can be varnished?
Varnishing offers many possibilities of textures and shades because all wood species can be varnished, except for teak for which it is necessary to use varnishes and special primary treatments.
For aesthetic reasons, we recommend varnishing with oil for old floors. Varnish does not enhance their authenticity, it is necessary for this type of wood to prefer a waxed or even oiled finish.
Conclusion
A parquet floor cannot be left in its raw state, it will be necessary to either oil it or varnish it. We have just given you elements to help you identify the advantages and disadvantages of varnished parquet (for oiled parquet it is here)
From experience, we know that personal sensitivity – which by nature is unique to each person – is often the most important element when choosing between these two types of finishes.
To help you in your choice, we suggest that you come and meet us at our showroom, we will give you free professional advice, and we will guide you in the choice of finishes and materials to use.
If you feel ready to start laying your new floor or renovating your existing one on your own, you will still need good “flooring” skills, time and a lot of machinery and equipment. This equipment is available for sale at our company.
Good luck!
