How to Make Your Parquet Floors Look as Good as New

Cleaning your parquet floor

Parquet flooring is beautiful in any home and its style and design can match almost any decor style.

It’s made up of different pieces of wood arranged at angles and in designs. Believe it or not, this form of flooring has been used since the 1600s, and is still a very popular choice. Parquet is very tough, lasting for years. This kind of floor in any home makes a big statement, so when yours shines and looks beautiful, the entire room will have an extra “something” that makes it more attractive.

Treat your parquet floors

The downside to parquet flooring is that it does require special polishing, cleaning and, at times, may need to be sanded and re-sealed to restore it to its original look. Maintenance isn’t difficult, but it does need to be done frequently to keep your floors looking their best.

Most of the cleaning and upkeep that needs to be performed on parquet floors can be done without having to hire a professional. Whether your parquet is in your kitchen, living room or throughout your home, here are our tips to help you make it shine:

• Use a sweeper and vacuum on the floors regularly to remove crumbs, dirt and dust.
• When needed, use products that are specifically designed for hardwood or parquet floors to polish and clean the floors. Never use harsh cleaning chemicals or abrasive cleaning tools or products.
• Since wood floors absorb moisture and can sustain moisture damage and become warped, it is very important that you keep parquet floors dry and manage the humidity in your home. Wipe up spills immediately after they happen.
• Make sure your home doesn’t become too humid, especially if the parquet floors are in the kitchen or bathroom. When you are cooking you can open a window consider using a dehumidifier to control the humidity throughout your home.
• It’s a good idea to use curtains to prevent direct sunlight from shining on the floors for long periods of time, which can cause fading. If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed so they don’t scratch the floors.
• Use a mop, water and commercial cleaners that are designed for parquet floors to gently scrub the floor clean. The trick is to use as little water and cleaner as possible, to prevent water damage, and not to scrub too hard, to prevent scratches and other damage. Only use this technique on floors that are sealed.
• You can use specialised polish on them to make your flooring shine. Read the directions carefully and only use products that are safe for wood floors.
• If your floors begin to look worn out, they may need to be re-sealed. Before you start, read the care manual that came with your flooring material. You will need to use a floor sander to smooth the floors and remove imperfections. Then, using a sealing product, coat the floors to give them a protective covering. Hire a floor sander directly with HSS Hire. To get into those awkward edges, you could also hire an Edging Sander or SAVE money and hire the two together with the Floor and Edge Sander Hire Pack. Read our Guide to Floor Sanding for more hints and tips.
• In cases where your floor is damaged, you can replace the portion by drilling shallow holes into the damaged piece and using a chisel to remove the wood. Be sure to also remove tongue attachments and any adhesive left on the floor or surrounding pieces of parquet flooring. Now you can replace the damaged piece with a new piece of flooring. Carefully cut it to size, make sure it fits, and then use parquet floor adhesive to install it.

Parquet flooring is a beautiful style of flooring that can add to any room and complete any decor style. By regularly cleaning and caring for it and maintaining and repairing the floor when needed, your parquet floors will look as good as new!

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