Parquetry Flooring

Parquetry Floor

2011-11-01T04:58:00.000-07:00

Traditional parquetry has been utilised as a floor covering for hundreds of years. French style parquetry really came into prominence in the 1700's and is still a feature in many Parisian apartments to this day. Typically oak, teak, beech and walnut are used as the parquet block components and can laid in distinct designs like herringbone, chevron and basket-weave. Prior to the invention of the modern sanding machine the floors were sanded by hand as seen in the famous painting by Gustave Caillebot below.

This was a painstakingly slow process and limited parquet flooring to only the most wealthy households. The craftsmen in this painting were helped along by a nice bottle of red wine (in the right of the painting) which may or may not have helped to steady their hands. Since the advent of the modern sanding machine this process now takes a matter of hours rather than days or weeks. There is often some confusion as to what people mean when using the word 'parquetry'. The painting above shows wood strip flooring as opposed to the more intricate parquet or parquetry which is made up from smaller blocks of wood to create a design. It's definitely a job to leave to the professionals!

Please call us on 0845 602 7694 to get a quote for your parquetry flooring project.

Parquetry Patterns

2011-09-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

One of the big plusses with fitting parquet flooring is the huge choice of parquetry patterns available. In fact the choice is really infinite as the small parquet pieces can be fashioned into any design imaginable. The most popular parquet patterns are herringbone, basket-wave and chequerboard with chevrons also being a popular flooring design.

Camps are split into traditional and contemporary. The NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) have an annual Floor of the Year award which honours both traditional parquet and the latest innovative designs from around the world. How do you like your parquet flooring?

Parquetry Repairs

2011-09-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

One of the main advantages of a traditional parquet floor is the ease with which repairs can be made. If a carpet is damaged it may have to be replaced. Similarly a laminate or wood strip floor can often be subjected to quite an intensive operation when being repaired. Parquet repairs on the other hand are very simple. The damaged board or boards can simply be removed and replaced prior to an additional light sand and seal.

We often have customers who have knocked down walls in their house and are looking to patch their parquet flooring to match the existing floors. We love this kind of work as it presents our craftsmen with a challenge with the added bonus of a very happy customer and a beautiful parquet floor.

Give us a call now on 0845 602 7694 to arrange a FREE site survey.

Parquetry Block

2011-09-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

Parquetry flooring blocks come in many guises. Oak, teak, beech, maple, merbau and walnut all vie for customer's attention when visiting our showroom. Parquet wood floor blocks also come in different sizes, thicknesses and some are T&G (tongue and grovved) and some are Square Edged blocks. The texture of the blocks are also becoming more of a fashion statement too with the advent of Antiqued parquet blocks and reclaimed parquetry.

With such choice the decision when choosing a parquet floor can be more difficult. However we can help! Our trained parquet professionals will help you choose the right floor for your room whether it be reclaimed parquet, antiqued oak blocks or even a standard walnut parquet batten. Please give us a call on 0845 602 7694 - our friendly sales people will be glad to help you.

RECLAIMED PARQUET FLOORING

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Welcome to Parquetry Flooring. Please contact us on 0845 602 7694 or email parquetry@mckayflooring.co.uk to discuss your specific product needs and project.
Our experienced craftsmen have been installing parquetry floors throughout the the UK for 40 years.

Parquetry Flooring

2011-08-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

We have displayed a range of classic parquet floor styles and panels in the ‘Parquet Styles’ section of our Classic Parquet website however the bespoke nature of this craft means that there are hundreds of possibilities and design multiples once you start combining and blending the variety of timbers and patterns available.Contact us on 0845 604 7694 to discuss your parquet floor project.

Case Study: Reclaimed Oak Parquetry Flooring

2011-08-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

McKay Flooring recently completed the refit of the clothing outlet the White Stuff.

The White Stuff has shops all over the UK and this is it's first shop in Edinburgh.

As the designers required the timber flooring to be from sustainable sources they selected a reclaimed rustic oak strip flooring with a 10mm square edge. Each of these individual boards had to be manually cut to size to fit the classic decorative parquetry pattern.

Once the floor was installed the unfinished oak was sanded and sealed finished with a hardwax oil.

Location: White Stuff, 89 George Street, Edinburgh

Flooring Material: 10mm reclaimed oak parquet battens

Surface Finish: Hardwax oil

For more information on these products and services please call us on 0845 602 7694 or email enquiries@mckayflooring.co.uk

Parquetry Installation

2011-08-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

The online boom in ecommerce has provided every customer with cheaper alternatives across all product categories. Flooring is no exception. Competitive prices mean that customers can buy their own flooring online and if they are handy at DIY may even attempt at fitting the floor themselves. One particular type of flooring however doesn't lend itself to the DIY market. Parquet flooring requires the skilled craftsman to complete the parquet flooring installation. The reason for this is the amount of training involved in getting to the standard of a parquet installer. The first skill set is to be able to 'set out' the parquet floor design.

As the floor involves lots of cutting it requires to be fully planned out on paper prior to a single parquetry block being laid. Often this involves the latest laser levelling systems to ensure accuracy. Once the setting out process has been completed it's time to lay the blocks to the desired pattern. This is very intricate work and the correct choice of adhesive is vital to achieve the strong bond to the subfloor. The final stages are extremely important - first of all the floors have to be sanded with the exact grades of sand paper to provide the best surface for the finish coats. Once this is to the fitters satisfaction the coats of oil or lacquer are applied to protect the floor and also to bring out the grain or shine for whatever 'look' the customer wants.

Sanding parquetry floors

2011-08-04T05:33:00.000-07:00

A continuous theme we have observed with our customers is the wonderful discovery of parquetry flooring under old carpets and vinyl floors. We often get the call to survey a property to establish whether the 'treasure under the carpet' is a floor that can be renovated. Thankfully most of the time these old classic floors can be fully restored by a careful restoration treatment. In the 1970's and 80's there was a fashion for covering traditional parquet with the floor styles of the time - often swirly brown carpets and geometrically patterned vinyl flooring. Thankfully times have changed and as people move into new properties there is often a real find when a parquet floor is discovered under the floor coverings. Once the parquetry is refurbished the new floor can instantly add value to a property.

If you want us to survey your 'rediscovered' parquet floors and give you a price for parquetry renovation then call us now on 0845 602 7694