Oak

Parquet Flooring Samples

Find Your Perfect Oak Parquet Flooring With Our Free Samples

When it comes to selecting the perfect parquet flooring for your home, making an informed decision is crucial. However, understanding the quality, appearance, and overall feel of a flooring option can be challenging without experiencing it first-hand. That’s why at Flooring365 we offer free unlimited samples, allowing you to order as many as you need to.

With our free unlimited samples, you can explore various design options and experiment with different patterns, such as herringbone or chevron, to find the perfect fit for your space.

How To Order Your Free Oak Parquet Flooring Samples

Firstly, you’ll want to browse through our oak parquet wood flooring options to find your preferred styles. Once you have found a few styles that you like, you can add them to your basket by clicking the ‘Order FREE Sample button’. Don’t forget you can select multiple options as we have no restrictions on samples. Once you have finished browsing you can visit your cart and proceed with your sample order, completely free of charge.

Quick & Easy Delivery

Considering ordering parquet flooring samples, but unsure about delivery? Don't worry! At Flooring365 we use Royal Mail to deliver our samples and you can usually expect to receive them within 2-3 days. You won't need to be at home for delivery as our samples have been designed specifically to fit through your letterbox. We even include free delivery for all our sample orders, so you won’t have to spend a penny before purchasing.

Parquet Flooring FAQ's

What Is Oak Parquet Flooring?

Oak parquet flooring refers to a type of flooring made from oak wood that is specifically designed and arranged in a parquet pattern. Parquet is a flooring style characterized by the use of small wooden blocks or tiles arranged in geometric patterns, such as herringbone, chevron, basketweave, or other intricate designs. The individual oak blocks are carefully cut and shaped to specific dimensions and then arranged in a pattern, often glued down to the subfloor. This meticulous arrangement of oak blocks creates a visually stunning and elegant flooring surface that adds a touch of sophistication and charm to any space.

Oak, a hardwood known for its strength, durability, and attractive grain patterns, is a popular choice for parquet flooring due to its natural beauty and ability to withstand heavy use. The oak blocks used in parquet flooring are typically made from solid oak or engineered oak, depending on the desired characteristics and installation requirements. Solid wood flooring consists of solid pieces of timber whereas engineered has layers of plywood topped with a hardwood veneer. We also have parquet options available as laminate flooring or LVT. Both provide cost-effective alternatives, offering low-maintenance and even waterproof properties in some cases. However, our LVT and laminate parquet flooring options do not actually include any real oak.

Why Should I Choose Oak Parquet Flooring?

If you are considering replacing your current floor with something more eye-catching and intriguing, then oak parquet flooring is the perfect choice. Oak parquet flooring showcases the natural beauty and unique grain patterns of oak wood, creating a stunning visual appeal that can elevate any space. The individual oak blocks are skillfully arranged to form intricate designs, such as herringbone or chevron, adding a touch of luxury to your home.

One of the standout features of oak parquet flooring is its exceptional durability. Oak wood is renowned for its hardness and resistance to wear, making it an ideal choice for high-traffic areas. With proper care and maintenance, oak parquet floors can withstand the test of time, retaining their beauty and elegance for generations to come.

Available in a wide range of different colours, sizes, and patterns, our oak parquet floors are extremely versatile and work in a wide range of different interior designs. Whether you seek a classic, traditional look or a more contemporary feel, oak parquet can adapt effortlessly to any ambiance. With a wide range of stains and finishes available, you can customize the flooring to match your desired aesthetic, from a light, natural look to a darker, more rustic appearance. Or for a fully customizable design, you can choose one of our unfinished oak parquet floors and varnish it yourself.

With its stunning visual appeal, remarkable longevity, and easy maintenance, oak parquet flooring offers an exceptional investment in both style and functionality. It’s even suitable for water-based underfloor heating.

How Much Does Oak Parquet Flooring Cost?

Due to the nature of oak parquet flooring, and all its different patterns and styles, it’s almost impossible to give an accurate cost, even on average. Depending on which style you choose, you could be paying anywhere between £40-£90 per m² before installation. At Flooring365, our oak parquet flooring starts as low as £28 but can go as high as £80-£90 for some of our more premium options. To get the best deals, you should visit our parquet flooring clearance. 

How To Clean Oak Parquet Floors?

For our solid parquet and engineered parquet floors, we advise a regular sweep or vacuum followed by a weekly mop. This will be enough to keep your floors looking their best. Remember, wood flooring is not waterproof so you must drain the mop regularly and use a mild detergent for this.

Can You Steam Clean Oak Parquet Flooring?

Since our oak parquet flooring is made of wood and therefore not waterproof, we would never advise using a steam cleaner. That’s not to say it will definitely damage your floor as we have had customers use these on their floors before. However, it could be causing unforeseen damage to the floorboards due to the liquid and humidity levels, so it’s best to avoid steam cleaning if you want to get the most from your flooring.

How To Sand Oak Parquet Flooring?

If you wish to sand your oak parquet flooring, you can do so using a random orbital sander. If it’s an engineered wood floor, remember to check the wear layer before doing so.

What Finish To Use For Oak Parquet Flooring?

If you have chosen an unfinished oak parquet floor, you will need to add your own finish. Which finish you choose, is entirely up to you. Lacquer is often the most popular choice, but waxes and oils will work just as well. Just remember to check the compatibility of your finish and flooring before applying. If you are not sure, you can check this by adding a small amount to an inconspicuous area first.

For more information regarding each finish, check out our guides below:

Engineered Wood Flooring Finishes

Solid Wood Flooring Finishes

How To Lay Oak Parquet Herringbone Floor?

Parquet flooring is one of the hardest floors to lay so unless you have previous experience, it’s probably better off left up to the experts. However, if you’re a DIY enthusiast and you’re up for the challenge, then who are we to stop you? Check out our herringbone parquet installation guide for more information. Alternatively, you can find a flooring installer to do the work for you here.

Does Oak Parquet Flooring Scratch Easily?

Any wood floor can be susceptible to scratches but will withstand daily use, even in busy households. However, engineered wood flooring is more durable than solid wood so may want to be considered in high-traffic areas.

Is Oak Parquet Flooring Waterproof?

No, our oak parquet flooring is not waterproof and any spillages should be cleaned within 2-3 hours. If you are looking for parquet flooring that is waterproof and suitable to be placed in bathrooms, please browse through our LVT range. We have plenty of LVT parquet floors that can mimic the real deal and last you for many years to come.

How Long Does Oak Parquet Flooring Need To Acclimatise?

Oak Parquet flooring is available as a solid floor or as an engineered wood floor. The type of parquet that you choose will determine how long the floor needs to acclimatise. Acclimatisation is vital when dealing with wood flooring as it helps the wood to adjust to the new temperature and humidity conditions. Skipping this important step could lead to your flooring warping, expanding, or retracting after installation which can be a difficult and costly process to undo.

Engineered wood floors need to acclimate for a minimum of 48-72 hours.

Solid wood floors need to acclimate for a minimum of 5-7 days.

For more information on how to acclimatise your flooring, visit our blog.

What Is Five Finger Oak Parquet Flooring?

Five finger oak parquet flooring is one of the many intricate patterns that parquet flooring can produce. Once complete, it creates a mosaic of tiles that each include 5 strips of wood flooring. These square blocks are all laid in alternating directions to create a visually striking appearance.

Parquet Flooring Types

When it comes to oak parquet flooring, you have two choices: solid wood or engineered wood. However, we also sell LVT and laminate parquet flooring options which can closely mimic oak to resemble a real wood floor.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood flooring is a composite wood flooring. The composition consists of plywood sublayers for structural support, with a surface layer made of solid wood. The end result is a floor that looks identical to solid wood at a fraction of the cost. 

Solid Wood

Our solid wood floors are made from a single piece of solid wood, without any additional layers or materials. Solid wood flooring provides a natural and authentic look and feel, as it showcases the unique characteristics and grain patterns of the oak.

Parquet Flooring Finishes & Treatments

Unfinished

Unfinished parquet flooring refers to flooring that has not been treated with stains, lacquers, or oils before installation. It is essentially a raw material in its natural state. However, once the flooring is installed, it is necessary to apply some form of treatment or protective layer to enhance its durability, appearance, and performance.

One of the main benefits of unfinished oak parquet is its versatility in terms of style and customization. Since it lacks pre-applied finishes, you have the ability to achieve whatever colour, sheen, or texture you desire for your flooring.

Lacquered

Lacquer is a varnish that dries to produce a hard, durable finish and acts as an additional wear layer. This makes it a popular choice for many, but particularly ideal for areas with higher foot traffic. Lacquer is available in gloss, matt, or satin matt finishes and can be clear or coloured.

Oiled

Oil seeps into the wood and maintains the surface texture of wood flooring while providing additional resistance to damage. However, it does not protect the flooring in the same way that lacquer does because it does not sit on the surface. Oiled flooring will require more maintenance and care over spillages because of this.

Brushed & Oiled

Brushed & oiled finishes offer a greater texture and more depth to the surface of the floor. To achieve this look, we brush the floor using steel wire wool to remove the thin upper layers during the manufacturing process. This leaves behind an enhanced grain and texture. The level of depth and texture varies, depending on the flooring type and level of brushing. The wood is then protected with oil.

Brushed & Lacquered

Our brushed & lacquered floors go through the exact same process as our brushed & oiled floors, except a lacquer is applied instead of oil. This gives the flooring a smoother surface, however, the defined grains and textures from the brushing process can still be seen.

Brushed & Matt Lacquered

Similar to the above finishes, our brushed & matt lacquered floors have been brushed using steel wire wool. A matt lacquer is then applied. Some customers prefer matt lacquer because it offers the same level of protection as any other lacquer without the high-gloss shine. Matt lacquer is also a great option for high foot traffic areas where scratches or damage is more likely as matt surfaces will not show the scratches as easily.

Parquet Flooring Styles

Herringbone

Herringbone is a slightly easier parquet flooring style to fit, usually by connecting the short end of one board to the long end of another. This interlocking pattern gives a 'zig zag' finish, which adds interest to any room, elevating your flooring.

Chevron

Chevron parquet, whilst more difficult to fit, perhaps offers the most interesting finish of all flooring types. To create a Chevron pattern, the planks must be laid at a 45-degree angle. This will form a V-shaped pattern and result in a visually striking and timeless look.

Parquet Flooring Thickness

Board Thickness

If you have opted for an engineered wood floor, you may want to consider choosing thicker boards. Thicker boards usually have a thicker veneer, which is important if you plan on refinishing your flooring in the future. This is important with engineered wood flooring as only the veneer (aka the wear layer) can be sanded down. Although there is no wear layer for solid wood flooring, the same rule applies. The more thickness you have, the more times you can refinish your flooring. You can see more information on this on our wear tab.

Regardless of which floor type you choose, thicker boards will be more hard-wearing and provide slightly improved sound reduction performance. Therefore, you may want to consider thicker boards in upstairs apartments or bedrooms, for example. As well as this, thicker boards are usually more suited to higher traffic areas, where they can withstand greater use. However, they are often more expensive to show for this, so ultimately it comes down to budget and personal preference.

Engineered Parquet & Underfloor Heating

If you're using a water-based underfloor heating system, it's important that your flooring isn't too thick so heat can transfer. We recommend using flooring with a maximum board thickness of 15MM with 4/4.5MM Underfloor Heating Suitable Underlay.

WEAR LAYER (ENGINEERED PARQUET ONLY)

The wear layer refers to the top, aesthetic surface layer of real wood, which gives the engineered flooring its look. Thicker wear layers, whilst usually more expensive, offer greater durability and the option to sand more frequently, meaning flooring can be refreshed more times before being replaced.

Most engineered wood floors, regardless of the thickness of the wear layer, will provide years of use, maintaining their impressive appearance.

Sanding Guide

In most cases, sanding the top layer of engineered wood flooring will remove up to 1MM of surface, with a minimum of 1MM needed leftover for protection. As a rough guide, here’s the number of times a floor can be sanded, based on the initial wear layer thickness:

3mm: 1-2 times

4mm: 2-3 times

5mm: 3-4 times

6mm: 4-5 times

(Please note: Sanding times is a guide only, the number of times a floor can be sanded will vary on an individual basis.)

Parquet Wood Flooring Installation Methods

Bond Down

Solid wood flooring requires bonding to the subfloor using a wood adhesive. Although it can be slightly more time-consuming to fit, it offers a permanent fix and creates a solid feeling underfoot. We recommend careful preparation of your subfloor for the best results.

Click Lok System

Click Lok flooring has a profiled edge which creates a glue-free, interlocking fitting system. This system allows quick and easy installation, even for DIY novices. Simply, push, drop, click, and lock the boards into place for a sturdy floor installation.

If you’re considering Click Lok, it’s important to think about the underlying surface on which your flooring will be laid. Uneven surfaces make Click Lok much more difficult to fit, which often means the need for levelling underlay.

Tongue & Groove

Tongue and groove is the most traditional method for installing wood flooring. It involves tessellating profiled edges together using glue, such as PVA. The glue means tongue and groove flooring is free of nails, making it visually appealing and safe to walk barefoot.