Parquet Floor Care
Parquet and wooden floors have always been sophisticated floor coverings for all dwelling and office premises. Elegance, environmental friendliness, and noble look are the main positive characteristics of parquet floorings. That is why such floorings require more careful treatment and attention than other flooring types.There are special products to take care after parquet coatings (varnishes, oils, waxes) that prevent their wearing and provide necessary frictional coefficient, improve optical effect and flooring sanitary state. Unfortunately, products that can effectively mask deep scratches on parquet have not yet been invented.
Vernissage
It is recommended not to walk on the varnished floor on the next day after varnishing: it can be done in 24 hours . Furniture installation should be performed in one or two weeks (this term depends on the varnish type). First 8-14 days wet cleaning and carpeting shall not be performed as they slow down hardening process.
Cleaning
To increase durability of parquet flooring furniture legs shall be tapped with felt, and chair castors shall have special underlays. Cleaning tools shall have no steel edges, brushes shall not have too hard hair. After the floor becomes hard enough vacuum cleaning can be combined with wet cleaning.
Regularity
Average frequency of the existing care products application for varnish coatings and oiled and waxed parquet floors shall be once per six months. More detailed description of the recommended care products properties can be found in Parquet Chemical Goods section.
Temperature
The main destroyers of natural wood floorings are drops of temperature and humidity and mechanical effects. The optimal parameters are: relative air humidity 40-65%, temperature about 20 C. The wood is said to breath, i.e. it always seeks balance with the environment. When humidity increases wood absorbs the moisture and expands: parquet blocks start cupping. When humidity of the surrounded air is low (for example during heating period in winter), parquet starts to loose moisture and that leads to the shrinkage of parquet blocks: slits begin to appear between them. The necessary humidity level shall be maintained using air humidifiers.
Protection
Indoor shoes and floor carpets will protect your parquet against sand and mud.
One should also remember that the paws of your pets returning from a walk should be clean and dry.
One should also remember that the paws of your pets returning from a walk should be clean and dry.
Protection
If parquet floor surface needs to be temporary protected use corrugated board, but not polymeric films that prevent parquet from “breathing”.
Corrugated board joints can be scotched.
Corrugated board joints can be scotched.
Parquet Life
It is important to remember that wood is a natural material that is influenced by temperature of microclimatic conditions and depending of the individual peculiarities continuous changes occur in it and it seeks balance with the environment. When humidity is rather high wood absorbs moisture and expands slightly. And vice versa, when relative humidity is low (for instance in winter heating season) wood loses moisture and parquet blocks shrink slightly.
As a result, during heating period when the air in the premise is too dry joints between parquet blocks splay and small slits appear on the floor (possibly accompanied by slight warping of parquet blocks). This does not testify to parquet floor deficiency but to wood floor naturalness.
To prevent occurrence of slits one shall maintain the right air humidity that will not only make for your parquet state but first of all for your health, especially children’s health. The right microclimate in a premise makes breathing easier and sleep better, prevents skin dryness and aging, i.e. makes this premise more comfortable. The optimum parameters of microclimate in a premise: temperature about 20 C, relative air humidity between 45 and 60%. Special tools are used to monitor microclimate parameters (thermohygrographs) and to increase humidity (air humidifiers).
When humidity in a premise is increased (for example in a newly built building or while repair with wet processes) parquet blocks expand towards each other and their edges begin to uplift producing so called “cupping” effect. However, regular room airing and heating makes excessive humidity go outside and parquet floor gradually settles.
Attention! It is important to know that airing of a premise or an apartment through partially opened window makes temperature and humidity drop substantially, especially in winter during heating period.
How to use care products
- Floors that do not exercise high load (in apartments) – as necessary, advisory once per two months.
- Floors with medium load (stairs, passages, offices) – every two–four weeks.
- Floors in places with increased load (cafes, schools, shops) – every 8-14 days.
- Floors in places with extreme load (in front of lifts, entrances, passages – with such a frequency that varnish coating always has the thinnest protective layer.
- While regular maintenance one should add “parquet care and protection agent” into the water to wipe parquet. In such a way you will remove mud from the parquet and simultaneously cover it with protection substance.
- Substantial manual or machine cleaning is needed only if the floor is heavily dirty or has consolidated mud stains that can not be removed by ordinary cleaning. If necessary additional stain remover is used; it is included into varnished floor care set. Finally, clear or diluted parquet care and protection product is used.
Attention! Parquet can be wiped only with a well-drained cloth or sponge. If care mixture is occasionally spilled on the floor, it shall be immediately wiped out with dry soft cloth.
Additional protection means. The legs of elements moved (chairs, tables, etc) shall have special felt taps or shall be put on carpets. For castor chairs special parquet castors shall be used or they shall be set on special transparent plastic rugs. One shall use such rugs under fitness machines, ironing boards, computer tables and other similar equipment.
Protective qualities of varnish coatings in premises with increased and extreme load (offices, cafes, shops, etc.) are maintained by timely varnish renewal, not allowing it to rub out to reveal wood (old coat is polished and varnished again).
Floor Care
Varnish coat is mainly protection of wood against rub, moisture and mud. As parquet or wood floor varnishing is performed manually and not by spraying as it is in furniture production slight forming of small bubbles und unevenness can not be prevented. They do not influence varnish coat protective qualities and gradually vanish from the varnish surface while exploitation.
Attention!
The more load is on the floor the quicker varnish coat rubs out. Mud and dust on soles, furniture legs, and other objects scratch varnish coating. Only regular usage of special protective and decorative floor coatings prevents early wearing of varnish coat and therefore substantially prolongs the service life of parquet floors before their repolishing and new varnishing.
When possible, start the exploitation of your parquet floor some days after laying. New varnish coating shall dry 8 -12 hours. It is prohibited to walk on the floor and air the premise during this period! Two weeks after laying parquet shall be used moderately and with great care! Furniture shall be put carefully not moved on the parquet. While temporary setting, installing, dismounting and repair of furniture dense “breathing” material such as wood fiber board, corrugated paperboard, etc. shall be underlaid to protect the floor from breaking and scratching.
One shall clean the floor without water!
The more load is on the floor the quicker varnish coat rubs out. Mud and dust on soles, furniture legs, and other objects scratch varnish coating. Only regular usage of special protective and decorative floor coatings prevents early wearing of varnish coat and therefore substantially prolongs the service life of parquet floors before their repolishing and new varnishing.
When possible, start the exploitation of your parquet floor some days after laying. New varnish coating shall dry 8 -12 hours. It is prohibited to walk on the floor and air the premise during this period! Two weeks after laying parquet shall be used moderately and with great care! Furniture shall be put carefully not moved on the parquet. While temporary setting, installing, dismounting and repair of furniture dense “breathing” material such as wood fiber board, corrugated paperboard, etc. shall be underlaid to protect the floor from breaking and scratching.
One shall clean the floor without water!
Important to know!
New parquet can not be partially covered for a long period, i.e. one shall not lay wood fiber board in the middle of a room as the parquet may get darker in the places where it is not covered from the sunrays.
In 14 days one can start to treat the floor (ready-made and factory-varnished parquet can be treated at once). Varnished parquet floors are wiped with soft cloth, bristle brush or cleaned using vacuum cleaner. Small impurities and shoeprints are removed by slightly wet cloth.
Rough items or materials with abrasives can not be used to clean the varnish. This will damage varnish coating and cause moisture and mud penetration into the wood.
A very thin layer of parquet care substance is wiped with a dry and soft cloth. Strong impurities and rubber sole prints shall be wiped additionally.
In training halls and general sport halls which people enter only in sport footwear wax protective products are not used. Here one shall use special products for sport halls.
New parquet can not be partially covered for a long period, i.e. one shall not lay wood fiber board in the middle of a room as the parquet may get darker in the places where it is not covered from the sunrays.
In 14 days one can start to treat the floor (ready-made and factory-varnished parquet can be treated at once). Varnished parquet floors are wiped with soft cloth, bristle brush or cleaned using vacuum cleaner. Small impurities and shoeprints are removed by slightly wet cloth.
Rough items or materials with abrasives can not be used to clean the varnish. This will damage varnish coating and cause moisture and mud penetration into the wood.
A very thin layer of parquet care substance is wiped with a dry and soft cloth. Strong impurities and rubber sole prints shall be wiped additionally.
In training halls and general sport halls which people enter only in sport footwear wax protective products are not used. Here one shall use special products for sport halls.
Additional protection means
The legs of elements moved (chairs, tables, etc) shall have special felt taps or shall be put on carpets.
For castor chairs special parquet castors shall be used or they shall be set on special transparent plastic rugs.
One shall use such rugs under fitness machines, ironing boards, computer tables and other similar equipment.
Protective qualities of varnish coatings in premises with increased and extreme load (offices, cafes, shops, etc.) are maintained by timely varnish renewal, not allowing it to rub out to reveal wood (old coat is polished and varnished again).