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kashifaziz

Parquet Flooring

Kashif Aziz
hace 10 años
We've just moved into a house and have discovered Parquet flooring under the carpets. The dilemma, well, how expensive is it to restore the flooring and can I do it myself? Both reception rooms are around 11 x 13 ft in size. Should we restore, the front room floor will be a dark walnut but the back we wanted white? Can you paint/white wash parquet flooring? Alternatives are to carpet the front and white laminate the back. Any advice would be great. Thanks.
Respuesta destacada
  • PRO
    ASVInteriors
    hace 10 años
    This is a lovely design and very elegant. Why not keep it and have it professionally sanded/restored (so worth the money) and then add a cream carpet if you want to introduce white...

    Comentarios (39)

    • shakerjaebs
      hace 10 años
      Not sure if that's parquet, looks more like a herringbone design. But in my (non pro) opinion, it's gorgeous! I'm interested to hear what the others have to say. Good luck!
    • Judy M
      hace 10 años
      Please keep this amazing floor and only cover with area carpets,
      Does it need refinishing? Looks good in photos.
    • 2dogssashatess
      hace 10 años
      great floor. I would not white wash it, leave it as it is
    • PRO
      Custom House Design
      hace 10 años
      This floor is beautiful! Do as little as possible to it; it looks like it's in good nick. If it needs it, have it sanded lightly (you can do this yourself, but it is a messy job!) & seal with a clear floor oil to bring out the natural colour of the wood. Then all you need are a couple of rugs to soften the look. What a lucky find!
    • solincia
      hace 10 años
      I have herringbone wood floors in my inspiration books, my goodness that's a gorgeous floor! Honestly, looking at the pictures it doesn't appear that it needs anything, they are stunning! What a great find!!
    • dclostboy
      hace 10 años
      Important that you go with someone that knows what they're doing, as these tiles are typically thinner than hardwood floors. Cost depends on location / location competition.
    • sbrustein
      hace 10 años
      I think I have a similar floor in my living room and finding room. They were hidden under dark brown shag carpet when we moved in. I think they have a traditional look, which I love, and I prefer a darker stain. This is what I did
    • sbrustein
      hace 10 años
      Whoops- that should be dining room
    • PRO
      A Crew of Two
      hace 10 años
      Depending on the year of your home- be sure they are not wax finished. Wax is impossible to sand. They are gorgeous. Darker would be more up to date, but they are pretty as is. You can whitewash them and they would be very nice.
      Traditional Homes · Más información
      Loft Eland · Más información
      UP05 · Más información
    • mrwillie
      hace 10 años
      Sbrustein, where did you get your fireplace screen?
      Agree with all that floor should stay as is.
    • victorianbungalowranch
      hace 10 años
      Parquet floors tend to be very thin strips of wood held down with glue, although some old herringbone floors are tongue and groove. Judging by your moldings, you have an older house. Back in the 1880s-1910, "wood carpets" were popular to add interest and pattern to a room and they can be difficult to restore. The floors came in rolls and were installed on top of the wood plank floors for an "updated" look, or were installed new, especially on the edges of floors not covered by rugs. http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2010/07/walkabout-pourq-1/

      Somewhat later homes had parquet floors installed over the subfloor. Such floors remained a popular option to about 1960, when the cheaper, thinner and easier to install parquet tile came on the market. Thank goodness it looks like you have the real thing.. The modern stuff is difficult to sand and refinish--stripper might be possible but too much liquid can make them buckle. I've learned that the hard way!

      I would consult with a really good floor guy who knows old houses. And test in a small inconspicuous place before sanding the whole floor or anything drastic, maybe pry up a loose plank to see how much wood you have to work with. Be careful, some old glues contain asbestos. Staining can be difficult with an older floor, it can easily come out uneven and blotchy, even with very careful surface prep.

      As Crew of Two suggested, consider stripping them if they are waxed. Or rent a buffer and polish them (but not if they have poly on them). They look quite nice as they are and may need just a bit of a refresh--just consider the imperfections as part of their character, and cover the worst spots with area rugs.

      Here are some parquet floor repair and refinishing links:

      http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-care-for-22574
      http://www.peteshardwoodfloors.com/Wood-Floor-Techniques-101/floor-maintenance.html

      http://homeguides.sfgate.com/refinish-parquet-wood-floor-37338.html (with more links on the bottom)

      http://www.mibnet.se/home-improvement/gluing-loose-pieces-of-fishbone-parquetry-flooring-back-onto-the-floor.html

      Extensive patch and refinish job for a whole house:


      http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/oldhouse/msg121529068562.html

      http://www.peteshardwoodfloors.com/Wood-Floor-Techniques-101/finishing-options-at-pete-s.html

      History of the Herringbone floor:

      http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/design-glossary-herringbone-or-153372
      http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/style-glossary-parquet-de-vers-152962
    • groveraxle
      hace 10 años
      Gorgeous floors. It would be a huge mistake to replace them, IMO. Find the best wood floor guy in your area to have a look, get an estimate, and find out what you can reasonably do yourself.
    • Danielle B
      hace 10 años
      From your pictures, your floors were probably sanded before. Professional sanding machines can be rented. They are very heavy and require know how. My husband tried it once, and did some damage to the floor similar to what is shown on your second picture.
      By all means, deal with a professional, as it may not be possible to sand your floors a second time.
    • bungalowmo
      hace 10 años
      sbrustein...your floors are lovely!! They seem to be similar to mine (type and width) but your herringbone pattern & the darker inset around the fireplace is looking to be from around 1900 to maybe 1910.

      To the OP...I'd have your floor checked by an experienced old-school carpenter & find out how old they are, how thick they are & if they have ever been sanded prior to now.

      Just taking a sander to that floor could be a big mistake if you don't know what's already been done to it.

      I have pine floor in the upstairs bedrooms, but downstairs...nearly 100 yo oak. These floors have been through about 4 generations of families & still look great. These pics were right after I moved in 6+ yrs ago
    • PRO
      Linda
      hace 10 años
      Cool floor! Finding someone to work on that floor might be a challenge, so consider looking around your area for a historic preservation or old house lovers group. Are there any places you can pull up a hidden piece and see how thick the floor is? Just remember that the open areas will likely be thinner than the edges
    • Nancy Walton
      hace 10 años
      Hard to tell, sometimes, if a floor is oak or yellow southern pine, but oak does not have knots in it. Just looking at your photos, I would guess they are the YSP, which is harder than white pine, but not as hard as oak. Similar graining, though. If you decide to have sanded, get a professional. If a sander is left in one spot too long you can get gouges, which it looks like someone did in one of your photos. I'd say just to live with them for awhile as is. They look great!
    • sbrustein
      hace 10 años
      Mrwillie- I bought the fireplace screen about 6 years ago. I think from a catalogue like home decorators.com. Very reasonably priced and hides a really ugly fireplace interior.
      My house was built in 1927 and the floors are original to the house
    • Melissa E
      hace 10 años
      rent a box sander- it doesn't matte which direction you move it in. :) Keep the floors, stain them darker with a less shiny top coat.
    • Melissa E
      hace 10 años
      *matter
    • Kashif Aziz
      Autor original
      hace 10 años
      Thank you all for so much advice. So, it looks like we'll keep the flooring in the two rooms. I'll have to pull out staples and get it sanded and varnished. Oh, not forgetting the beading. We'll paint the woodwork white.
    • Kashif Aziz
      Autor original
      hace 10 años
      as in the skirting, doors, not the floor. :D
    • shelleyhmln
      hace 10 años
      I would pay a great deal of money for those floors. Keep them. Sand and polish as necessary.
    • PRO
      Murison's Flooring America
      hace 10 años
      The floor is gorgeous! This is a project that is well worth a sand and refinish, and there are a variety of stains available should you want to change the color to coordinate with other home decor. I would personally use a natural finish to enhance the natural character of the boards.

      With this project you would want to have a professional perform the refinishing; the wear layer on this type of hardwood is typically only thick enough to withstand about three sand and refinish revivals versus a solid wood which can take about seven. The proper equipment, as has been noted in previous comments, is heavy and requires a good amount of skill to properly use. Make sure your pro is using a type of equipment that captures excess saw dust. This helps speed the job up quite a bit. Also be prepared to be out of the house for about three days since each coat takes a day to dry; the fumes are not pleasant at all.

      I attached a photo of some of the equipment your professional may have. If you really want to undertake the job yourself this gives you an idea of what you will need.
    • PRO
      Linda
      hace 10 años
      Have fun pulling all those staples...just when you think you have pulled out every possible staple, you will find another one. Depending on the width and depth, a good pair of electrician's sidecutters or a pair of nippers with a rounded head are good tools to use. A good pair of nail pullers are an invaluable tool for working on old houses...just be careful to keep a close eye on them because everyone who doesn't have a pair likes to borrow them
    • PRO
      Select Hardwood Floor Co.
      hace 10 años
      With all due respect... by the looks of your center photo, the floors have already undergone the "sanding" attempts of a previous do-it-yourselfer...
      Those odd looking "swoosh" marks are the result of someone who was clueless about sanding a floor.
      The material looks like pine or fir... which is soft-wood, and not that easy to work with when a stained look is desired.
      Definitely recommend having a QUALIFIED wood flooring person take a look... (and not everyone who thinks they fall into that category, will be able to pull it off, for that matter).
      But your Herringbone PARQUET pattern would be worth the time & effort and provide a great floor with the right people performing the work.
    • goatweed
      hace 10 años
      Your floor in this instance is beyond being a fashion item, it is a statement of quality.
      It is a traditional parquet design and of a comparatively softwood construction and is beautiful. As has been stated already it does look as though it has been mistreated with a handheld belt sander.
      If the thickness of the tiles permit then you really should have it resurfaced professionally and retain its natural beauty. No stains, no paint, introduce floor coverings in the form of rugs etc if you need to introduce plain tones.
      As with most architectural items quality will be fashionable again.
    • PRO
      Angela
      hace 10 años
      You are soo lucky! Those floors are stunning! Please don't paint or stain.
    • sellkay
      hace 10 años
      I'd suggest getting in there and doing some detailed cleaning before anything else. I helped a friend do this with a similar floor and it turned out she didn't need to touch the floor.

      If you do elect to refinish and budget is a concern, i would recommend hiring someone for the sanding, then doing the staining on your own. That's what we did, and I think anyone with a basic DIY skill set can pull that off. Our floor guy was great about explaining how to do it, and giving us tips before he left. It is a pain in the butt though, because you have to let everything dry, etc.
    • PRO
      Sustainable Dwellings
      hace 10 años
      I really like the distressed look of the flooring...
    • moona911
      hace 10 años
      Moona
      Please restore this parquet flooring and you can clean with soft wool cloth and beware of water as it will darkens do not hide the wooden strips , and goes under it. Do not paint or stain you can place a small carpet here and there do not hide. It is really marvelous...
    • PRO
      The Wood Flooring Company Limited
      hace 8 años

      Lucky you - discovering a Parquet floor, this one is Pine, laid herringbone design, it has been previously sanded - not sympathetically though, you can see some chatter marks. Don't worry they will all come out - if you have it professionally sanded - Parquet is a specialist sand as the grain of the wood is not in all the same direction.

      It can be stained - I would reccommend a water based stain and finished in a clear matt lacquer.

      If you wanted to paint it white, you would need to treat all the knots with knot primer, followed by a floor primer, then a couple of coats of paint ie Farrow & Ball

      Personal recommendation a clear finish to highligh the knots and grain of your wood - using white accents

      Good Kuck - Elaine

    • Emmeline Westin
      hace 8 años

      Hi Kashif, I'd love to see what you did to your reception room. Since this dilemma was posted a while back, perhaps you have an update for us?

    • Kashif Aziz
      Autor original
      hace 8 años
      here's an update 5 October 2015:
    • groveraxle
      hace 8 años

      Nice. Thanks for the update. Glad you kept the floors.

    • mrskain1
      hace 8 años
      Why is it I have never bought a home and discovered hardwood flooring under the carpet. Lucky you. Love your floors. I wouldn't do a thing. Spend your money on some beautiful area rugs.
    • Emmeline Westin
      hace 8 años

      Looks lovely, thanks for the update! Agree that bookshelves would make the room even nicer. Thumbs up!

    • mrskain1
      hace 8 años
      Saw the update. Looks good. Your wife did a great job on the curtains.
    • PRO
      f l o o r e n o
      hace 6 años

      Always worth keeping and restore. Yes, it can be made lighter. Flooreno does this kind of services. The best alternative to paint is bleaching.

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