A luxurious wooden floor exudes a noble and warm atmosphere. Unlike tiles, it proves to be pleasantly warm underfoot. Furthermore, it is a durable and hard-wearing floor covering. Several alternatives are available for wooden flooring. Which one convinces you depends on your preferences and individual needs.
Solid wood planks are indestructible classics
Solid wood planks are impressive due to their high-quality material. Compared to parquet and laminate, this ensures the longest service life for the flooring. For these advantages, you should expect considerable acquisition costs. Another disadvantage is the complex installation. If you decide on a luxury floor made of solid wood planks, the entire covering is made of a solid type of wood.
It is different with pre-finished parquet or laminate. With these two variants, at most the top wear layer consists of real wood. For this reason, they show the first signs of wear on average after ten years. To ensure your solid wood floor retains its high quality for a longer period, pay attention to the sealing. Untreated planks need a lot of varnish or oil. The better alternative is pre-sealed solid wood planks, which are more durable and therefore of higher quality.
When installing this flooring, it is advisable to hire a professional. Unlike laminate or pre-finished parquet, the installation process is more complex. A positive aspect is the flexibility. With the help of an expert, you can screw, glue, or float the planks.
Suitable for everyday use and elegant: Pre-finished parquet vs. laminate
If you value a simpler installation process, pre-finished parquet is an option for you. If you choose click-parquet, you can easily install it yourself as a DIY enthusiast with a little practice. With this type of parquet, the wear layer consists of real wood. Parquet and laminate are similar in structure, as both floor coverings consist of three layers. Manufacturers often make the backing veneer and the middle layer from inexpensive softwood. With parquet, you benefit from high-quality real wood in the top layer.
Ask the manufacturer whether this is suitable for repairs in the form of sanding. In addition to the properties of pre-finished parquet, prices vary among the different offers. The thickness and type of wood of the wear layer primarily influence the costs.
Unlike parquet, the top layer of laminate consists of plastic. This makes it an inexpensive floor covering that you can install easily. The disadvantage is the short service life of this variant compared to real wood floors.
