Parquet board or laminate flooring: a comparative overview of flooring

Regardless of what kind of repair is planned - “money is not a question”, “cheap, but decent”, one must approach the purchase of flooring equally seriously and thoughtfully. This is a difficult, responsible task, because the floor creates a perception of the interior. Plus, people often look down rather than the ceiling. Undoubtedly, the modern market offers a lot of materials, different in characteristics, color solutions. This article will discuss two popular flooring, namely, which is better - parquet board or laminate.

The purpose of the premises is an important issue.

The existing variety of floor coverings is not easy to understand, because when choosing a laminate and parquet board, it is necessary to take into account not only functional indicators, but also the purpose of a particular room. So, for which room is the parquet board more suitable? Firstly, for the living room, study, library - it fits perfectly into any interior, as it combines with many materials. Best of all, a parquet board looks in a room decorated with natural wood, or surrounded by wooden furniture. Sometimes a parquet board is laid in a spacious hallway, but this material is afraid of moisture, and the hallway itself is a room with high traffic, that is, you can’t do without wet cleaning. Therefore, in the corridors and hallways, a laminate is often used.

Parquet board in the interior

As for the children's room, comfort is needed here - of course, soft carpet is best suited, but the laminate also works. There is only one caveat - in the play area, it is imperative to lay a warm carpet, because children love to frolic on the floor.

The bedroom is a special place in the house, for this room you should choose a floor covering with good heat and sound insulating properties: a cozy atmosphere is a priority. In fact, the best option is a natural cork floor. But due to the high cost, not everyone can afford such a pleasure. For this reason, a laminate is an excellent alternative, it can be wet-cleaned, wear-resistant, combined with furniture that harmonizes with it in texture, color, it will decorate a classic bedroom.

Important: if we are talking about a small room, it is better to use a parquet board that imitates piece parquet.

Naturally, a parquet board is more expensive, and if the interior was not intended to exist for centuries, and will change for a change in a couple of years, a laminate is the best option.

What is good parquet board?

Parquet board is characterized by a rather complex structure, it consists of glued layers located perpendicular to each other. This method gives the board strength and resistance to changes in geometric dimensions. The top layer is a valuable, expensive wood species, the maximum thickness of veneer is 0.5 mm, the minimum is 6 mm. Most often, a parquet board with a top layer thickness of 4 mm is used. The middle layer (9 mm) is made from coniferous wood, and the lower layer is 1.5 mm thick.

Parquet board: structure

By the number of dies, a parquet board is classified into:

• single lane - It looks like a regular board made of solid wood: it looks beautiful in large rooms. As for the cost, it is an order of magnitude higher, since its production uses wide strips of expensive wood. Typically, the width of such a board is 137 mm. Also, some manufacturers produce a single-lane board with bevels shot at the edges. It turns out that after laying between the boards a groove is formed, it simulates the seams and allows you to create the effect of flooring from a massive board;
• two-way board - Two wide strips laid in solid stripes or divided into modules. The large width of the strips gives the room a solemn appearance, better suited for classic interiors;
• three-lane parquet board - the most common option, in demand among the population. The working layer consists of three parallel strips. Usually the strips are divided into short segments (modules), and not laid in solid long strips. The three-strip board imitates the “deck” parquet pattern, suitable for decoration of different rooms. Width - 190-208 mm;
• four-lane board made from wood waste. At such a board, the stripes are too narrow, so on the floor it looks colorful. A similar option looks good in a country house.

It is also necessary to say about the structured (artificially “aged”, steamed, antique) parquet board that has recently become fashionable. How is this process going? The principle is this - dimming or artificial defects are created in the decorative layer. First, a parquet board is assembled in the factory, then a core is selected from the top layer using a metal brush. As a result of such manipulations, the board becomes embossed, its structure is pronounced. Then the parquet board is treated with colored oil, wax (black, white). Wax fills microcracks, emphasizes the natural pattern, white and black veins appear on the surface. It is important to note that the "aged" parquet board is usually single-lane.

In addition to the original beauty and a delicate sense of antiquity, these boards have an undeniable advantage - they are less noticeable scratches, damage. Maintenance of such a flooring is simple: 2-3 times a year should be treated with special wax.

"Aged" parquet board

Another point: the parquet board can be varnished - sanded, calibrated in thickness, coated with waterproof matte, glossy varnish. Immediately after the installation is completed, such a floor is ready for use.

Oil-coated board - an oil-wax compound is applied to the floorboard at the factory, so the floor seems to be as natural as possible. It is protected from moisture, from mechanical influences, and the texture of the tree is excellently visible. The one and only minus - once a year you need to update the oil composition.

Brief information about the type of wood will certainly come in handy when considering the issue of the difference between a laminate and a parquet board. Classics of the genre:

• oak is a kernel of a pleasant color, the color is yellowish brown, dark brown. Durable material, which, if damaged, is easily restored;
• ash - elastic and durable, the color is yellow-white, black, dark brown. The core is often irregular in shape, and this creates an interesting pattern;
• Cherry - a very beautiful parquet board with a pale pink tint. The undoubted advantage is the uniformity of the texture;
• beech - strength similar to oak, reddish yellow. Under the influence of the sun, a beech parquet board slightly changes its shade, brownish notes appear.

Exotic parquet board:

• jatoba - grows in the valleys of the distant Amazon river, wood is so strong that it is difficult to process. But the floorboard is amazing, white or lemon;
• wenge - common in African countries.The wood is heavy, dark brown, such a board is characterized by resistance to pressure, moisture resistance;
• Iroko is a tropical tree that is not afraid of climate change. The wood has a yellow-brown color, pests are not afraid of it.

Wenge parquet board - sophistication and beauty

What is remarkable laminate flooring?

“Laminate” in translation means “multilayer coating”. The top layer is made of special polymers that preserve the decorative appearance for a long time. And the second layer is decorative, it is made in a printing house, and the laminate pattern is the most diverse, although it is often a tree. Next is the main layer, namely fiberboard treated with hydrophobization. Then - a layer of kraft paper, it protects the material by repelling water. The properties of the last layer significantly increase the life of the laminate.

This flooring is divided into two types, if we talk about the degree of load: for residential or public buildings - high, medium, light load category. If this is a bedroom, study - the best option is a laminate with a light load; living room, children's room - with an average; the kitchen, the entrance hall is high.

Laminate flooring

In public places, namely, in conference rooms, in meeting rooms - a light degree of workload; classrooms, reception, office - medium degree; cafes, gyms, bars, shops - high.

Each type of laminate is characterized by differences in the decorative layer. Below we describe this parameter in more detail in order to delve deeper into the essence of the issue.

• The traditional surface in structure resembles a tree covered with silky varnish. Laminate has a flat, smooth, shiny surface.
• “Natural” surface - in principle, there are no special differences from the previous one, only its performance is better. Therefore, this laminate is more like a real wooden parquet, and the wood pores are located in strict accordance with the picture.
• The “waxed” surface is very similar to a natural waxed wood. The pores are as if filled with wax, the surface is smooth, even, a slightly noticeable shine.
• The glossy surface imitates wood coated with shiny varnish. The top layer is similar to wood material, but there is no pore.
• Texture surface - bumps reminiscent of wood fibers are specially provided here. This type of laminate is similar to parquet, because the drawing is done synchronously. A variation of such a coating with a texture surface is a relief laminate, its difference is that the longitudinal bumps are symmetrical, but they do not repeat the pattern.
• “A tree under oil” resembles natural wood that has absorbed oil. The surface upon examination does not cause discomfort, it does not have a gloss, is even, smooth.

Another interesting type of laminate is country - a large smooth relief, an imitation of hand-crafted wood. Such an original coating looks cozy in cottages.

Original laminate flooring - great view

High pressure laminate (composite) consists of several layers of films impregnated with a special resin. A specific protective layer is applied on top, which protects the coating from the influence of sunlight, mechanical influences. A decorative layer is placed under the protective films, and a base is underneath. The basis has shockproof and fireproof properties. By pressing at high temperature, the layers are formed into an integral plate, and the thickness depends on the article.

Laminate low pressure consists of only one layer of a durable film, one decoration layer, they are pressed with a base of hardboard or particleboard.

Pros and Cons Arguments - Which is Better?

Advantages of a parquet board:

• naturalness, environmental friendliness;
• strength is not inferior to the array;
• due to the presence of natural wood veneer, the parquet board looks like an expensive tree;
• repeated sanding, varnishing possible;
• installation without gaps;
• there are no special requirements for the base, because the thickness of the board is at least 14 mm.

Its disadvantages:

• a large amount of natural raw materials is needed, which means that deforestation is increasing;
• it is possible to wash a parquet board exclusively by special means;
• scratches are possible;
• it cannot be restored after the flood - it swells, and after drying it deforms;
• need protection from exposure to furniture legs in the form of plastic plugs.

Laminate advantages:

• forests suffer less - wood chips are used in the production process;
• has moisture resistance;
• not subject to decay, the effects of fungi;
• successfully resists scratches, bumps;
• no scraping, varnishing required;
• ease of care - wet cleaning is allowed, as well as cleaning products;
• a huge number of decors - traditional drawings, all kinds of colors, imitation;
• UV resistance.

Laminate Cons:

• if damage has occurred, it is impossible to repair the scratch;
• coverage below grade 31 needs additional protection against furniture legs.

From the foregoing, it becomes clear that the laminate and parquet board are quite popular materials. Having rationally weighed all the arguments, you can choose the best option, for example, if naturalness is important, it is better to buy a parquet board, and if priority is given to a long service life without additional investments and at a low price - a laminate.

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