Parquet Flooring for Kitchens

More and more people are asking about parquet flooring for kitchens and the best way to approach it, or indeed if it’s possible at all. The answer is yes, but you’ll obviously want your kitchen flooring to be hard-wearing and easy to maintain as well as beautiful to look at.

Want to add a delicious sense of character and sophistication to your kitchen without creating a recipe for disaster? Find out more below.

What your parquet kitchen floor will be up against

In a kitchen, it’s those old enemies of water, heat and high footfall that can damage wooden parquet flooring over time.

Water

Typically, you’ll have sinks, washing machines, dishwashers and numerous pipes located around the room. So you’ll want to make sure all your plumbing is watertight and all appliances are in good working order. Any leaks could soak into the wood and lead to warping, expansion or mould. Similarly, spillages from pans of water, soups or sauces, glasses of drinks, bottles of wine and more can cause problems in terms of moisture and stains if not dealt with promptly.

Heat

These days, modern ovens and boilers are usually well-insulated and often mounted higher up. However, a floor-mounted cooker or vintage oven could give off enough heat to gradually affect the parquet floor, again causing warping, drying-out and shrinkage.

Footfall

With the kitchen being one of the most-used rooms in the home, it’ll need to stand up to a fair amount of wear and tear. Expect all kinds of footwear to cross it – heavy boots and shoes can leave black marks, while high heels can make deep indents in the wood.

Protecting against all these issues is one of the main concerns when laying a parquet kitchen floor. Its longevity in terms of durability and appearance will be down to your preparation. What you do during installation and after-care can ensure a great-looking floor for years to come.

Which wood works best?

There are a few types of wood that are most suitable for parquet flooring in a kitchen.

Reclaimed parquet

Being already well-cured and toughened from years of oils, varnish or lacquer, a reclaimed parquet floor can make an ideal material for your kitchen.

Oak, pitch pine or tropical hardwoods

Being denser by nature, these woods tend to be most stable when used for parquet flooring. They respond very well to oiling, varnishes and lacquer top coats, and are available in a variety of attractive shades.

Alternatively…

For a slightly more cost-effective solution to real wood, you might consider engineered wood or high-quality laminate parquet flooring. As well as looking great, they usually prove to be more hard-wearing and resistant to stains, grease and water infringement.

 

Kitchen parquet floor installation tips

When you’ve invested in high-quality luxury flooring for your kitchen, you’ll want it to be well-prepared for long years of productive service. Here are a few pointers to ensure you get the most out of it.

Fill the gaps

After fitting, make sure all gaps between the wooden tiles are filled. If laid professionally and correctly, a new parquet floor will not have any gaps to fill, but if the flooring has been exposed to damp, contraction or movement then you may see spaces. If left, these will allow damp or spillages to seep into the flooring and under the parquet, which will cause problems down the line.

A common way to deal with gaps is to use a resin filler mixed with fine wood dust, usually gathered during the sanding process. Alternatively, you can use a proprietary premixed wood filler or wood putty, pushing it into every gap and wiping away excess as you go.

Top coat

As well as applying oil to a freshly laid and sanded parquet floor, use a high-quality top coat of lacquer or varnish to make it as waterproof as possible. This will also allow you to polish and shine the floor, making it more stain-resistant and easy to wipe clean.

Tiles for heat

If you are planning a floor-mounted oven, it’ll be likely to give off a lot of heat. So it’s wise to lay ceramic tiles in the area it will cover, rather than positioning it on your luxury wood flooring. These will be far more resistant to heat and prevent expansion or contraction of the flooring affecting the wider area around it.

Kitchen first, floor second

If you are getting a new kitchen fully fitted, we recommend installing all units before laying the parquet floor in your kitchen. Fitting the wood flooring first could restrict the natural movement in the tiles, possibly causing buckling at a later date. It may also expose the new floor to a greater risk of damage during the kitchen installation.

Caring for your parquet kitchen floor

Here are a few common-sense measures to help ensure the long life of your floor.

• In case of spillages, wipe them up immediately to avoid any liquid penetration into the floor. It’s bad enough with water, but even more urgent with grease, sauces or wine.
• Use a suitable wooden floor cleaner designed for use on treated wood. You’ll find many brands offering cleaning fluids that are light on wooden surfaces.
• Never use bleach on a wooden parquet floor – this is likely to corrode the coating and expose it to more damage.
• When cleaning, keep sponges lightly damp rather than completely wet. Too much water may result in seepage, leading to issues like expansion, warping and mould.
• In general, sweep or vacuum the floor at least twice a week to prevent any grit from being trodden in or scratching the parquet surface.
• Regularly check your plumbing – the pipe connectors and seals into appliances as well as seals around doors – in case of wear.
• Consider using a transparent vinyl floor mat in areas that are exposed to a lot of footfall or water spillage – around sinks, for example.

Our parquet flooring prices...

While traditional parquet flooring is made of real wooden tiles, many other practical and cost-effective alternatives are available to provide a comparably luxurious effect. What you need to pay for the flooring will depend on the materials used. Here’s a rough guide to your options, from premium products to those that offer high value for money.

Premium parquet

Real wood panels are more expensive to source and manufacture, and so come at a higher price. Real wood, like our Cubano Oak engineered flooring, can be lacquered and fully bonded to your floor to guarantee long-lasting stability and durability.

Engineered real wood  £44.80 – £64.88 per m2

Mid-range alternatives

Mid-range parquet flooring usually comprises a heavier laminate (around 8mm) or luxury vinyl tiles, such as the Farmhouse Oak herringbone click vinyl. These offer the perfect mix of durability, luxury, practicality and quality, delivering a great result quickly and effectively.

Heavier laminate  £15.72 – £26.51 per m2
LVT / Click Vinyl tiles  £20.99 – £31.20 per m2

High-value parquet effect

Quality lino or vinyl flooring – like the Trojan Grey Oak vinyl, for example – is more cost-effective, comes in a variety of patterns, textures and tones, and still provides a luxurious experience. Usually exceptional value for money.

Vinyl roll  £10.60 – £16.72 per m2
Cushioned vinyl  £9.61 – £20.98 per m2

Ready to choose your flooring?

Take a look through all the shades, sizes, styles, textures and other options in our dedicated parquet flooring section and use the handy room area calculator to get an idea of the cost.

Looking for inspiration on designs, so your floor really stands out from the crowd? Check out our complete guide to parquet flooring patterns.