Wood Parquet – Pros and Cons. When It’s Worth Choosing an Alternative

Wood flooring has long been considered a symbol of class and natural warmth in the home. Wood parquet adds a unique character to interiors, and its classic look fits many styles – from traditional to modern. However, before deciding on this choice, it’s worth looking at both the pros and cons of wood flooring and exploring alternatives that in many situations may be a better solution.

Pros of Parquet Flooring - Advantages of Wooden Floors

Natural Beauty

Wood parquet primarily offers the beauty of natural wood. Each plank has a unique grain pattern, making the floor one of a kind. Wood flooring brings warmth, coziness, and timeless style to interiors, perfectly complementing both classic and modern décor.

Durability and Renovation Potential

A well-installed wood parquet can last for many years. Even if it suffers minor damage, it can be sanded and refinished multiple times, restoring its original appearance. This makes wood flooring a long-term investment that retains its value over time.

Added Property Value

High-quality wood parquet increases the appeal of a property, which is particularly important when selling or renting a home.

Cons of Parquet Flooring - Disadvantages of Wooden Floors

Sensitivity to Moisture and Temperature

Wood flooring is sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. Excess moisture can cause the wood to swell, while very dry air may lead to shrinking and gaps. In kitchens or bathrooms, this can be a significant challenge.

Regular Maintenance Required

Wood parquet requires proper care. It must be protected from scratches and treated with specialized cleaning products. Neglecting maintenance can quickly affect the floor’s appearance and durability.

Higher Costs

Purchasing and installing wood flooring involves higher costs compared to some alternatives. Additionally, renovation can be costly and time-consuming, which should be considered in a home budget.

Limited Color Range

Natural wood offers only a certain range of shades. For those seeking modern or bold colors, wood parquet can be restrictive.

Visible Plank Joints

Even with careful installation, gaps between planks may appear, especially with changes in humidity. For minimalist interiors that require a smooth, seamless surface, this is a disadvantage.

Creaking

Wood can expand and contract with humidity and temperature changes, causing deformations and characteristic creaking sounds.

Limitations in Certain Rooms

Wood is not ideal for bathrooms or kitchens where moisture levels are high.

Unstable Raw Material Prices

The cost of natural wood often fluctuates depending on the season, availability, and global market conditions. This can significantly impact the budget, unlike microcement, whose price remains stable.

Alternatives to Wood Flooring

If you are considering alternatives to wood parquet, it is worth exploring modern materials that eliminate the drawbacks of wood while maintaining its benefits. One of the best alternatives is microcement.

Microcement – an Interesting Alternative to Wood Parquet

Microcement is a thin-layer coating that can be applied over existing surfaces, such as ceramic tiles. This means there is no need to remove the old floor, significantly reducing costs and shortening renovation time. Microcement creates a seamless, joint-free surface that is resistant to moisture, scratches, and stains, making the floor easy to maintain and extremely durable. Additionally, it allows for customizable colors, enabling adaptation to any interior style, from minimalist to elegant living rooms.

Advantages of Microcement Compared to Wood

Moisture Resistance

Microcement is fully water-resistant, making it ideal for rooms exposed to moisture, such as bathrooms, kitchens, or showers. It does not absorb water or dirt, eliminating the risk of mold and damage common in wood flooring.

Resistance to Wear and Mechanical Damage

Microcement floors are highly resistant to scratches and daily wear. The Festfloor Titan system, an epoxy-based microcement, offers increased hardness and durability, keeping the surface looking pristine even in heavily used areas.

Seamless Surface

One of the greatest advantages of microcement is the lack of joints and seams. The surface is smooth and uniform, making cleaning easier and giving interiors a modern, elegant appearance. This is a major advantage over wood parquet, where gaps between planks can collect dust and dirt.

Versatility

Microcement can be applied to almost any stable surface – concrete, ceramic tiles, OSB boards, cement or anhydrite screeds. It works on floors, walls, stairs, and even furniture, offering huge design flexibility.

Easy Maintenance

Microcement is simple to clean with just a damp cloth, without the need for specialized chemical products. The lack of seams and pores prevents dirt, dust, and water from settling, which is often a problem with wood flooring.

Color Options

Microcement can be customized to suit any interior style, with over 2,000 shades available from NCS or RAL palettes. This allows you to create cohesive, modern, or designer interiors

Compatibility with Underfloor Heating

Microcement works perfectly with underfloor heating. Its thin-layer structure conducts heat efficiently, providing thermal comfort throughout the room. This is particularly beneficial in bathrooms or living rooms.

What If You Combine Microcement and Wood?

If you dream of having wood in your home but in some rooms, such as the kitchen or bathroom, wood is not suitable due to moisture and heavy use, combining it with microcement is an excellent solution. This way, you can enjoy the natural beauty of wood where it is safe, and use durable and practical microcement in areas exposed to water and dirt. This combination allows you to create functional and visually appealing zones within a room.

How to Combine Microcement and Wood

  1. Leveling – To ensure proper integration, the thickness of the microcement layer should match the height of the wooden plank. For example, if the wood is 14 mm thick, the subfloor should be leveled with a self-leveling screed and microcement applied to make both surfaces flush.
  2. Dilatation – Wood and microcement have different physical properties. Wood expands and contracts with humidity and temperature changes, while microcement remains stable. Therefore, a dilatation gap should be left between the materials to allow natural movement of the wood.
  3. Filling the Gap – The gap can be filled with a flexible material, such as cork, which compensates for the wood’s movement, or silicone, especially in moisture-prone areas. Decorative finishing strips (aluminum or steel) can also be used to protect the gap while providing a stylish finish.

Conclusion

Wood parquet has many advantages – natural appearance, elegance, durability, and added property value. At the same time, it comes with drawbacks such as sensitivity to moisture, maintenance requirements, and higher costs.

For those seeking a practical, durable, and easy-to-maintain alternative, microcement is an excellent solution. It allows you to enjoy the aesthetics of wood or other materials while avoiding the common problems of wood parquet. Microcement is a modern way to achieve a beautiful and functional floor in any interior.

Buy microcement for your floor