Wooden Floors
There are three main classes of parquetry in use: solid parquet, veneers and laminates.
Solid parquet, as the name suggests, is solid wood, the standard thickness of each board is typically 1.5 cm or more; this enables the wooden floor to be heavily sanded numerous times over its lifetime.
Veneers are a layer of solid wood, normally 5 mm (referred to as the 'wear' layer) in thickness attached to a base of cheaper wood or plywood; this enables a floor to be sanded and finished using conventional techniques, and can be repaired by light re-sanding.
Laminates are the cheapest form, consisting of a faux-wood image applied to a cheap base such as particle board and a clear protective layer applied on top; laminates are prone to chipping and cannot be repaired.
Boards generally fit together with a tongue and groove, having consequently the pattern alike on both sides.
Wooden floors can be installed in a number of configurations. In a floating floor configuration, a layer of underlay is placed on top of the existing floor (for noise and heat insulation), the boards are then placed on top, locking together using the tongues and grooves, the weight of the combined boards holds them in place. Over time as the wood reacts to moisture in the environment, cracks are more prone to appear compared to permanently fixing the floor to the sub floor.
To attach the floor more permanently boards can be either fixed using nails (driven through the tongue at an angle of roughly 35 degrees), or attached using a water or organic solvent based glue if the sub floor is unsuitable for nails, such as concrete.
One of the most famous parquet floors is the one used by the Boston Celtics of the NBA. The original floor, which was installed at the Celtics' original home of Boston Arena in 1946, was moved intact to Boston Garden in 1952 and used there until the team moved to what was then known as Fleet Center in 1995. The floor remained intact and in use until it was cut up and sold as souvenirs in 1999, after the 1998 demolition of Boston Garden. The Celtics today play on a parquet floor that combines old and new sections.
Cleaning and Repair
Wood floors are generally difficult to maintain. However there are certain chemicals in the form of varnishes, oils and waxes which can restore the shiny appearance they have when they are new. Many companies offer wood floor renewal as well as maintenance products for wood flooring.