4 types of wood-effect flooring

There are loads of choices when it comes to wood-effect flooring. From real to faux wood, and panels to parquet. Read on to learn about all the options.

Made from cut pieces of wood veneer assembled and glued together to make interesting geometrical patterns, parquet is an interesting option.

• There are common types of patterns, but you can also go for a more ornate custom floor design if you want to make a larger investment.
• You’ll find parquet in all sorts of woods. Some patterns mix wood species to create a colour contrast, which can work for lavish or eccentric interiors. Though, oftentimes, just one type of wood is used.
• Wood parquet floors are very durable and if any pieces come off decades later, they can easily be glued back on.

A very popular option is wood panels, which can vary in width from small (about 2.5 inches) to much wider (approximately 6 inches).

• Softwoods, hardwoods, and even exotic woods can be used for wood panel flooring.
• Each panel fits into the groove of the next one, so it is unlikely for them to come apart.
• Like parquet flooring, it is extremely durable. It can be sanded and varnished again and again to freshen up the surface and make it look like new again.

Laminate wood flooring is not actually wood, but reproduces the aspects of wood pretty well.

• It looks like wood panels, but they are made of melamine resin and fibreboard.
• Laminate is easier to install than wood panels because each piece clicks and locks into the previous one and because there are no “bad” pieces (real wood panels have knots).
• Its surface is more slippery than wood and very durable, but once the surface is heavily scratched, it is not possible to refinish it as with real wood panelling.

This is why it doesn’t increase the resale value of your home the way real wood floors will. It is also much cheaper than real wood flooring.

This option is also not wood, but has a similar look.

• Because cork is soft, it feels really nice under your feet.
• It can be a safer and softer surface for children to fall on and provides better temperature and sound insulation than wood flooring.
• As it is soft, it is prone to scratching and denting. Heavy furniture can also make permanent sink marks in a cork floor.

All of these options are pretty easy to maintain, but the difference lies in the overall expense and refinishing possibilities in the long term.

• A floor specialist can help you make the right decisions and find the right type of wood-effect flooring for your needs and lifestyle.