While it may not be as delicate as many entrenched prejudices still describe, parquet is nonetheless a type of flooring that requires careful treatment. By using just a few simple precautions, you can keep it in excellent condition and perfect health, even in special occasions and more critical circumstances.

Protecting wooden floors during a move

If you have already installed parquet at home or in the office but need to proceed with a move and thus the relocation of furniture and furnishings, you can prevent potential damage to the wooden floor by following these tips.

Our first piece of advice is to place a double layer of corrugated cardboard sheets over the affected surfaces, the kind derived from classic delivery boxes, which can serve as an ideal and effective barrier against possible scratches and dents. Instead of corrugated cardboard, you can also use felt rolls or felted sheathing, available at hardware stores or DIY shops.

An equally effective alternative is applying felt pads under the legs of tables, chairs, or other furniture, allowing them to slide over the parquet without fear of damage.

Last but not least, simply lift the furniture off the ground to move it, avoiding dragging as much as possible; a method as obvious as it is often overlooked, even in the daily use of furniture or accessories on parquet.

What not to do on parquet

Beyond relatively exceptional cases like a move, adhesive felt pads are always an effective method of protecting parquet against unwanted scratches; as are certain behaviors.

Pay close attention to cleaning shoes or your pets’ paws and avoid walking on the wooden floor with heels, especially stilettos, or with soccer or mountain trekking shoes, with their typical cleats and studded soles.

If you have installed parquet in humid areas such as the bathroom and kitchen, it is advisable to dry any standing water or puddles as soon as possible and regularly ventilate the rooms. If you have placed a rug, change its position often to ensure that light spreads evenly across the parquet and its color remains uniform.

More generally, the recommendation is to carry out regular or special cleaning of the parquet only with products specifically designed for the specific treatments of the boards, such as those from the Woodco Care line.

Parquet, fireplace, and floor protector

Here is finally a truly fascinating pair: the combination of warmth and country atmospheres formed by fireplace and parquet.

Although this union creates unparalleled atmospheres, care must be taken, especially when the fireplace is flush with the floor and risks sending sparks or burning embers onto the parquet. In this case, you can choose to install a so-called floor protector layer in hard stone, lava, or Sicilian stone (Modica) as a contrast.

If the fireplace is not flush, meaning at least ten centimeters from the floor, the installation can be completed with a base with a self-leveling screed that will allow the parquet to expand naturally according to the room’s climate.

In addition to the actual stone floor protector, there are special PVC floor protector rugs: unlike traditional rugs, they do not serve to cover but to reveal the beauty of the parquet, as they are transparent, and at the same time protect it from accidental spills of food or liquids, but they are absolutely unsuitable for proximity to the fireplace.