Thermo-treated parquet: a durable and attractive solution
When you’re building your home or renovating your interior, there are many questions to ask. One of them is the choice of flooring. Tiles, linoleum, sea rush, carpet or parquet: there are plenty of possibilities. Parquet however, with its timeless elegance and warm character, remains a choice that transforms an interior into a welcoming and refined home.
When you choose parquet for its authentic, natural, comforting and aesthetic appeal, its technical characteristics pave the way for a carefully considered, personalised choice to suit every of your needs.
As well as the choice of support (solid or semi-solid), the colour of the wood is essential to the design of a room. Some opt for stained parquet, others for thermo-treated parquet or even smoked parquet.
What are the differences between these floors? Why choose a thermo-treated floor? What are the benefits for your home?
Whether you’re a professional or a homeowner, find out everything you need to know about thermo treatment for parquet in this article.
1 – What is a thermo-treated parquet floor?
2 – A sustainable choice
3 – Customising your thermo-treated parquet
4 – Decorate your home with thermo-treated parquet
5 – Taking care of your thermo-treated parquet
What is a thermo-treated parquet floor?
A parquet floor is said to be thermo-treated when it is heated to a high temperature, in a controlled manner, in order to modify its properties. When wood is heat treated at 150°C or 190°C, it takes on a darker colour in proportion to the temperature used. Unlike tinted wood, where only the top layer is coated, the heat treatment is spread evenly over the entire top layer. Carried out without the use of chemical products, thermo treatment allows the wood to be treated to the core.
Thermo-treated parquet combines an elegant look with warm, contemporary wood tones.
This treatment differs from smoking, which consists of modifying the wood to give it a deep colour in a kiln. The latter also impregnates the entire facing.
A sustainable choice
When choosing your parquet floor, the type of wood is an important consideration. Choosing softwood, exotic or hardwood will determine how the floor will be used and where it will come from.
The species can also be an aesthetic choice linked to the natural colour of the wood. For a darker look, thermo oak is an interesting option, making it a virtuous choice.
As the heat treatment is chemical-free, parquet can easily be recycled and upgraded at the end of its life, making it a sustainable choice.
Customising your thermo-treated parquet
Have a look at the Thermo parquet offered by Design Parquet in its Design Deco range : Expresso (190°C) and Arabica (150°C).
What makes them special? As part of the customizable parquet flooring, you can define the grade of wood, the laying pattern, the aspect of the parquet and the finishing to suit your tastes.
Expresso Thermo 190°C chevron parquet by Design Parquet
Arabica Thermo 150°C random lenght parquet by Design Parquet
Wood grade
Although it may seem technical, the decision on the wood grade comes down to asking yourself: do I want a floor with more or less individuality?
If the answer is few distinctive features, opt for a Prime bis grade (PR-Bis).
If, on the other hand, you feel the distinctive features add to the charm of the wood, opt for rustic/campagne (RU/CA).
Read eveything you need to know about oak grade to figure out what suits you the most.
Laying pattern
Give your room somecharm by chooing the type of installation of your parquet. For a classic look, go for random length laying. Upgrade your room with chevron or herringbone patterns on your parquet.
Chevron is distinguished by its 45° angle, which gives Haussmann-style flats their charm.
A competitor to chevron, herringbone is making its mark with its 90° angle, giving your room a unique look.
Aspects
In addition to installation, Thermo parquet from the Design Deco range can have one or more finishing available to suit your tastes.
For a parquet floor with character, a brushed look gives the floor a light sheen, which is very pleasant and warm. To enhance this effect, opt for a heavy brushed look, or even a relief look if you want to bring out the wood grain.
If you’re installing a floor in a high-traffic area that tells a story, or in a room with character, you won’t be able to resist the distressed aspect, that gives your room ans aged look. Whether it’s light (on the edges) or strong (edges + top layer), it will anchor the floor in a story that is your own.
Finally, to break up the linear appearance of parquet, the band saw marks aspect is increasingly popular. With perpendicular lines sawed into the parquet, this look also adds character to your parquet.
Finishing
Finally, you can choose the finish that suits you best: varnished or oiled.
Whether the varnish is matt or colourless, it will create a protective layer on the parquet strips. Oil, whether matt (Natura) or colourless, will soak into the wood to protect it.
Discover how to protect your thermo-treated parquet.
Decorate your home with thermo-treated parquet
With its deep, warm colour, heat-treated parquet, whether heated to 150°C or 190°C, is ideal for warming up a room.
Liven up your light-coloured furniture
In a light-toned living room with a beige sofa, a white beam, a ficus tree and large windows that let the light in, a touch of deep natural wood adds undeniable charm.
Create a cocooning atmosphere in your bedroom
Bright colours are known to have a negative effect on falling asleep, whether in an adult’s or a child’s bedroom. Bedrooms are often lulled by light colours: taupe, grey, beige, linen, blue-grey or other pastel shades. To create the perfect contrast, a thermo-treated parquet floor in a bedroom will bring a softness and natural charm to the room, creating a cocooning atmosphere.
On the other hand, when the paint chosen is deep (dark blue, for example), it’s more fashionable to choose a grey, white or even unfinished wood headboard and flooring.
Discover our light colours parquets : Cotton, Sésame or Dune from our Design Deco range.
Taking care of your thermo-treated parquet
Easy to maintain, thermo-treated parquet can be cleaned with a soft broom and a damp cloth.
As with any parquet floor, protect the legs of your furniture with a felt pad to limit the risk of scratches and continuous wear on the floor.
However, maintenance can vary depending on the finish you choose.
With a varnished finish, the application of Rénovateur + will extend the life of the protective layer applied at the factory and once again when the floor is laid. We recommend applying it every 2 years.
With an oiled finish, it is advisable to re-oil the floor every 6 months (depending on how the floor is used), as the wood absorbs the treatment little by little.
In short, heat-treated parquet combines aesthetics, robustness and ecology, making it an excellent choice for enhancing your interior while respecting the environment.
