Before you lay parquet: how much do you need and is the room ready?

A parquet floor that performs well starts long before the first board goes down. Ordering the right quantity, letting the wood adjust to the room and checking that the building is dry enough are the three steps people skip most often, and the ones that cause the most trouble later. Here they are, one by one.

Do it yourself or have it laid?

Floating a click floor is within reach of a handy DIYer. Gluing to a screed, laying over underfloor heating, herringbone or chevron patterns and solid boards call for more experience, the right tools and measurements you cannot make by eye. If in doubt, at least have the subfloor assessed before you buy materials. A mistake in preparation is hard and costly to fix once the floor is down.

How much parquet should you order?

1. Measure each room in metres: the full length and the full width. Split an irregular room into rectangles and add them up.
2. Multiply length by width to get the area in square metres (m²).
3. Add a margin for offcuts and for selecting boards: roughly 5 to 10 percent for a straight layout in a simple room, and 10 to 15 percent for diagonal, herringbone or chevron layouts, or for rooms with many corners, alcoves and doors.
4. Divide the total by the coverage of one pack (shown on the packaging or the data sheet) and always round up.

Example: a living room of 6.20 m by 4.50 m is 27.9 m². With a 10 percent margin that becomes 30.7 m². If one pack covers 2.2 m², you need 13.95 packs, so 14.

Order everything at once and from the same production batch. Wood is a natural material, and colour and grain can vary between batches. Keep a few boards after laying: if one gets damaged later, you have matching material for the repair.

Is the room ready for parquet?

Wood takes up moisture from the air and releases it again. It swells in humid weather and shrinks when the air is dry. That is why parquet should only go into a room that is stable. Check the following:

• The building is weathertight: windows and external doors are fitted.
• Wet trades such as plastering, screeding and tiling are finished and dried out. A new screed needs weeks to months to dry, depending on thickness, type and ventilation.
• The room temperature is roughly 15 to 22 degrees, also in the days before and after laying.
• Relative humidity is between about 40 and 60 percent. A simple hygrometer will tell you.
• Painting work that brings a lot of moisture or dust is best done before laying, otherwise protect the floor thoroughly.

Let the wood acclimatise

Leave the packs in the room where they will be laid for at least 48 hours, or longer if the manufacturer says so. Store them flat, on a dry level floor and not against an outside wall. Keep the packaging closed until you start, unless the manufacturer advises otherwise. This way the wood takes on the room temperature without suddenly absorbing moisture.

Special situations

• Underfloor heating or cooling: stricter rules apply to moisture, commissioning the heating and the choice of species. See our article on parquet over underfloor heating.
• Damp rooms such as a bathroom or basement: not every parquet is suitable. Ask for advice first.
• Large glazed areas and full sun: wood changes colour in light and can move more because of the heat. Keep this in mind when choosing species and finish.
• An old floor covering that stays in place: tiles can make a good base, while carpet, vinyl and cork almost always have to come out.

Quick checklist

1. Area measured and margin calculated.
2. Parquet ordered from one batch, with a few spare boards.
3. Room dry, closed and at temperature.
4. Humidity between 40 and 60 percent.
5. Packs in the room for at least 48 hours.
6. Subfloor checked for moisture, flatness and strength.

Would you like a professional to look at the room and the subfloor before you choose? Feel free to get in touch. Janssen Parketvloeren lays new floors and is happy to advise you beforehand.