How to get started with laying a parquet floor
Are you planning to lay your wooden floor on your own? Great idea! This checklist will help you to optimally prepare for a carefree installation of your Parky floor.
● Leave the planks for at least 24 hours in the middle of the room where you are going to install them so that they can acclimatise.
● Check that the subfloor is clean, firm, dry and smooth and flat. If you notice any minor irregularities, there is no need to worry. You can take care of these with an underlay.
● Remove the doors, vacuum the subfloor and make sure that there is adequate lighting.
● Get all of the necessary equipment ready: the Parky installation kit, a framing square, hammer, cutter, Parky moisture-resistant tape, a tape measure or folding ruler, a circular power saw, a pair of knee pads and the correct underlay.
Have you checked everything off your list? Great. Now you’re ready to get started.
Which underlay should I choose for veneer parquet?
If you want to get the most out of your Parky veneer floor, place an underlay between the subfloor and your veneer parquet. This will protect it against moisture or damp, absorb contact noises, conduct heat and also level out minor irregularities when you use a floating installation.
Parky has developed the Basic and Silent underlays. Both underlays have an integrated moisture screen and are compatible with underfloor heating. The only difference is that the Silent variant is even better at absorbing noise than the Basic variant. If you have chosen a Parky floor with an integrated cork layer, then in principle you will not need an extra underlay. This is because the cork already has a sound-damping effect. In this case, it is advisable to protect your floor against rising damp using Parky damp-proof film. If you would like to give your Parky floor extra protection against moisture, we recommend taping together the strips of underlay or damp-proof film with our moisture-resistant tape.
Installing a parquet floor as a floating installation or using adhesive
If the underlay is in place, then you can start the installation. You should bear in mind that a Parky floor is made from real wood. That is why you need to leave a sufficient expansion gap by each wall and around any obstacle on the surface (such as door frames or heating pipes). The minimum expansion gap is 10 mm, or 1 mm per metre. Each Parky plank has a handy click system. Since the planks simply click together, it is easy to lay a Parky parquet floor as a floating installation. For the Pro and Lounge collections with the Uniclic click system, you just need to tap the planks together with a hammer. If you chose long planks or the herringbone motif, then you can simply slot the planks into each other thanks to the handy Unifit X-click system. Just a push and a click, and it's ready!
Since a Parky floor conveniently clicks together, most people choose a floating installation. Would you prefer to use adhesive for your parquet floor? That is also perfectly possible, though you should make sure to use the right kind of parquet adhesive. If you are unsure about anything, first check here for the installation instructions that Parky has put together with Mapei for installing your veneer parquet by gluing it down. If you follow these instructions carefully, nothing can go wrong.
Are you itching to get started? Download the handy installation flyer here for your type of Parky floor.
