Parquet repair and care

Clean, oil, repair or sand parquet? Depending on the condition, parquet care looks different.

Raphael Breitschmid

Clean parquet

Professional parquet care keeps the wooden floor beautiful and extends its lifespan. Any type of parquet can be cleaned with a special parquet cleaner or diluted soft soap. Sealed parquet is particularly easy to care for, but oiled or waxed wooden floors are usually more durable than you think. Anyone who has a new floor laid will receive instructions from the floor installer on how to clean the parquet floor.

Difference between oiled and sealed parquet

A parquet floor can be refined and treated in different ways. The most common types are a coating with an oil or a varnish. A parquet that is treated with oil is a so-called oiled parquet and has different care requirements than a varnished or sealed parquet.

Advantages and disadvantages of oiled parquet

Advantage:

The oil highlights the natural color and grain of the wood and coats the wood fibers. The wood remains breathable and its natural processes are preserved. The wood can, for example, absorb and release moisture. Since the covering is not film-binding, local improvements and repairs are possible.

Disadvantage:

The maintenance effort is greater for oiled parquet. However, after the first two years this effort decreases as the wood pores are now completely saturated.

Advantages and disadvantages of sealed parquet

Advantage:

The wood is surrounded by a protective layer and only needs to be recoated after 12-15 years if there are no major scratches or stains.

Disadvantage:

The varnish or sealant covers the wood and forms a protective layer, but does not penetrate the wood. This is a so-called “film-forming” coating that lies over the wood like a plastic film. The disadvantage is that the natural processes of the wood are stopped and if there are stains or scratches, the entire protective layer has to be removed and reapplied. Selective improvements are very difficult to implement.

How to clean oiled parquet floors

Cleaning an oiled parquet floor still requires a little more caution. It should only be taken up when it is damp, otherwise water can penetrate the wood and cause it to swell over time or leave stains. Puddles must be removed immediately. You can't go wrong with a special cleaning agent for oiled parquet. By the way, microfiber cloths should not be used to clean wooden floors, as they leave tiny scratches on the parquet. If you are unsure about which parquet care is the right one, you should ask a specialist retailer to recommend a parquet cleaner.

Re-oil the parquet

Parquet cleaners for oiled wooden floors - so-called wooden floor soap - contain fats that care for the wood and prevent water and other liquids from penetrating. Parquet care includes re-oiling the parquet every few years. This means that the pores of the wood remain closed and the parquet does not absorb dirt as easily. If the old parquet already has stains, the floor installer can remove them with intensive cleaning before oiling the wooden floor. And if it is heavily worn, the floor can be sanded.

Sanding parquet

Sealed parquet has a type of varnish on its surface, this must be removed before repair. If in doubt, sanding and resealing large areas of parquet should be left to a flooring company. The professionals can sand the parquet floor - or repair it in places - and re-seal or oil it. The costs for sanding parquet vary depending on the area. As a rule, 45 to 55 CHF are charged per square meter. However, there may also be other costs such as travel and material costs.

Repair parquet

It is rarely necessary to have a wooden floor sanded. It is usually enough to repair the parquet. There are special repair kits available in hardware stores that are tailored to the color of the parquet. This means you can “treat” scratches and dents yourself. If you prefer to hire a professional, you've come to the right place: a floor fitter or carpenter. But as we all know, prevention is better than cure: How can the parquet stay beautiful for a long time? On the one hand, you should protect it, for example with felt gliders on chair legs, and on the other hand, it is important to clean the parquet correctly - never too wet and with the appropriate parquet care. Then the wooden floor remains attractive even in intensively used rooms such as kitchens.

Repairing laminate flooring: is that also possible?

Unlike parquet, laminate cannot be sanded. In the case of major damage, the only way to repair the laminate is to replace the affected panels. However, laminate flooring can be repaired – to a certain extent. As with parquet floors, scratches and holes can be filled with appropriate repair kits from the hardware store. If the laminate is worn out over a large area, you should remove the old floor coverings and lay a new floor. Depending on the type of installation, removing laminate is more or less complex. A floor installer can also do this efficiently and professionally.

What is the best way to clean a parquet floor?

A sealed parquet floor can be cleaned with a damp (not wet!) cloth. A microfiber cloth may be suitable in some circumstances, but you should consult a specialist first. Microfiber cloths should not be used on oiled or waxed parquet. The cloth can be wet and the wiping water should always contain a care product. Depending on whether the parquet is oiled or waxed, other care products are necessary.

What are the differences between sealed and oiled parquet?

With sealed parquet, the wood is covered with a varnish or sealant. This lies over the wood and forms a protective layer, but does not penetrate the wood. This is a so-called “film-forming” coating that lies over the wood like a plastic film.

With oiled parquet, an oil is applied to the parquet, this penetrates into the wood and coats the individual fibers and saturates the pores. This means the wood remains breathable and can release and absorb moisture. The oil also highlights the natural color and grain of the wood.

How do I get parquet floors looking nice again?

A sealed parquet floor needs to be renovated every 12-15 years. The entire surface coating is removed and reapplied.

An oiled or waxed floor can be treated every few years with an “initial care” product from a specialist retailer.

How much does sanding and sealing parquet cost in Switzerland?

Sanding and resealing parquet is usually charged in square meters. In Switzerland, this work costs between 45 and 55 francs per square meter. There are also travel costs and possibly product costs. Depending on what the parquet is sealed with or whether further repairs need to be carried out, the costs can be higher.

Regional
Reliable
Qualified
Efficient

Start request

100% non-binding - also for non-mobiliar customers