How to keep your parquet like new for a long time
Notes on the correct treatment of natural wood flooring
Wood is a natural product, which still reacts to changing climatic conditions in its environment when it is made into parquet flooring. This means there are things that you must take into account, both when installing the parquet floor and when caring for it. We have collected some valuable tips and notes in the following so that you can enjoy this large piece of furniture in your house for many years.
Wood is a living material and it reacts directly to environmental influences. For example if humidity rises in the summer this will cause the wood to swell, so that it expands. On the other hand if the humidity decreases in the winter because of dry air from the central heating system then the floorboards contract. Therefore you should always include expansion gaps that are sufficiently wide so that the wood has room to ‘work’.
In principle an expansion gap should be used when installing an area of 10 x 8 metres and above, as well as when installing parquet in several rooms or in passage areas. Please also always keep a generous distance to the edges against all structures rising from the floor, such as walls, door frames, balcony doors, pipes, stair railings or pillars. We also recommend planning an expansion gap at transitions to tiles, carpets and other floor coverings. The distance to these structures should be at least 10 mm. The rule of thumb is: 2mm expansion gap per meter of the width and length of the room.
Existing structural expansion gaps must also never be closed when preparing the subfloor. Transfer these onto your parquet area. The same is true if there are several heating circuits under a continuous area. Integrate these gaps congruently into your top covering, i.e. your parquet flooring. The gaps can be closed with joint profiles or elastic sealants if necessary.
Please only place furniture and other heavy objects on the new flooring at the earliest 48 to 72 hours after the floor was glued down. Please follow the instructions of the glue manufacturer in this regard.
Any wood floor, however hard it is, whether varnished or oiled, is susceptible to scratching. Therefore please ensure you use suitable chair or furniture rollers for office chairs and other small, movable pieces of furniture. Tables, dining chairs and similar pieces of furniture that are often moved across the floor can be fitted with corresponding furniture glides to protect your floor from scratches. We also recommend that you use suitable floor mats in the entrance area and at terrace doors. This will allow you to enjoy your Adler Parquet for a long time.
See the current cleaning and care instructions on your Adler Product on how to clean and care for your parquet correctly from day to day.
All Adler floorboards undergo a surface treatment that forms a protective layer on the top layer of the fine wood. This protective layer wears off over time in everyday use. As soon as the surface seal displays visible signs of wear it needs to be renewed, in part or in full, in order to ensure the protective function for the wood. You can also find the relevant notes on this in the cleaning and care instructions for your product.
Adler parquet comprises 98% wood. Wood is a living construction material and reacts immediately to environmental influences. Therefore it is particularly important to pay attention to the correct climatic conditions in the room throughout the year when you have parquet flooring. And don’t forget: a healthy room climate not only contributes to retaining the value of your parquet, it also has a positive effect on your own wellbeing and keeps your airways healthy.
A healthy room climate is considered given at temperatures between 19 and 22°C and relative humidity of approx. 50 to 60%. If the humidity falls substantially below this during the heating period then you must assume that your wooden flooring will dry out severely. This can lead to the formation of cracks, the separation of top layers and the formation of gaps.
Extremely abrupt changes in humidity are particularly damaging. They lead to contraction tension in the glued layers. In extreme cases irreparable damage can be caused, for which we do not accept liability.
A tip: if your room climate is too dry place air humidifiers in your rooms. These will help you and your parquet flooring.
Your wood flooring is right in the midst of things, where damage can easily happen. But don’t worry: particularly full spread glued Adler parquet flooring is easily repaired in the event of damage. Whether water damage or the dropping of a heavy object – you should always call in a professional for serious damage. This professional will know exactly how to carry out this kind of repair correctly and professionally and will remove the damaged element using a portable circular saw, a crowbar or other suitable tools and replace it with a new element. Please note that there may be colour discrepancies between the new floorboard and the existing parquet flooring.
Your Adler parquet is made entirely of wood and wood is a natural product. Depending on the content in the wood and the wood grain there may, therefore, be colour discrepancies – both between different production batches and also within a single batch. This is particularly true for coloured surfaces because processes like smoking, staining or the application of coloured pigments can lead to different tones depending on the wood structure.
Incoming sun, particularly UV rays, lead to a natural change in the tone of the wood colour over time. Depending on the type of wood and treatment of this wood your parquet flooring may become darker or lighter. In strong light, for example through floor-to-ceiling windows, the effect may also be partial. Remember that if you remove your carpets or furniture after some time it is possible that your parquet flooring will have changed colour in the areas that were not covered.
