Parquet flooring in Dubai
Parquet is wood laid as a pattern rather than as plain boards. The pattern does a lot of the design work in a room, so it is planned with the layout, not after it.
Free site visit · Pattern set out in 3D · One project manager
What parquet is
Parquet is a floor made of short pieces of wood, usually called blocks or staves, arranged in a repeating geometric pattern. The word comes from French and has been used for patterned wood floors for centuries. Traditionally the blocks were solid hardwood, glued or pitched to the base and then sanded flat and finished in place. Today parquet is also made as engineered blocks, with a real wood top layer on a stable core, and as pre-assembled panels. In Dubai, parquet is chosen for living rooms, majlis spaces, bedrooms and corridors where a plain plank floor would feel too simple. The same patterns are also printed on laminate, vinyl and tile, but in the strict sense parquet means wood.
Common parquet patterns
Herringbone
Rectangular blocks set at right angles so that the end of one meets the side of the next, forming a zigzag. See herringbone flooring.
Chevron
Blocks cut at an angle at the ends so they meet in a clean point, giving a sharper, arrow-like line than herringbone.
Basket weave
Small groups of blocks laid side by side, alternating direction like a woven pattern. Calm and traditional.
Brick or ladder
Blocks laid straight and offset like brickwork. The simplest parquet look and the closest to a plank floor.
Panels
Pre-made square panels with an inner pattern, such as the classic Versailles style, laid like large tiles.
Borders
A frame of blocks around the edge of a room, separating a patterned centre from the walls.
Decisions to make in design
A pattern exposes every decision about the room, so these points are settled before blocks are ordered.
- DirectionWhich way the pattern runs changes how long or wide a room feels. It usually follows the main line of sight from the entrance.
- Centre lineThe pattern is set out from a centre line so that cuts at opposite walls are even. Off-centre parquet is noticeable.
- Continuity between roomsRunning one pattern through connected rooms, or framing each room with a border, is a design choice that affects doorways.
- Block sizeSmaller blocks read as busier and more traditional; longer, wider blocks look calmer in a large room.
- Finish and colourNatural, oiled, lacquered, light or dark. Strong sun in Dubai changes the colour of most woods over time.
Laying parquet properly
A flat, dry base and a careful set-out
Parquet is normally glued fully to a cement screed or a suitable subfloor. Because every block is bonded, the base has to be flat, sound and dry; moisture rising from a new screed or a ground-floor slab is a common cause of blocks lifting. Wood is also left in the room to acclimatise before laying.
Solid blocks are often sanded flat and finished after laying, which gives a seamless surface. Engineered and pre-finished blocks are laid ready to use. An expansion gap is left at the walls and hidden by skirting. For the wider choice between solid and engineered timber, see wooden flooring.
How we deliver parquet
Project Study
A free site visit to measure the rooms, test the base, and note doorways, fixed joinery and the main views into each space.
Plan
We agree pattern, block size, direction, centre lines and borders, and apply for any approvals your building or community requires.
Visualization
The pattern is drawn in 3D in your rooms so you can see the direction and the borders before anything is cut.
Execution
Our in-house team prepares the screed, sets out and lays the blocks, and finishes the floor, with one project manager as your contact.
What changes the cost
- Pattern complexityChevron, panels and borders take more time and more cutting waste than brick or herringbone.
- Solid or engineered blocks
- Wood species and grade
- Sanding and finishing on site
- Screed preparation and levelling
- Number of rooms, doorways and thresholds
Questions and answers
Is parquet the same as herringbone?
Is parquet suitable for Dubai's humidity?
Can parquet be sanded and refinished?
Can parquet be laid over existing tiles?
Is there a parquet look in vinyl or laminate?
How do I care for a parquet floor?
How long does it take?
Guides and ideas
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