Oiled or varnished parquet?

Choosing the surface treatment considering aesthetic appearance, ecological sustainability, user healt and ease of maintenance

08.03.2019

How do we choose the most suitable parquet for our homes and offices, or those of our clients?

In most cases, the choice is based on the aesthetic qualities of the parquet and the desired end-result. Criteria are:

• the essence, the type of wood
• the desired chromatic effect, or colour-scheme you wish to achieve
• the size of the planks, which can have a major impact on the final result
• parquet installation pattern: industrial, running, herringbone, orthogonal

Each of the above will produce a noticeably different effect, even when using the same essence.

However, new market trends are emerging, which are influencing a growing segment of the market.

Environmental sustainability and the potential effects that production treatments have on our health, are also increasingly important factors for consumers.

 

The difference between oiled and varnished parquet: which is best? 

Customers enquire as to the origins of their parquet, how the forests from which it is sourced are being managed and the number and type of treatments to which the parquet is subjected during the production process.
Choosing an oiled or varnished finish is thus relevant and requires consideration, regardless of the anticipated aesthetic effect or current trends.

Let’s just say that oil treatment differs fundamentally from varnishing.

Oiled parquet 

Impregnating the wood fibre, the oil fills the pores without sealing them. It penetrates beneath the surface, lubricating the wood while preserving moisture and elasticity.
An oil finish looks more natural, with an opaque effect, without altering the essential qualities of the essence.

Varnished parquet

Varnish seals the pores of the wood, creating a transparent veneer that crystallizes just beneath the surface.

A varnished parquet looks shinier, that many continue to find highly pleasing.

The effects of oil and varnish on parquet

The main difference between oiled and varnished parquets lies in the different maintenance requirements.

Exposed to the elements, oiled parquet breathes and therefore tends to dry out.

It requires more frequent maintenance, using special detergents and oil refresher. This process needs to be repeated quite often, to ensure that the wood remains sufficiently nourished.

Il pavimento verniciato non ha questi problemi perché, come detto, è cristallizzato al di sotto della lamina di vernice che lo ricopre.

By contrast, varnished flooring requires much less maintenance. As mentioned, the wood just beneath the surface layer of varnish has already crystallized.

Scratches or small dents on the oiled parquet can be "neutralised" using small amounts of oil, while similar damage to varnished surfaces leaves an indelible mark.

Oiled parquet has the advantage of being able to be regenerated or even transformed, without involving complicated or cumbersome procedures. Removing the existing oil from the parquet surface is relatively straightforward, generating no dust.

Depending on the type of oil selected, the renovated parquet can seem new.

Re-varnishing a parquet is, instead, a more complex and invasive task. The varnish can be removed by machine together with a thin top layer of wood, which generates dust in the process.

Which oils and varnishes to choose?

The differing properties of the oils and varnishes of our parquet also affect the liveability of the environment that we inhabit and the quality of the air in our interiors.

The best oils used to treat parquet surfaces are exclusively vegetable-based. These include flax, hemp, rapeseed and natural oil blends. The treatments are ecological, environmentally-sustainable and present no health-risks for the occupants.

Great progress has also been made with regard to the advances in more ecologically-sustainable varnishes that also do not negatively impact on our health.

The latest generation of water-based products helps to ensure more chemically-neutral environments, with a significant reduction in undesirable VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Oiled or varnished parquet? 

The following need to be taken into consideration: 

• for which purposes the spaces are to be used
• the likely number of occupants
• disponibilità e risorse per la manutenzione

The above represent some of the main considerations upon which to base such a decision.

Needless to say, one’s subjective point of view with regard to environmental issues will also come into play, forming part of a common culture of sustainability in everyday consumer choices.

 

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