Protecting parquet: innovative products and simple application
Entrance mats, felt pads and floor protectors are essential when it comes to protect the parquet from scratches and wear. However, wood must also be protected from water, UV rays and oily substances, which can ruin the parquet and encourage the formation of mold and bacteria.
It is therefore essential to provide a parquet protection treatment based on oils, paints or impregnating that can shield it from water and stains of various kinds, protecting it at the same time from scratches and the action of direct light, which over time can discolour the essences.
The good news is that in many cases this operation can also be carried out on parquet that has been laid for some time… and it can be very easy. simpler than you might think.
Parquet Protection: Where to Start
La wood protection Always start with prevention: the use of doormats and rugs that protect the floor from scratches and dirt, as well as curtains that shield it from direct light, are essential measures for a parquet that can last over the years.
However, in order for it to maintain its original appearance, parquet must also be protected from external agents that can cause stains or damage even worse: water, oily substances and acidic (or alkaline) substances.
Besides avoid using aggressive products like alcohol, bleach or bicarbonate, it is essential to wash the parquet using little water and soft, non-abrasive, cotton or microfibre cloths.
Careful maintenance, however, is not enough to protect the parquet from stains and other inconveniences, and certainly does not protect the floor from the natural process of wood aging, which over time can appear dry and discolored.
In this sense, effective parquet protection requires the application of specific treatments.
Protecting parquet: which product to choose?
There are various solutions for wood protection: the best known are certainly impregnants and natural oils, but there are also water-based paints ed waxy resin emulsions specially designed for the treatment of parquet.
The first element to guide the choice is the floor finishing, which can be oiled, varnished or more rarely waxed. The finish in fact determines not only the aesthetic and functional characteristics of the parquet, but also its maintenance.
While the water-based paint creates a sort of protective film on the surface, leaving us with a floor that is soft to the touch and very easy to clean,oil It works by penetrating deep into the wood fibres, giving it a natural water repellency that must be renewed with annual treatments.
Over the years, these traditional treatments have been joined by more innovative approaches, which exploit nanotechnologies and the properties of wax-resin polymers and emulsions. Natural Parquet by New Chemical, for example, is a newly developed product based on fluorinated resins and specific oils, including Tung oil, safflower oil and linseed oil.
Suitable for the protection of various types of wood, it is completely colorless and allows the natural colors of the wood to remain unaltered without creating visible films. A suitable choice for those who want a protected and easy-to-clean floor with a warm and natural appearance.
New generation water-based paints: protection and elegance
The choice of finish, in fact, also depends a lot on theaesthetic effect what you want to achieve: traditionally, oiled parquet floors are more natural and pleasant to the touch, as the treatment penetrates deeply and directly exposes the natural surface of the wood.
Paints, on the other hand, have always been considered a very practical option but not always able to restore thewarm and comfortable look of wood.
The old solvent-based paints, which in addition to emitting toxic substances left a sort of vitrified film on the surface of the wood, have been replaced by water-based paints that give the wood greater elasticity and a more natural appearance.
New generation water-based paints such as Natur-10 by New Chemical They give the parquet the protection guaranteed by varnishes without sacrificing the authenticity of the essences and their softness to the touch.
Paints of this type are the ideal choice for those who want an elegant finish with a light satin effect and a parquet that is pleasant to the touch, but also requires a very resistant and easy to clean floor.
To keep the parquet protected for a long time, it will be sufficient to plan annual maintenance with a self-polishing protector such as Gold Perlage, glossy or satin.
How to protect oiled parquet (even if old)
La oil finish It remains one of the most popular for interior parquet: natural and sustainable, this solution allows you to enjoy all the natural characteristics of the wood, which is left free to breathe and in direct contact with what happens above its surface.
Impregnation with natural oils ensures a strong water-repellent and stain-resistant protection and enhances the natural appearance of the wood to the maximum. In this case too, the choice of product depends on the aesthetic effect you want for your floors: there are matt or semi-gloss oils, transparent or capable of giving particular shades to the essences.
Products like Moon oil by New Chemical, for example, combine the water-repellent properties of impregnating oils and the aesthetic possibilities finishing treatments: it is in fact possible to choose different colours, ranging from classic wood essences to more particular shades.
The ideal solution for old and faded parquet for floors that need a new character or for those that want to restore their original charm.
One of the main advantages of oil finishing, in fact, is precisely the possibility of renew the treatment periodically: while on the one hand it means more maintenance, this feature also allows you to successfully “recover” even parquet that has been laid for some time.
Wood protection: application of products
The first application of wood protectors generally occurs just after installation, when the parquet has just been brushed and sanded.
The most obvious and reasonable choice, in this case, is to delegate the finishing treatment to the professionals who laid the floor. This is especially true when choosing a paint finish, as the application requires special attention.
Some paints, however, are specifically designed to be easy application: Natur-10, for example, is self-levelling and dries very quickly. It is sufficient to wait about two hours between one coat and the next, and simply spread the product along the grain of the wood to obtain professional results.
When it comes to oiling, the professional's eye will be especially useful in judging the reaction of the wood, which after the first coat could raise the hair and require one or more passes with abrasive pad.
Even in this case, however, the application can be particularly easy: for the treatment with Olio di Luna, for example, just spread the first hand with a brush or roller, wait 4 hours, smooth the wood with 320-400 sandpaper and move on to the next coats.
