With the planning and preparation covered in part one out of the way, it's time to actually fit the floor. This part covers choosing your block type, laying out the pattern, gluing everything down, and the sanding and sealing that finish the job.
Choosing your block type
Parquet blocks generally come in three forms, and it's worth understanding the trade-offs before you buy.
| Type | What it involves | Sanding needed |
|---|---|---|
| Unfinished | Bare wood, finished after fitting | Minimal, mainly for a smooth, even surface before sealing |
| Prefinished | Factory-finished before delivery | None, arrives ready to fit |
| Reclaimed | Salvaged, characterful timber | Usually significant, to remove old finish and blemishes |
If you're working with reclaimed blocks specifically, they need proper preparation first. Clean and, where necessary, scrape them, but you don't need to remove every trace of old adhesive, just anything loose or built up thickly. Fit these blocks in a generous bed of fresh adhesive, since the old residue means you need enough new glue underneath to give the joint real depth and hold.
Whichever type you're using, clean all the tongue and groove edges thoroughly before fitting. Minor surface scratches picked up during handling aren't worth worrying about at this stage, since they sand out easily once the floor's down.
Laying out the pattern
Start by marking a centre point to work from, sometimes called a "dragon line", which becomes your guide for the whole layout. From there:
- Dry-lay the blocks first, working outward in the pattern you've chosen, without any glue yet
- Check that the pattern reads evenly across the whole floor before committing to anything permanently
- Once you're satisfied with the dry layout, begin gluing the blocks into place following the same sequence
Leave a 15mm expansion gap around the entire perimeter of the room as you go. This gap gets covered by skirting or moulding once the floor is finished, so it won't be visible in the final result, but skipping it risks the floor having nowhere to move as it naturally expands and contracts with the seasons.
Fixing the blocks
Gluing the blocks directly to a solid, prepared subfloor gives the sturdiest, most reliable construction, and it's the standard method for parquet specifically, given how much precision the pattern demands compared with simpler flooring layouts.
Sanding and filling
This step needs real care, more than sanding a straight-laid floor does. Parquet blocks can't simply be sanded in one straight or diagonal direction the way solid or engineered plank flooring can, because the pattern itself has grain running in several different directions across the same surface. Sanding against a block's grain risks faster wear and a visibly uneven finish, so this is genuinely a job that benefits from experience rather than guesswork. Our guide to durable wood floors with patterns covers why multi-directional grain makes patterned floors more demanding to refinish in more detail.
For the sanding itself:
- An orbital finishing sander handles the main body of the room
- An edge sander covers the detail work along walls and borders that the orbital sander can't reach
- Unfinished blocks generally need only light sanding for a smooth, even surface
- Prefinished blocks need no sanding at all, since the finish is already complete
- Reclaimed blocks are the most likely to need significant sanding, given their history and existing wear
Deeper blemishes and scratches can be filled with wood filler before the finish goes on, rather than sanded out entirely, particularly on reclaimed material where some character marks are part of the appeal anyway.
Sealing
The final step is applying a finish that protects the wood and brings out its durability long-term. A water-based lacquer or a hard wax oil are generally the best-suited finishes for parquet specifically, both giving genuine protection while working well with the pattern's varied grain directions. Our guide to oiled or lacquered floor finishes covers how oil and lacquer compare if you're deciding between the two.
That completes the installation. If reading through both parts of this guide has made the scale of the job clearer, that's a genuinely useful outcome even if you decide to hand it over to a professional. Our parquet floor fitting team handles the full process, from planning through to sealing, across London. Get in touch for a free quote whenever you're ready.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't parquet be sanded the same way as a straight-laid wood floor? Because the pattern arranges blocks with grain running in multiple directions across the same floor, a single straight sanding pass that suits one block's grain works against another's. This is exactly why parquet sanding takes more skill and care than sanding a plank floor.
Is a hard wax oil the same thing as the wax covered in other flooring guides? Not quite. Hard wax oil is a hybrid product combining oil's penetrating protection with wax's finish, generally more durable than a traditional pure wax finish. It's worth checking the specific product's properties rather than assuming all "wax" finishes behave the same way.
How much wood filler is too much on a reclaimed parquet floor? It's a judgement call, since some texture and character marks are part of what makes reclaimed wood appealing in the first place. Filling should generally focus on deeper gouges or holes that would trap dirt or catch underfoot, rather than every minor surface mark.
Can I skip sealing if I like the raw wood look? It's not recommended, since an unsealed floor has no protection against moisture, staining or everyday wear, and will deteriorate considerably faster than a properly finished one. A very low-sheen, natural-looking oil is the closer option to a "raw" look while still genuinely protecting the wood.
Is the 15mm expansion gap the same for every room size? It's a common standard figure, but larger rooms or floors expected to see bigger humidity swings sometimes need a wider gap, so it's worth checking your specific product's manufacturer guidance rather than assuming 15mm covers every situation.
