Why Consider Reclaimed Parquet?
Reclaimed parquet blocks have a quality that new materials rarely match. Salvaged from factories, schools, and homes built in the mid-twentieth century, original parquet blocks were made from well-seasoned timber that has already done most of its moving and settling. When properly cleaned, sanded, and refinished, a reclaimed parquet floor can look exceptional and will continue to perform for decades.
The appeal is partly aesthetic and partly environmental. Using reclaimed timber avoids the waste of discarding materials that still have significant life in them, and the carbon already embedded in those blocks is not newly released by felling and processing fresh timber.
Where to Source Reclaimed Parquet in the UK
Good quality reclaimed parquet blocks are available from architectural salvage yards across the UK, specialist reclaimed flooring suppliers, and occasionally from auction or online marketplaces. Quality varies considerably.
When buying reclaimed parquet, look for:
- Blocks of consistent thickness, ideally 18mm to 22mm to allow for sanding after fitting
- Timber that is not excessively worn: blocks worn to 14mm or less have limited sanding life
- Blocks from the same source batch for colour and species consistency
- No significant cracking, woodworm damage, or rot
- Clean backs free from heavy adhesive build-up, or adhesive that can be removed without damaging the block
Calculating quantities for reclaimed parquet is the same as for new: measure the floor area in square metres and add 10 to 15 percent for waste. If blocks are of mixed sizes or quality, buy more to allow for selection and rejection during fitting.
Preparing Reclaimed Blocks for Fitting
Most reclaimed parquet blocks arrive with old bitumen adhesive on the backs. This needs to be removed before fitting, either mechanically or with a suitable solvent. The front face of the blocks will also have old finish, dirt, and wear marks, all of which will be removed during sanding after fitting.
Check each block individually during preparation. Reject any that are badly cracked, have deep splits along the grain, or show signs of active woodworm. Plugging or treating a single affected block is straightforward; discovering an infestation after the floor is laid is a much larger problem.
Fitting Reclaimed Parquet
The fitting process for reclaimed parquet follows the same basic steps as for new blocks: establish a datum line, lay from the centre outward using flexible adhesive, cut to fit at the edges. The additional complication with reclaimed material is that the blocks may not be perfectly uniform in thickness, which can create small variations in surface height across the floor.
A skilled fitter will manage this by selecting and grouping blocks of similar thickness and using adhesive bed depth to compensate for minor differences. After the adhesive has cured, the sanding process will level the surface across the entire floor.
Sanding and Finishing Reclaimed Parquet
Sanding reclaimed parquet follows the same multi-pass process as sanding any parquet floor. A coarse grit removes the top layer including old finish and adhesive smears, while progressively finer grits bring the surface to a smooth, even finish. The final result reveals the original timber in full: the colour, grain, and natural variation that make old-growth parquet so distinctive.
Finish options include hard wax oil, water-based lacquer, and traditional wax. For reclaimed blocks with strong colour variation, a lightly pigmented oil can even out the tones while still allowing the grain to show through. Heavily pigmented or opaque finishes defeat the purpose of using reclaimed timber.
Cost of a Reclaimed Parquet Floor
Sourcing, fitting, and finishing a reclaimed parquet floor typically costs between £50 and £90 per square metre all in, depending on the quality of the blocks, the complexity of the pattern, and the finish chosen. This is comparable to fitting new engineered parquet at the mid to upper end of the market, but with a material that has genuine history and a character that new flooring cannot replicate.
