Parquet flooring has been popular for homeowner in Singapore. Most HDB, condominiums and landed properties comes with parquet flooring in recent year. It is easy to maintain in such a tropical climate like Singapore. They are in geometric design, and it is made up of pieces of wood. There are several types of parquet floorings available such as laminate, solid, mosaic and more. Parquet flooring give a lavish look to the room and less prone to attracting dust than other flooring types but need diligent care to stay shiny and beautiful for long time. There are also issues that may occur in HDB or even maisonette as mentioned in our previous article on HDB maisonette leakage.
Parquet can lay onto a screed or concrete floor; however, the sub-floor moisture-content should be checked. The screed must be properly dry or there will not be good adhesion. Parquet flooring is extremely sensitive to moisture, and it will bulge out when exposed to water or humidity. Parquet flooring is not meant to be waterproof, it I also recommended to prevent stagnant pools of water and water seepage. Therefore, it is not recommended against getting parquet flooring installed near the bathroom. There are some parquets with high density fibreboard tends to be more water resistance to water exposure but not waterproof. This will result in parquet floor leakage in short if it’s not well taken care with the addition of mold and termite growth due to the humidity and moisture of the bathroom, it will swell up after absorbing too much moisture.
Unprotected wood flooring such as parquet usually prone to mildew, rotting and staining since they are not naturally waterproof. Wood floor will only make it waterproof to some extent, but waterproof wood flooring is not possible.
To prolong the parquet/wood flooring life span, make sure there is waterproofing. Waterproofing membrane coating will be essential to apply on the flooring before laying of any parquet/wood flooring, especially if there is bathroom or balcony nearby, as water/rainwater will seep through the kerb or edge and joint of the area to result in damage to the parquet flooring. Bathroom entrance is one of the most key areas to avoid excessive moisture. Such as wet feet after every bath, the excess water we step on the flooring will soak into the parquet flooring and cause it to rot over time.
There are few choices when it comes to waterproofing your parquet flooring. You can either choose a water-based lacquer, oil-based sealer, or polyurethane sealant. This will help prevent what we call a parquet floor leakage.
Water-based sealant will need to give at least three coats of lacquer, allowing it to dry properly between coats. The flooring must be perfectly clean before applying the next coat, else it will end up with bubbles in the lacquer and a poor finish. This will give you a capable of withstanding wet footprints and spills without damage, or even a regular damp mop. Additional layers of lacquer are advisable to coat over the flooring top when needed.
Waterproofing polyurethane sealant will give you as much as the above water-based sealant benefits, in addition it is the most water-resistant sealant that can applied to existing wood flooring. If you would rather have a natural and unfinished appearance for your wood flooring, oil-based sealant or a penetrating oil can also use to make wood floors water-resistant. These materials can apply using a brush, floor finish applicator or a roller. Ensure every layer of coating is dry thoroughly before moving on to the next.
Contact us, SWC Construction, when you encounter water seepage, wet flooring, barging parquet, from your bathroom entrance to the bedroom parquet flooring, we have best solution to resolve your seepage.