Guides · 6 min read
Engineered or solid parquet: which to choose?
Both are real oak, but they are not installed, do not age and are not renovated the same way. Here is how to choose.
The difference in a few words
Solid parquet is cut from a single piece of oak through its full thickness (15 mm for our Vienna 90 range). Engineered (multilayer) parquet has a noble European oak layer bonded to a stable HDF or poplar core and a backing layer.
The comparison
| Engineered parquet | Solid parquet | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 2 to 4 mm oak layer (veneer for the Arles range) on a stable core | Solid oak through the full thickness |
| Thickness | 8.5 to 15 mm | 15 mm |
| Installation | Floating click, or tongue and groove | Tongue and groove, fully glued |
| Stability | Very stable: moves little with humidity | More sensitive to changes in humidity |
| Renovation | Sanding limited by the thickness of the oak layer | Can be sanded and renovated several times |
| Underfloor heating | Suitable, max. 28 °C surface, preferably glued | Suitable for low-temperature systems, glued, on a dry screed |
| Acclimatisation | One week in the room | 48 hours in the room |
| Warranty (residential) | 20 years | 30 years |
Oiled or lacquered?
- Oiled: a very natural look that brings out the grain, and local repairs are possible. It needs regular oiling.
- Lacquered: tougher protection against stains and easier day-to-day care.
Our maintenance guides cover both finishes.
Which parquet for which situation?
- You are installing it yourself, quickly: a click engineered parquet, floating.
- You want a floor for decades: solid parquet, which can be renovated several times.
- You have underfloor heating: glued engineered parquet is the safest choice.
- It is for a bathroom or kitchen: neither. Damp rooms are not recommended for parquet; choose water-resistant click vinyl.
Before installation
Wood reacts to humidity. Let the closed packs acclimatise in the room at 18–21 °C and 45–65% relative humidity, and make sure the subfloor is dry: with underfloor heating, screed moisture must be below 2%. Every step is in our installation guides.
