Parquet De Versailles Floors - Full analysis

A non-engineered solid-Versailles panel holds a sentimental attraction for all of us: it is, after all, the original way the panels were made. However, if you want exceptional parquet de Versailles with the most up-to-date technology and performance characteristics, engineered Versailles panels are by far the more informed choice.

The changing seasons, combined with modern heating and air-conditioning systems, subject our interior environments to extreme changes in temperature and humidity. Non-engineered (solid wood) Parquet de Versailles floors react badly to such variations, gapping, cupping and warping: such ill effects are usually visible within one or two years of installation. To avoid such problems, Versailles panels must be uncompromisingly engineered. To do this correctly, an intimate understanding of wood and its properties is essential.

Wood And Its Properties

Everyone knows that wood is derived from living trees. What people often fail to consider, however, is that wood is also substantially composed of water. This has some important consequences: principally, that it will expand and contract when subjected to environmental changes in temperature and humidity. Unequal stresses within sawn timber will cause otherwise flat wooden panels to expand, contract and exhibit curved distortion.

The degree to which Versailles panels move once they have been installed is entirely determined by the type and construction of the panels. Only correctly engineered parquet de Versailles panels can offer complete stability. As with any product, the premium brands perform better, last longer and offer the most valuable guarantees. Never has an Element7 customer had to call on our 25-year guarantee.

Non-Engineered Solid Parquet De Versailles

Naturally enough, many people are attracted by the idea of having a non-engineered solid wood parquet de Versailles floor. The difficulties consequent upon such a choice are myriad, however with the main problem being stability. Non-engineered solid Versailles panels will inevitably continue to expand and contract after installation. Decreases in humidity in the exposed surface can cause the panel to cup (concave curving) as the surface layer dries out. Gaps will appear between the panels and panel components as each whole panel dries and shrinks. Sanding can help to rectify cupping, but itself gives rise to crowning (convex curving) as equilibrium is restored. Increases in moisture content may generate excessive compressive forces around the floor’s perimeter, perhaps even causing the floor to lift in the most stressed areas. There is no doubt that the dimensional stability of a premium-engineered panel provides a far superior solution for a Parquet de Versailles floor.

Engineered Parquet De Versailles

Engineered wood now accounts for more than 70 per cent of the European wood-flooring market, dominating commissions at the high end – a sound testimony to its superior qualities. The reason for this is simple: engineered wood is far more stable. The construction of a properly engineered Versailles panel serves to counteract the forces that make wood expand and contract across the direction of the grain. A well-engineered Versailles panel backing board should consist of a sandwich-like construction of three layers. All layers should be softwood (not plywood), and the grain of the middle layer should run at right angles to the two outer layers. Softwood can withstand considerable bending and distortional forces along its grain and resist any dimensional tendency of the outer layers to change as a result of fluctuations in temperature or humidity. The dimensional stability of correctly engineered Versailles panels can allow them, for example, to be confidently installed over underfloor-heating systems.

Element7’s premium-engineered Versailles panels are more expensive than either non-engineered solid wood Versailles panels or lower-quality engineered variants. There is a good reason for this: aesthetic superiority aside, they are technically superior and therefore far more stable. There are obvious indicators to help you recognise inferior-quality Versailles panels: e.g., unbalanced ply-backed veneers, solid veneers backed onto a net, backing boards of two- rather than three-layer construction; variations in the density of the backing board’s core material; poorly bonded layers; inadequate quality control in the precision-machining. Such faults inevitably compromise the performance of engineered parquet de Versailles with respect to its most important attribute: stability.

The Ultimate Premium-Engineered Versailles Panels

Element7 is renowned throughout the world for the uncompromising engineering standards of its wood flooring products. Part of the secret of Element7’s superior engineering is our refusal to cut corners at any stage in the manufacturing process. Attention to detail is crucial. For instance, it is essential that the softwood panel cores are formed from blocks with alternating and opposing grains. This is a painstaking process, but it is essential to guarantee resistance to any possible warping effects. The two outer layers are no less important. The top layer of veneers must be counterbalanced along with the glue line on the bottom layer. Using the same adhesive that bonds the veneers to the top of the backing board, a balancing craft veneer is bonded to the bottom of the engineered backing board. The wood-engineering technique used in the construction of an Element7 Versailles panel is internationally recognised as the industry benchmark for stability. With Element7, your investment is guaranteed to deliver the grandeur of a parquet de Versailles floor with none of the attendant problems.