Parquet is the geometric wood flooring in a great many of metro Detroit’s post-war houses — most often twelve-inch tiles built up from short oak slats, glued down in a basket weave or mosaic pattern. Older and grander homes sometimes have larger block patterns or Versailles panels. Most of it was laid decades ago, and most of it is still worth saving. If yours has gone dull, gray or scuffed, that is almost always the finish giving up rather than the wood.
We have been refinishing floors across Southeast Michigan since 2010, and parquet is a regular part of the work. It is not the same job as sanding a strip floor, and treating it like one is how parquet gets ruined.
Can parquet floors be refinished?
Usually, yes — but parquet has less margin for error than strip flooring, and that is the honest starting point.
A solid strip floor is typically 3/4 inch thick and can be sanded six times or more over its life. Solid parquet tiles are commonly nearer 5/16 inch. There is simply less wood above the tongue or the glue line, which means fewer sandings available — often one or two rather than six.
That is not a reason to panic. Plenty of parquet has never been sanded at all, in which case there is a full wear layer waiting. It does mean the thickness needs checking before anyone starts, and that is the first thing our estimator does. We look at the tile thickness at a threshold or a vent, check how much has already been taken off, and tell you plainly what is left.
Why parquet sands differently
On a strip floor you sand with the grain. On parquet there is no single grain to follow — that is the entire point of the pattern. Each block sits at ninety degrees to its neighbor, so any pass you make is running with the grain on half the floor and across it on the other half.
Done wrong, that tears the cross-grain blocks and leaves a scratch pattern the finish will highlight rather than hide. The work has to be taken diagonally, in more than one direction, stepping through the grits carefully and finishing far finer than a strip floor needs. It is slower, and it is the difference between parquet that looks restored and parquet that looks chewed.
Our machines capture the great majority of the sanding dust and we seal off the rooms we are working in. We are working hard to keep your home clean while we do it.
Common parquet problems we repair
- Loose or lifting tiles. Most parquet is glued down, and old adhesive eventually lets go — often near radiators, patio doors or anywhere the floor has taken heat or damp. Individual tiles can usually be lifted, cleaned and re-bedded.
- Missing or broken blocks. Gaps in the pattern can normally be filled with salvaged or matched blocks. Getting the grain direction right matters as much as the species.
- Water damage. Parquet cups and lifts faster than strip flooring because each block moves independently. Caught early, the damaged section can often be replaced rather than the whole floor.
- Old adhesive and bitumen. Plenty of Detroit-area parquet was laid in black mastic. It affects how the floor is prepared and how a stain takes, and it is worth knowing about before you choose a color.
If the problem is structural rather than cosmetic, that falls under hardwood floor repair — often we do both on the same visit.
Parquet, herringbone and chevron are not the same thing
People use “parquet” loosely, and the difference changes both the price and the method. True parquet is a tile — small slats assembled into a square, usually glued straight down. Herringbone and chevron are normally laid from full-length boards: herringbone blocks are cut square at the ends and staggered into a broken zigzag, chevron boards are mitred so the points meet in a clean V. Basket weave sits with the tiles, alternating the direction of each group.
It matters because a herringbone floor in strip boards usually has a full 3/4 inch of wood to work with, while a glued parquet tile may have a quarter of that. If you are not sure which you have, look at a doorway: tiles show a grid of seams, board-laid patterns do not.
Changing the color
Parquet takes stain differently across the pattern — end grain drinks more than face grain, so the blocks running one way can finish slightly darker than the blocks running the other. On some floors that depth is exactly what people want; on others it is not. We always put samples down on your own floor before committing, so you are choosing from the real thing rather than a card.
You can browse the range on our floor stain colors page, then see them in person during the estimate.
When parquet cannot be saved
Sometimes replacement genuinely is the right answer. Tiles sanded past their wear layer, widespread adhesive failure, or a subfloor that has moved will all argue for starting again. If that is what we find, we will say so rather than sand a floor that has nothing left to give.
Far more often the floor is fine and the finish is not. Before anyone tears out original parquet, it is worth having someone look at what is actually under the wear.
Common questions
How many times can parquet be refinished?
Fewer times than strip flooring — often once or twice, because the wear layer is thinner. If it has never been sanded, you likely have the full thickness available. We measure before we quote.
Can you refinish parquet glued to concrete?
Yes. Parquet over a slab is common in basements and mid-century builds. The approach is the same, though we pay closer attention to moisture in the slab before finishing.
Can you match blocks from a floor that is no longer made?
Usually. Parquet was made in a limited set of species and sizes, and salvaged material is often the best match. Where the pattern is unusual, we will show you the options before proceeding.
Is refinishing parquet more expensive than a strip floor?
It takes longer per square foot because of the multi-directional sanding and the finer grit sequence. The estimate is free and it will be specific to your floor rather than a rate card.
Do you guarantee the work?
Refinishing carries our 5-year finish guarantee.
Free in-home estimate
Our estimators come to you, look at the actual floor, measure what wear layer is left and talk you through what is realistic. There is no charge and no pressure. We serve Livonia and the surrounding metro Detroit communities — see hardwood floor refinishing in Livonia, or read more about our full hardwood floor refinishing service.
Functional Floors · 16911 Middlebelt Rd, Livonia, MI 48154 · 400+ reviews at 4.8 stars.
