How to Lay Parkay Flooring

Parquet patterns look complicated, but laying the tiles is not difficult.

Sometimes called woodblock flooring, parquet tiles offer homeowners a wide selection of materials and designs. Installation does not require nails, as the flooring "floats" atop a bed of adhesive. Parquet tiles are installed over clean, flat subfloors, dry concrete or over most other types of existing flooring products except carpet.

Things You'll Need

• Parquet tiles
• Adhesive specifically formulated for parquet flooring
• Notched trowel
• Tape measure
• Chalk line
• Rubber mallet
• Hammer and nails
• Two scrap 1-by-2-inch boards, each as long as two tiles
• Small pry bar
• Backsaw
• Table saw
• Framing square

Instructions

1. Remove base moldings with a small pry bar. Trim vertical molding and door stops with a backsaw if necessary to accommodate the height of parquet tiles.

2. Clean old paint, wax, adhesive, dirt and debris from subfloor or existing flooring. Make certain no nail or screw heads are protruding. The subflooring does not have to be perfectly flat, but it does need to be clear of any materials that could ruin how the adhesive bonds to it.

3. Measure several points 1/2 inch away from each wall using a tape measure. Snap a chalk line at the 1/2 inch marks all along the perimeter of the room. Tile is installed up to this line to allow for expansion. The base molding when re-installed will cover the gap.

4. Compare tiles from different boxes as variations in color and finish are noticeable over large sections of a room. Dry fit a few tiles to get a sense of the parquet pattern direction.

5. Mark the center of two opposing walls and snap a chalk line between these points. Follow the same procedure for the other two walls. The room should then be divided into four quadrants with the exact center of the room represented by where the two chalk lines intersect.

6. Measure each quadrant's corner that intersects the center point with the framing square to make sure you have 90-degree angles. Nail two scrap 1-by-2-inch boards along the two snapped chalk lines that section one of the quadrants. Position the boards so their edges follow the chalk lines, providing a stable and square block against which to snug the first tiles. The boards should meet at the center point of the room. Dryfit enough tiles to determine the look of the room to to make sure you won't be left with slivers or irregular angles at the wall border.Partial tiles should be at least half-size or larger. If you don't like the layout, shift the center or plan so that irregular or small pieces of tile will end up where furniture goes or in corners that are not prominent.

7. Spread adhesive onto a small section of the subfloor using a notched trowel and follow the adhesive manufacturer's instructions. Use an adhesive specially made for parquet flooring, as general adhesives will not work. Notched trowels are usually 3/32 inch and the spread rate is about 50 to 60 square feet of flooring per gallon of adhesive, but this can vary slightly by manufacturer. Adhesive dries rapidly. Only apply to a section you can work before the glue begins to dry out.

8. Place the first tile into the adhesive and move it back and forth about 1/2 inch to get a good adhesion, then snug it up against the two scrap boards. Place the tongue of the next tile into the groove of the adjoining tile in the same manner. Work from the center of the room toward the walls until one quadrant is finished.

9. Tap the tiles lightly to set them by using a rubber mallet once five or six tiles are in place.

10. Continue spreading adhesive and laying tiles until the first quadrant is complete. Partial tiles may be needed along the walls and these can be cut down to size with a table saw.

11. Remove the two scrap boards and continue laying tile for the remaining three quadrants.

12. Wait at least 36 hours before sanding or sealing the floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Some parquet flooring tile manufacturers suggest placing cork into the 1/2 inch expansion gap along each wall. Cork acts as a sort of shock absorber during expansion cycles.

References

• Better Homes & Gardens: Installing a Parquet Floor
• Creative Homeowner: Laying Parquet Floor Tiles