Traditional wood floors are made up of wood strips or planks, but you can also choose parquet or cork tiles to give your wood flooring an alternate appearance.

Parquet is a hardwood tile made up of narrow strips that are glued together to form a pattern. The most common pattern for parquet is a series of squares made of strips that change direction from square to square. Parquet brings variety and pattern to home flooring, and beauty from the spread of different wood tones across each individual tiles.

Cork is an engineered hardwood product with a top layer made from the bark of a cork oak tree. Cork flooring has grown in popularity in recent years because of its comfortable and modern look, hypoallergenic qualities and environmental sustainability. Approximately 50% of the volume material of cork is air, acting as a cushion underfoot and a natural sound-absorber – urethane-sealed cork flooring increasing durability. Cork is also moisture-resistant and retains warmth well, making it suitable for basement applications. This hardwood product has been used for over a thousand years as it is very economical and is retrieved only from mature trees and can only be harvested every 9 years. Cork can be colored in any shade because it easily absorbs stains. Available in various styles, sizes and colors, its natural patterns and designs enhance any décor.

A Snapshot on Hardwood Finishes
Generally, hardwood flooring is usually pre-finished with a polyurethane product to give it a rich shine and protective surface. The standard polyurethane finishes are semi-gloss or satin, or matte:

Semi-Gloss or Satin Finish Hardwood Floors
Semi-gloss finishes provide a high shine, and satin finishes a medium shine.
Both semi-gloss and satin provide a richer shine than matte finishes.

Matte Finish Hardwood Floors
Less shiny surface than semi-gloss or satin.
Will not dull quickly.
More practical for pets, children and higher foot traffic.