A performance test of wood-plastic parquet flooring

Parquet flooring with c top layer of radiation-cured wood-plastic face strips of two wood species, ash or maple, impregnated with four types of plastic, poly(methylmethacrylate), polyCstyrene/acrylonitril), polyester/styrene, or a special acrylic prepolymer/mornomer mixture were tested in a heavily trafficked corridor. The wear of these flooring materials was observed during three years and was compared with conventional lacquered reference flooring. Different methods of cleaning and maintenance as well as economic aspects are discussed. Careful maintenance is necessary to keep up the original pleasant lustre of a wood-plastic parquet floor. The greater hardness prevents hollows from gravel and stiletto heels, but if the face strips are not homogeneously full-impregnated, a surface like a wash-board will appear under hard-wear conditions. A single surface treatment with a durable lacquer will last about twice as long on wood-plastic flooring as on unimpregnated wood flooring. Parquet flooring with 2-4 mm thick plasticimpregnated face strips will cost roughly twice as much as conventional Danish face strip parquet flooring.