Garden parquet: varieties and features, installation and care (26 photos)

Well-groomed paths in summer cottages are to the liking of many owners. Decorate and ennoble the garden with your own hands is not difficult, for this there are a lot of different materials on sale. And if concrete tiles used to be popular, now people are increasingly choosing garden parquet for designing personal plots.

What is garden parquet and where is it used?

Garden parquet (or decking) is a finishing material that looks like tiled modules of square or rectangular shape. Sections have soft or hard mounts, are made of wood, plastic, or a combination thereof. The strips are fixed on a special profile and are located in the form of a picture or parallel to each other. There are small holes between the slats, which helps to avoid stagnation of water on the tile surface. Also, this coating has another name - anti-slip, or anti-slip. It appeared because even on a wet garden floor you cannot slip and fall.

The word "decking" is translated as "deck". This name began to be applied to parquet for the garden because of its origin. Decking has been used for years as a coating on US ships, and over time has moved to the homes of Americans, many of whom live on the coast. A little later, Canadians appreciated this decoration material. At that time, tiles were made from natural wooden boards, often pine, oak and cedar wood were used. However, the tree needs careful care, and the resin method, which was used in the Navy for longevity, was unacceptable in everyday life.

Now, more wear-resistant materials have appeared, and garden parquet is used everywhere:

• for arrangement of park paths;
• for decorative bridges;
• on terraces and gazebos;
• on the territory of the pool;
• on the balcony or porch;
• for facing steps and floors in rooms with high humidity (kitchens, basements, bathrooms, baths).

Decking is used not only in the country. It can find application in urban environments. For example, they can trim the floor in the loggia.

Varieties of garden parquet and their advantages

The duration of its use directly depends on the choice of tiles, so let's talk about what types of garden parquet exist, and how they differ from each other.

Parquet made of wood

Wooden garden parquet is an eco-friendly material that harmoniously combines with country houses and wooden buildings on the site. Often, pine tiles are used for coating. This wood has high strength and relatively affordable price. The material is rich in colors and easily tinted and painted.

Larch garden parquet is also in great demand. It is durable, resistant to decay, moisture, temperature changes and mechanical damage, and the natural larch pattern is not only beautiful, but also functional: it prevents slipping.

Also often used are birch, cedar and teak wood. Exotic wood of the latter contains oil, which has a beneficial effect on the duration of operation. For the production of decking from some types of trees (oak, beech and ash), a heat treatment procedure is carried out.So the durability of wooden tiles is increased by 20 times.

Wooden garden cover has a lot of advantages:

• The surface repels moisture and does not slip.
• The natural pattern is externally very attractive.
• It absorbs well and retains heat for a long time, so in the evening it will be nice to walk barefoot on wooden panels.
• Installation is easy with your own hands.
• Easy maintenance, easy to clean and clean.

The disadvantages of parquet for a garden made of wood include a rather high cost compared to other types. Also, such a tile needs periodic processing from insects. You should think about the lower layer in advance. It must not touch the ground, otherwise it will begin to rot. To prevent this, you need to use a plastic-based backing.

Plastic flooring

A plastic garden parquet is an excellent solution for those who want to clean up their summer cottage by spending a small amount of money. You can make tracks with this material with your own hands and in a very short time, but this will not affect the appearance. Planks can be connected longitudinally and in parallel, at will you can create a specific pattern. The higher the humidity at the installation site, the wider the gaps between the slats.

Plastic garden parquet has the following advantages:

• It is an environmentally friendly material.
• It weighs a little, so there are no difficulties with transportation.
• Minimum preparatory work during installation.
• It has a long service life.
• The relief surface excludes sliding.
• Wide scope: it can be used not only in the summer cottage, but also on the balcony or basement.
• The coating is durable and highly resistant to deformation.
• No need to fear rot or mold.
• Insects are indifferent to plastic decking.
• Chips and cracks do not form on the surface due to temperature changes or mechanical stresses.
• It does not heat up in the sun, but for a long time stores the heat accumulated during the day.

It is not recommended to wash with chemical cleaners, as they can deform the surface. Under long exposure to the sun, the color of the tile fades.

WPC parquet

Wood stocks are not infinite, it makes sense to use not pure wood, but materials based on it, for summer cottages. Garden flooring from KDP (wood-polymer composite) is made from sawdust and polymer. Square plates are mounted on the substrate. This option will appeal to those who want the same beautiful coating as ordinary wood, but at a more attractive price. Manufacturers guarantee 10-15 years of use of wood-plastic plates without deformation.

The advantages of parquet from this material are:

• Eco-friendly, does not emit any harmful substances.
• Outward appeal. WPC coating may look like the most expensive wood species. It has a rich color scheme.
• It does not cause interest in insects, it is protected from fungus.
• Long-term quality guarantee.
• Resistance to moisture, does not decay.
• It has high strength, much greater than a real tree.
• Easy installation. Tiles can be laid directly on the ground or concrete, it will depend on the choice of base.
• The surface is pleasant to the touch and protected against slipping.
• Due to the plasticity of the material in the production, you can give a different shape.
• Easy to clean with water and a soft brush.
• Not afraid of temperature extremes, rain or snow.
• It does not overheat and does not fade in the sun.
• It can be easily dismantled before the winter season, and then re-laid in the spring.

In addition, KDP garden parquet will take root in places of high humidity. And although the tile looks like wood, it does not need preventive treatment.

Laying garden parquet

After choosing a garden floor, you need to learn how to lay it. Starting work, you should determine the boundaries in order to calculate the amount of material.After the tile is purchased, you can proceed with installation.

Do-it-yourself laying of garden parquet begins with leveling the surface. Decking can be put on the base of sand or gravel, having previously rammed them. The fastest way is open ground. The land must be cultivated so that weeds do not appear. You can make a concrete screed. Do not forget to equip the drains to avoid the accumulation of water. This item is the most important, since the installation itself resembles the assembly of the designer. Depending on personal preferences, you need to lay out the details in the form of a Christmas tree, wicker, etc.

Material Care

Caring for garden parquet does not require special skills. Decking is easy to clean with water. For heavy soiling, brushes or detergents can be used. In this case, be careful with wood products, read the instructions so as not to spoil the wood. From burning out the parquet, which is on the street, you need to cover with special oil. Wood tiles must also be treated with insect pests.

At the end of the summer season, the garden cover should be cleaned of dirt and dismantled. After drying and storing in a dry room until next spring. Plastic parquet will survive the winter, it can be left on the site.

Garden parquet is an excellent material for flooring, both indoors and outdoors. It will become a good element of landscape design, and thanks to the chic color palette you can be sure that a suitable shade is sure to be found.