Whether solid wood, engineered wood, or vinyl – there are many types of flooring. Solid wood and engineered wood floors are made of real wood and provide natural warmth and durability. Laminate, vinyl, design flooring, as well as linoleum and cork offer alternative solutions that often look deceptively similar to wood and have other advantages. This page provides a compact overview and answers the most important questions about solid wood, engineered wood, and design flooring.
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🌿 18 kg of CO₂ stored per m² of solid wood plank
Measurable climate protection with every solid plank
Basis: over 1,500 m² of solid floorboards sold in 2025
through over 1,500 m² of solid wood planks sold in 2025
Floor coverings such as solid parquet or solid wood planks, which are made of genuine solid wood, are called solid wood floors. These floors are usually made of hardwood (oak, beech, walnut, etc.). However, with solid wood planks, there are also various softwoods (pine, larch, etc.). These wooden floors usually have to be sanded after installation and coated with your desired surface finish (lacquer, oil). Exceptions here are solid wood planks, which can partly already be manufactured with an oiled surface. Due to their solid construction, these floors can be sanded multiple times and refurbished, allowing for a lifespan of several decades.
1. Shade: Light or dark? Light floors appear friendly and spacious, while dark ones feel warmer and more elegant.
2. Grading: From rustic (with knots and lively grain) to select (fine and uniform) – depending on personal taste and furnishing style.
3. Surface structure: Brushed for a natural, textured feel, smoothly sanded for a fine, elegant feel, or planed for a rustic character.
4. Surface treatment: Oiled appears natural and matte, lacquered is durable and shiny, smoked adds a darker, warm color tone, limed lightens the wood tone and emphasizes the grain.
1. Very durable (50-100 years with good care)
2. Natural indoor climate
3. Can be sanded multiple times
4. Ecological & sustainable
5. Timeless, high-quality appearance
1. Oak – Hard, durable, stable form, distinctive grain
2. Ash – Tough, elastic, light with lively pattern
3. Beech – Hard, homogeneous, more prone to movement
4. Larch – Soft, warm-reddish, with strong grain
5. Douglas fir – Soft, reddish, knotty, rustic
6. Walnut – Dark, noble, fine-grained
7. Pine – Soft, knotty, yellowish-reddish
8. Spruce – Very light, lightweight, evenly structured
1. Ship's Deck (random pattern)
2. English Bond (staggered parallel)
3. Herringbone (classic & French)
4. Ladder Pattern / Cube Pattern
5. Chevron
6. Plank Flooring (longitudinal) – classic for floorboards
7. Panel Inlay (elaborate, e.g., in old buildings or churches)
8. Vertical Lamella (Industrial Parquet)
Costs can vary greatly – e.g. due to differences in material and installation, such as between solid wood planks and engineered parquet.
A. Material: approx. €60–150 per m² (depending on wood type, format, and quality)
B. Installation & surface treatment: approx. €40–100 per m²
A+B: €100–250 per m²
Exotic woods or special formats can be significantly more expensive. Quotes including installation can usually only be fully calculated after an on-site visit.
1. Screwed (onto battens or sub-construction) – for planks
2. Glued (full surface with parquet adhesive) – mostly for strip parquet
3. Floating installation is not recommended for solid wood, as the wood expands and contracts significantly
Important: The substrate must be level, dry and load-bearing.
In principle yes, but with limitations:
Not recommended: Maple, beech and softwoods – these work a lot and are more sensitive to temperature changes.
For oiled floors: regular re-oiling with care oil
And please do not use aggressive cleaners or microfiber cloths!
Solid wood works – it swells when exposed to moisture and shrinks when dry.
Recommended room climate:
Humidity: 45–60%
Temperature: 18–22 °C
(Tip: Use a humidifier in winter)
Expansion joints (e.g. on walls) are necessary to compensate for the natural movement of the wood and to prevent tension. A distance of 10–15 mm from the wall is common.
With proper care, it can easily last 50-100 years – a true generational floor!
Can you install solid wood flooring yourself?
Generally, yes – with appropriate experience and good tools. For complex patterns, glued installation, or underfloor heating: professional installation is recommended.
Are solid wood planks environmentally friendly?
Yes! They are durable, repairable, recyclable, and, with sustainable forestry, also CO₂-neutral.
Wood floors with a solid spruce/fir or multiplex core and a top veneer of at least 2.5mm are called multi-layer or engineered wood flooring. Depending on the format or appearance, the floors are divided into planks, ship deck (2-strip or 3-strip), and strip parquet. These wood floors already have a factory coating of lacquer or oil and therefore only require an initial treatment with the appropriate product (for example, maintenance wax oil) after installation. Here too, sanding and re-coating the surface can generate a very long lifespan.
1. Shade: Light or dark? Light floors appear friendly and spacious, while dark ones tend to be warm and elegant.
2. Grading: From rustic (with knots and lively grain) to select (fine and uniform) – depending on personal taste and furnishing style.
3. Surface texture: Brushed for a natural, structured feel, smoothly sanded for a fine, noble feel, or planed for a rustic character.
4. Surface treatment: Oiled looks natural and matte, lacquered is resistant and shiny, smoked adds a darker, warm color tone, limed brightens the wood tone and emphasizes the grain.
1. Less sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations.
2. Easier & often more affordable installation.
3. Wide selection of formats & designs.
1. Classic: Oak, Beech, Maple, Ash
2. More elegant & often more expensive: Walnut, Cherry, Smoked Oak
3. Exotic woods also possible (e.g., Teak, Doussie).
From small rods to long planks (e.g., 2200 x 180 mm). Herringbone and chevron patterns are also available as engineered parquet.
1. Material: approx. €50 – €130 per m² (depending on wood type & construction).
2. Installation: approx. €25–€60 per m².
Total: usually €75–€190 per m².
Exotic woods or special formats can be significantly more expensive. Offers including installation can usually only be fully calculated after an on-site inspection.
Most engineered parquet flooring can be clicked together easily. It is either fully glued (for greater stability or with underfloor heating) - or it can be laid floating (quick and without adhesive).
Yes, thanks to its multi-layered construction, it is particularly dimensionally stable and well suited. Important: pay attention to suitable wood types (e.g. oak) and glue over the entire surface.
1. Vacuum or sweep regularly, wipe with a damp mop.
2. Use only suitable parquet cleaners, no aggressive cleaners.
3. Oiled floors: re-oil regularly to maintain the protective sacrificial layer.
4. Varnished floors: treat with care emulsions, repair small scratches.
5. Heavy wear: sand and re-oil or re-varnish.
High-quality engineered parquet flooring has a wear layer of approx. 3–6 mm, which can be sanded and resealed multiple times. (Approximately one millimeter is sanded off per sanding pass - we often only sand after 15-20 years). With good care, the lifespan is often 30–60 years.
Design floors include floor coverings such as laminate or vinyl flooring. These are usually very thin floors with a high-quality and attractive design. They are suitable for all residential and, in some cases, commercial areas and combine high durability with brilliant aesthetics.
Both laminate and vinyl flooring are a high-quality and attractively priced alternative to all wooden floors.
Whether it's advice on wood types, questions about installation, or help with selecting rental equipment – we're here for you. Visit us in Dresden and Leipzig or write to us directly.
