Berti Advice:parquet oxidation, what is it and how do I deal with it?

If you are considering the purchase of a parquet floor, or if you have already made your choice and have a wood floor in your home, you will surely have at least heard of oxidation. We continue the Berti Consiglia column, to give guidance in choosing parquet flooring, based on an evaluation of the characteristics of the wood and the essences of parquet.

But what is oxidation and how does it work?

As we like to remember, one of the greatest merits of wood is the fact that we are dealing with an absolutely natural material: this brings an innumerable series of advantages, but it also brings us into contact with phenomena that at first glance may seem strange or alarming.

There is no need to be frightened: oxidation is a completely natural phenomenon that occurs due to the exposure of parquet to light. It is not something that can be ascribed to the quality of the wood chosen. Wood, in fact, is a photosensitive material, which is why it happens that all parquet commonly faces the process of natural color change, as a result of exposure to air and light, and especially due to the action of ultraviolet rays. Photochromaticity, that is, a noticeable alteration in color, occurs especially during the first periods of exposure to light: we can say that the phenomenon is very similar to when our skin gets a summer tan. Depending on the type of wood species we have chosen, oxidation will be more or less noticeable, causing more or less pronounced changes: exotic woods (such as Teak, Doussiè, and Iroko) have a more pronounced tendency toward a change in color and a grain that becomes more homogeneous. It is also important to note that most woods have a tendency to darken over time, with the exception of Teak, which instead becomes lighter.

But how long does the oxidation process last? We can say that after the first times when the changes will be visible to the naked eye, it is a phenomenon that tends to lose intensity over time. Depending on the intensity of the light to which the parquet is exposed and the finish applied are closely dependent on the speed and intensity of oxidation. The whole process of oxidation can therefore go on for several years, as anyone who has moved furniture will have noticed by finding the parquet floor that has remained in shadow slightly lighter: in a short time, thanks to oxidation, the wooden floor will take on a uniform shade compared to the one that has always remained under light exposure. A good rule, which recurs often in advice for the first period after parquet installation, is to have the entire surface oxidized as much as possible before placing furniture and carpets.