Parquet floors, especially in oak, were a top-of-the line choice for midcentury homes — and now, we’ve learned the official name for this pattern — fingerblock flooring. We also found a place to buy it — including four-finger, 9″ x 9″ squares in red oak — exactly like the original parquet in Pam’s 1951 dining room, above.
The source we found: Czar Floors — which offers fingerblock parquet in a variety of sizes, wood species and number of fingers per module.
Reader Jennifer, who left a comment on our post about parquet flooring in midcentury homes, prompted Pam’s search.
Jennifer wrote:
We just had a burst pipe flood and ruined our 1957 original oak parquet that was in the entire house except the baths and kitchen. Our three bedrooms were spared. Sad, sad, sad. I asked a local master hardwood expert / floor restorer about it and he said that the only way to get these 3/4 inch red oak parquet tiles is to have them custom made or salvage them. (They only make a lower quality 5/16 thin, premade parquet these days). They actually have to custom make them from pre-cut strip flooring boards because no one manufactures them anymore. Bummer. And it is super duper expensive (possibly 3 to 4 times the cost of a strip floor)
As for us, we are looking for a new engineered floor (per his recommendation) because we live in hot, humid, wet Florida and hardwood buckles even with the humidity sometimes here. We are trying to find something (strip flooring, most likely) that will look good with the red oak parquet in the bedrooms that was spared the water damage. We have to replace the hallway wood that opens to the bedrooms.
What have others done to keep the floors looking period appropriate when they couldn’t get lovely old parquet?
But wait, Jennifer — we live to hunt — and quickly found this flooring for you at Czar Floors.
Yes, this fingerblock parquet flooring is not cheap at $9.95 per square foot unfinished, but it is made from 3/4″ thick wood planks, solid all the way through — just like the old-school real-deal midcentury stuff — so it should last a lifetime — heck, multiple lifetimes! Both the individual “fingers” and each square tile fit together with tongue and groove, and the folks at Czar Floors recommend also using an adhesive to install their fingerblock parquet flooring.
A snipped from the Czar Floors website, which provides lots more detail there:
Also called “Fingerblock” this pattern can be found in many “brownstones” [Editor’s note: And midcentury houses, we would add!] It can be replicated in variety of sizes, number of planks and wood species….
The verdict –we love fingerblock parquet flooring. In particular, we love that it’s “multi-directional.” That means it runs in both directions, equally. We learned this word from laminate expert Grace Jeffers — the most versatile abstract laminate designs are multi-directional. We also love learning this new term “fingerblock.” Reminds us of our recent journey learning the term Pickwick Pine.
If you have the dough re mi — what a fantastic floor to be able to add to your house. Or, if you have one already — golly, you know what to call it and have further sense of its worth.
Link love:
For more parquet floors:
- Parquet flooring for a ranch house? Yes — an authentic “top-of-the line” choice
- And when it comes to stain color see our thoughts on What color stain to use for midcentury oak flooring?
Dayna says
I have lots of 9 by 9 half inch thick tongue and groove wood tiles. About how much does this cost?
Pam Kueber says
Dayna, contact the companies directly to get the answer to this question.
Dayna says
Thank you
Elton says
Crescent flooring of harahan la or Houston Texas can get this flooring. If it’s more than four fingers they can sell the fingers individually to make five or even six fingers.
Christiane says
Hi Pam, we are shareholder in a coop. We do have fingerblock parquet flooring but in a size that we can no longer find: 13×13, 8 fingers. Before we became shareholders, A few years ago, we had water damage caused by our air conditioning in the living room of our apartment. The management repaired the damaged part with a different size of finger block, 12×12, 7 fingers, because they said that the original one, 13×13, 8 fingers, was no longer available (discontinued?) :(. So we have part where the parquet is in good condition compare to the old one, and a different color.
Two years ago, the building was converted into a coop and we became shareholders. We would like to keep the original but we don’t know if we could find a place where they have discontinued size parquet floor. I tried to ask management if they could keep the parquet flooring of the apartments they are renovating. They never answered me. I may give it another try, and also ask the super eventually… Any suggestion?
Pam Kueber says
Christiane, contact the companies profiled in the story and listed in the comments to see if they can make your size to order…
Richard Callahan says
I need help in that I have what is called two bundles of six finger parquet wood flooring that I have left over from a previous job I did on my home forty years ago. It is a six finger design and seems to be not available anymore. I need two bundles to finish my back entrance to the house. This flooring is glue down. Any out there can help or advise me? It seems that this six finger style is no longer made.
pam kueber says
Richard, try contacting the companies listed/profiled – maybe they can replicate it for you.
Glori Euwer says
I am looking for 48 sq ft of Standard Brands fingerblock natural parquet 12″ x 12″ flooring tiles, pattern/color: TNG-412FingerNatural80 of Tongue-In-Groove that is 1/4″ thick flooring tiles. I have photos of the last package if needed. The wood is from Thailand.
pam kueber says
Glori, we don’t sell anything here…
Linda Weir says
We have had water damage to several finger block parquet tiles in our rec room. They are 16×16″. Does anyone know where we can purchase replacement tiles?
pam kueber says
Linda, contact the company or companies profiled in this story.