ᐅ Standard for Parquet Flatness, Tolerances?

Hello everyone,

Three weeks ago, multi-layer parquet flooring was fully glued down in our newly built house. The work was carried out by a specialized company in its second generation. Immediately after the parquet was installed, we noticed a significant height difference in one spot near the wall. The company acknowledged this and made repairs by replacing four floorboards. The technician who performed the repair said the parquet had not been installed properly in that area. So far, so good.

In the meantime, the wood stove has been installed, and on its glass hearth plate you can clearly see unevenness in the parquet floor at other spots as well (one corner of the glass rests on the floor while the opposite corner is raised by at least 3mm (1/8 inch)).

My concern now is that the repaired spot was just the tip of the iceberg, and once we arrange our furniture, we will notice just how uneven other areas are. So tomorrow I plan to take a straightedge and a feeler gauge to measure some of the suspicious spots.

The parquet was laid on a cement screed, and the usual VOB contract conditions without additional additions were agreed upon. Can anyone shed some light on which tolerance or standard applies here?

Thanks, fizzybubbele

Take a look at DIN 18202, which also includes a section on flatness. However, this mainly applies to the structural shell. If the issue is occurring where the wall meets the floor, I would initially suspect that the screed was not level. It tends to rise up more frequently along the walls, and this should be ground down beforehand.

How smooth is your parquet flooring material?

Thank you for your reply. The parquet flooring is very smooth. The first spot was quite close to the wall but was not due to the screed. This has since been repaired by relaying. The other spot is located roughly in the center of the room.

fizzybubbele schrieb:

Can someone clarify which tolerance/standard applies here?

I’ll tag @KlaRa to join the discussion 🙂

WilderSueden schrieb:

Check DIN 18202,

That’s probably the most misunderstood standard in building construction ;-)

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fizzybubbele schrieb:

The parquet was installed on a cement screed, with the usual VOB standards agreed upon without any additional specifications. Could someone clarify which tolerance or standard applies here?

Answer:
Hello questioner,
the answer to your question is straightforward: the limit values according to DIN 18202 Table 3, line 3 apply if nothing else (or nothing different like line 4) was agreed upon.
In this case, you place a long spirit level on the floor, resting on two high points. Next, you measure the distance between those points (this is the measurement point spacing) and then measure the size of the gap between the underside of the spirit level and the top surface of the parquet.
Typically, a graduated feeler gauge is used for this, if available.
For a measurement point spacing of 50cm (20 inches), the tolerance limit is 2mm (0.08 inches); for 1m (39 inches) spacing, it is 4mm (0.16 inches).
However, if there is a bulge in the parquet for whatever reason, the evaluation basis of DIN 18202 regarding surface flatness does not apply, because this would be considered a "hump."
Humps in parquet surfaces occur only due to detachment on the underside, creating a hollow space.
This makes the assessment (especially by a non-expert) more complicated.
Because a 100% void-free adhesive bond is not always attainable.
To keep it brief but give you a useful guideline:
If the bulge interferes with usability, and considering that a 3mm (0.12 inches) gap under a freely supported glass pane is noticeable, the trade involved is justified in raising an objection.
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I hope this gives you a helpful starting point.
Best regards, KlaRa

@KlaRa: Thank you very much for the detailed and expert response. It’s really impressive how much effort some people put in here. So far, the head of the flooring installers is blaming the screed contractor, unfortunately. He has now offered to fix the issue by reinstalling 6 to 8 floorboards, but at my expense.

He estimates about 8 hours of labor, and when I add the cost of materials, the overall figure reaches a level that I no longer consider reasonable.

I will discuss this again with the architect/site manager tomorrow, but I’m afraid I already know what his answer will be.