ᐅ Parquet grading appears much more varied – is it still within acceptable tolerance?

Good evening,

Our parquet flooring was recently installed and unfortunately looks very different from the samples we saw. The color variations between the individual planks are quite pronounced (“medium color variation”), and the grain pattern is much more distinct than what was shown to us during the sampling.

Image 1: Photo of the parquet from the on-site sampling
Image 2: Manufacturer’s parquet example
Image 3: Parquet in our house

We are not happy with the appearance of the floor. Are such strong deviations really acceptable?
Does anyone have any ideas on how we could make the floor look more uniform?
Thanks in advance!

So pictures 2 and 3 definitely do not show the same parquet flooring.

I find images 1 and 3 quite different. I generally don’t rely on manufacturer examples after purchasing floors. That’s why I’m not really interested in image 2.

Have you checked the packages yourself—correct product name, correct product number?

I agree with my predecessors.

Apart from that, I also like the existing state (Type 3).

Regarding this matter, I can’t really help you. There are definitely guidelines or regulations available, but based on practical experience, I can tell you that a more varied pattern tends to be far more practical for everyday use than a very uniform one.

This is not only because dirt becomes much more visible on uniform surfaces, but also because scratches or dents—which will inevitably occur on hardwood flooring sooner or later—are immediately noticeable on a calm pattern, whereas they tend to blend in with a more “rustic” design.

I find the one you provided much more attractive than the example from the manufacturer.

Don’t be mistaken. We visited the dealer several times, and the exact same samples looked completely different under varying lighting conditions. Such samples are always just a very small section anyway.

Image 1 obviously shows direct light and a bright spot. Image 3 has significantly less light and shows the entire room. The bright area in Image 3 is most likely the same spectrum as Image 1.