Cecilia> welcome to the thread.
Grace> With the right treatment and choosing the right wood, there is no worries on termites or any other pests attack on the wood. Most importantly is to get reputable suppliers and choose premium wood for the flooring.
I'm still researching on this. I got some basic knowledge on cheaper woods such as meranti, Juletong, Naytoh etc. But need to find out more about wood such as teak etc.
it is inevitable after some time, it might need replacement. but the good thing is that it should not bring about too much inconvenience. I feel it is as tricky as choosing tiles and getting tiled floor as well.
most of my knowledge was gained from speaking to my elders about it. they have been through the stage and seen more than us, so more or less know better.
cheaper and lousier parquet are those using strips of timber. try to avoid that type although the price is very enticing.
another factor for timber floor is that since it is wood, it has a softer feel as compared to tiles or granite or marble finishing.
Do double check the type of parquet offered by HDB if you are going to take it up. IIRC, they are small strips of wood, not the plank by plank type, which is more expensive and longer lasting.
small strip of wood type are those that are prone to popping out earlier.
