Herringbone

Herringbone Flooring Samples

Find Your Perfect Herringbone Flooring With Our Free Samples

Considering Herringbone Style Parquet Flooring but not sure which finish, colour, or board width is right for you? Don't worry, at Flooring365 we offer free, unlimited samples on all of our parquet flooring. This includes our Herringbone floors, so you can try as many as you like before you commit; helping you find your dream flooring.

How To Order Your Free Herringbone Flooring Samples

Ordering your free samples couldn't be easier. Simply find the flooring style you like (or as many as you need). Then click the 'Order FREE Sample' button on your desired floor. When you've finished browsing, visit your cart where your samples will be available to order completely free of charge. We even include free shipping!

Quick & Easy Delivery

Considering ordering free flooring samples, but unsure about delivery? Don't worry! We aim to make our sample process as easy and stress-free as possible. That's why all of our samples are delivered for free using Royal Mail. You can usually expect to receive them within 1-2 days through your letterbox. So don't worry about being at home for the delivery. 

Herringbone Flooring FAQ's

What Is Herringbone Flooring?

Herringbone flooring is the most popular style of parquet flooring, referring to the pattern in which a floor is laid. Inspired by nature, the name originates from the Herring fish as the pattern closely resembles the structure of fish bones. It is available in all types of flooring including solid and engineered wood, laminate, and LVT. Herringbone flooring is usually laid at 45° angles, creating an alternating 'V' shape pattern.

Is Parquet Flooring The Same As Herringbone?

No, parquet flooring is a general term for this style of intricate flooring. The term refers to all styles of parquet, from Herringbone to Chevron and more.  

Are Herringbone Floors In Style?

Herringbone flooring is a classic yet timeless design, so we can't see it going out of style anytime soon. It offers a design twist on traditional flooring, so if you're looking for a floor that stands out from the rest, it's definitely recommended.

If you want something truly timeless, consider neutral herringbone flooring, such as Natural Oak.

Are Herringbone Floors Expensive?

Herringbone flooring (or any parquet floor) is usually more expensive to buy, but not by a huge amount. The small increased costs usually come from the construction, where two separate boards are needed. For example, with herringbone floors, 'Left' and 'Right' or 'A' and 'B' boards are needed for the installation. However, thanks to modern advances in flooring technology, there are cost-effective alternatives. If budget is your main concern, you’ll want to browse through our laminate herringbone options or LVT herringbone options.

If you plan on having a professional installation, you may find the installation cost is higher too. You’ll want to keep this in mind ahead of your project, so you’re not taken by surprise.

Why Choose Herringbone Flooring?

Our customers often choose herringbone flooring when looking for a finish that delivers all the benefits of other wood floors, such as being hard-wearing and easy to maintain, that's also a little 'outside the box' with the added charm and flair that herringbone brings.

It's worth noting that the term 'herringbone flooring' simply refers to the pattern in which the flooring is laid and not the type or material of the flooring itself. Therefore, the benefits of the flooring will be directly related to the type. For instance, an LVT herringbone will have different qualities to a solid wood herringbone.

Types Of Herringbone Flooring?

Herringbone flooring is available in a variety of flooring types, including solid wood, engineered wood, laminate, and luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). All parquet, including herringbone, is available in a number of colours and wood finishes too, from contemporary greys to striking smoked oaks.

If you're looking for a niche finish, consider a natural, unfinished oak parquet that can be finished with any bespoke lacquer or oil.

Is Laminate Flooring Available In Herringbone?

We have a range of laminate herringbone floors available, offering the perfect budget-friendly alternative to traditional herringbone floors. These laminates have been specifically manufactured with left and right alternating planks, designed to be laid in a herringbone style.

Is LVT Flooring Available In Herringbone?

As with most flooring types, several styles of LVT Herringbone floors are available. Our vinyl herringbone floors are perfect for adding an element of class to rooms where solid wood may not be the most conventional, such as bathrooms.

Herringbone Flooring For Underfloor Heating?

Engineered parquet flooring is suitable for use with most water-based underfloor heating systems, as it's structurally stable enough to deal with fluctuations in heat.

However, we don't recommend electric underfloor heating systems, regardless of flooring style, type, or finish, as these systems create 'heat spikes' which can create long-term damage.

If you are considering an underfloor heating system with your parquet flooring, we recommend using a specifically designed underfloor heating underlay.

Is Herringbone Flooring Waterproof?

No matter whether you opt for a herringbone or any other pattern of flooring, the water resistance is based upon the flooring type; meaning some herringbone floors are waterproof and some aren't. If you are looking for a waterproof floor, opt for one of our LVT herringbone floors. All of our LVT floors are 100% waterproof.

How Hard Is It To Lay Herringbone Flooring?

Even though herringbone flooring looks far more complex than other flooring types, it's still relatively easy to lay. As always, preparation is key when laying your flooring, but once you've got started it's a pretty simple process.

Most herringbone flooring comes in either two separate packs; 'A' and 'B' or mixed packs with 'Left' and 'Right' planks. If you alternate between the two when fitting, you'll end up with a stunning finish.

What Direction To Lay Herringbone Flooring?

There's no hard and fast rule when it comes to laying herringbone flooring, however, most professional floor fitters recommend laying herringbone towards focal points such as windows or fireplaces. Laying parquet at a 45° angle to walls is also an easy way to ensure an impactful finish.

Should Herringbone Flooring Have A Border?

Using a border with herringbone flooring (or other parquet styles), in most cases, is a matter of preference. Whilst laying herringbone without a border is considered much easier, single-line and double-line borders can add an extra touch of elegance, outline focal points within a room and smooth the transition from one room to another.

In larger rooms or on bigger flooring projects, some customers choose to elevate their parquet further with a thinner 'inset strip' of contrasting wood (or metal), which creates a sharp border and clearly defines the room.

If you are considering using a border with your herringbone it pays to do your research! Find a style that really suits you and remember it will add time and difficulty to your installation.

How Much Wastage For Herringbone Flooring?

When purchasing and installing a herringbone floor, we always suggest that you have an extra 10% for wastage. This is common practice for most floor types and will allow you to get the most from your installation. It will also cover you should you (or your fitter) make any mistakes whilst cutting.

How To Protect Herringbone Floors In High Traffic Areas

Flooring is an investment, and in order to protect your investment there are some general rules you should follow.

To keep your flooring in top condition you should:

• Avoid using a wet mop or large amounts of water during cleaning (this doesn't apply to LVT as it is waterproof).
• Avoid abrasive cleaners or scourers (particularly with wood flooring).
• Use mats or rugs in high traffic areas such as entrances.
• Add felt floor protectors to chair and table legs or any furniture that might move around and scratch your floor.

For more information on how to maintain or refinish your floors, visit our maintenance centre. 

Herringbone Flooring Types

Engineered Wood

Engineered Wood Herringbone Flooring offers an authentic real wood top layer, coupled with a high-quality, durable structural sublayer, which gives the exact finish of solid wood flooring when laid. The real wood top layer (or 'wear layer') provides a long-lasting finish that can be resanded and refinished when needed to keep your herringbone floor looking fresh.

Modern manufacturing and profiling means most Engineered Wood Herringbone is easy to lay and can be laid using a floating floor method.

Solid Wood

Our solid wood herringbone floors are made from one solid piece of hardwood, providing a truly authentic feel and finish. Whether you decide on an oak herringbone floor or a walnut herringbone floor, you will not be disappointed.

Vinyl (LVT)

Luxury Vinyl Tiling (LVT) is the perfect choice for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. We have a wide range of styles available that are easy to lay, with a crisp, professional finish. All of which are 100% waterproof too.

Laminate

Laminate Herringbone offers an amazing finish that's easy to fit, hard-wearing, and budget-friendly, with a wide range of styles available.

Brushed

Engineered and solid wood herringbone flooring can be brushed with steel wire during the manufacturing process. This gives the floor an enhanced texture by removing the upper layers of the wood grain.

The depth and intensity of texture will depend on the grain type and level of brushing.

Lacquered

Lacquer is a protective finish that is applied to floors to reduce the damage caused by spillages. The lacquer effectively creates a thin surface layer that prevents liquids from seeping into wood grains.

Oiled

Oil provides deeper protection than lacquer, by seeping into the wood grain, enhancing the aesthetic of wood flooring, however, as there is no surface layer created, oiled flooring usually requires greater maintenance and care over spillages.

Oiled flooring is preferred by those looking for a natural, ‘untreated’ look, whilst still offering some level of protection and longevity.

Unfinished

Unfinished flooring is just that, essentially, wood has been cut and shaped into planks with no other finishing process such as oiling or lacquer.

Whilst unfinished flooring does require treatment or protection after fitting and before use, it does offer the benefit of a wider range of styles available, thanks to the availability of oils, waxes, or stains.

Wood Species

Oak

If you're searching for a wood flooring option with a classic look and feel, our oak herringbone flooring range is a great choice. Oak is often the most popular choice of wood flooring, and our oak herringbone floors are no exception to this. Beyond their timeless appeal, these floors are also known for their durability and strength as oak is one of the stronger wood species. Oak herringbone flooring also has a much tighter grain variation, which means there will be less difference in grains and texture from board to board. The tighter grain variation also means that our oak floors are less likely to show signs of wear over time. If you're interested in a pristine finish, our prime-grade parquet flooring options are worth exploring. With their uniform texture and minimal knots, these floors offer a sleek and flawless appearance.

Walnut

Walnut herringbone flooring is a luxurious and unique option for those who want to add character and sophistication to their homes. However, when it comes to flooring options, walnut herringbone floors are often overlooked. This is because walnut trees are harder to source, and therefore walnut products are more expensive to buy. Nevertheless, some people still prefer our walnut herringbone flooring because of its vibrant colours and wider grains. We think this type of flooring looks best in grand entrances and large living rooms, adding a touch of elegance to your home. However, it's worth noting that walnut floors may have more variation from plank to plank, so if you're looking for a more uniform appearance, this may not be the best option for you.

Herringbone Flooring Thickness

Herringbone flooring comes in a range of thicknesses depending on the flooring type, such as laminate, solid wood, or engineered wood. Generally, board thickness is based on personal preference, however, thicker floorboards are usually more hard-wearing and provide greater insulation and sound absorption, something which should be considered if laying your floor upstairs or in an apartment, for example.

Solid Wood Herringbone

Our most popular solid wood herringbone is 18mm, offering a high-quality feel underfoot, coupled with the authentic real wood finish, leaving a premier, first-class herringbone floor.

Engineered Wood Herringbone

Whilst our engineered wood flooring is available in a variety of thicknesses from 7.2mm to 20mm we generally offer herringbone in thicknesses from 12-18mm.

If you're buying engineered wood herringbone it's worth considering the thickness of the 'wear layer' (the solid wood top layer) as well as the overall thickness. The wear layer determines how many times an engineered wood floor can be sanded and refinished over its lifetime.

Engineered Wood Herringbone & Underfloor Heating

Engineered herringbone is suitable for use with water-based underfloor heating systems only. If you're considering a water-based underfloor heating system a thinner floor board will be more suitable, around 15mm, which allows heat to dissipate and warm your room more effectively.

Laminate Herringbone

Laminate flooring is generally thinner than engineered and solid wood floors, but equally as hard-wearing (if not more so, thanks to the scratch-resistant top layer, or 'Photo Layer'). Our laminate flooring is available in thicknesses ranging from 7mm to 12mm, with options available for all room types and footfall.

LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) Herringbone

We have a range of LVT Herringbone available in thicknesses between 4mm and 6.5mm. Regardless of thickness, the construction of LVT makes it incredibly hard-wearing and suitable for most rooms and footfall levels, including wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Wear Layer (Engineered Wood Flooring Only)

Engineered wood flooring has a 'wear layer', a top layer of solid wood that gives it the authentic real wood finish. These wear layers vary in thickness and can be sanded and refinished to keep your floor looking fresh for years. Generally, floors with thicker wear layers are more expensive but offer better durability and the ability to sand more frequently. No matter what thickness of wear layer your engineered wood parquet has it will provide years of use and look stunning throughout.

Sanding Guide

In most cases, sanding the top layer of engineered wood flooring will remove up to 1MM of surface, with a minimum of 1MM needed leftover for protection. As a rough guide, here’s the number of times a floor can be sanded, based on the initial wear layer thickness:

3mm: 1-2 times
4mm: 2-3 times
5mm: 3-4 times
6mm: 4-5 times

(Please note: Sanding times is a guide only, the number of times a floor can be sanded will vary on an individual basis.)

Herringbone Flooring Installation Methods

Click Lok System

Click Lok flooring, which is predominantly used with engineered wood flooring or laminates, offers a glue-free installation method, using interlocking, profiled edges that push, drop, or 'click' together.

Generally, Click Lok floors are easy to fit, making them ideal for DIY enthusiasts or those looking to fit their own floor, without the need for a professional fitter.

Tongue & Groove

A traditional method of fitting flooring, Tongue & Groove is a tried and tested installation type that involves tesselating profiled edges together using glue, such as PVA.

Whilst it can be slower to fit than Click Lok, some customers prefer the peace of mind a glued, tongue and groove flooring provides.

Bond Down

Solid wood flooring requires bonding to the subfloor using a wood adhesive. Although it can be slightly more time-consuming to fit, it offers a permanent fix and creates a solid feeling underfoot.