What Is Parquet Flooring? The Complete Guide
What is parquet flooring? Parquet is a floor made of short blocks laid in a repeating geometric pattern, most often herringbone or chevron, instead of long straight planks. Traditional parquet is solid wood; today it is also made as engineered wood blocks, and the same patterns come in luxury vinyl and laminate for kitchens and busy homes.
Parquet flooring at a glance
| What it is | Short blocks laid in a pattern: herringbone, chevron and others |
|---|---|
| Materials | Solid wood, engineered wood, luxury vinyl and laminate |
| Blocks | Left- and right-hand (A and B) blocks for herringbone and chevron, unless sold as a mixed set |
| Fitting | Glued to a level subfloor (traditional) or click blocks over an underlay |
| Extra to order | About 10% for cutting waste, more in small or awkward rooms |
| Underfloor heating | Engineered, vinyl and laminate parquet usually; solid wood blocks less suited |
| Rooms | Living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, bedrooms; vinyl parquet for kitchens and bathrooms |
Parquet patterns
“Parquet” describes the way a floor is laid, not one product. The pattern is what gives a parquet floor its character.
Herringbone
Rectangular blocks with square ends meet at right angles, each one butting against the side of the next, to form a broken zig-zag. It is the classic British parquet: lively, traditional and very good at hiding small marks. See herringbone flooring and oak herringbone.
Chevron
The ends of each block are cut at an angle (usually 45° or 30°), so the blocks meet point to point in a continuous V. Chevron looks crisper and more contemporary and leads the eye along the room. See chevron flooring and oak chevron.
Other patterns
Older and more formal floors use basket weave (squares of parallel blocks set at right angles to each other), brick bond, ladder and Versailles panels (large decorative squares). They are made to order by specialists and need very experienced fitters; herringbone and chevron cover the look most homes want today.
Herringbone vs chevron: which to choose?
| Herringbone | Chevron | |
|---|---|---|
| Block ends | Square | Cut at an angle |
| Pattern | Broken zig-zag | Continuous V |
| Style | Traditional, period homes, lively | Contemporary, sleek, directional |
| Hides marks | Very well | Well |
| Fitting | Skilled | Skilled; the angled points must line up exactly |
Both suit almost any room; the choice is about style. Our articles on parquet vs herringbone and chevron flooring show more examples.
Parquet materials: solid, engineered, vinyl or laminate
| Material | What it is | Best for | Sanding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid wood | Blocks of solid hardwood, usually oak | Period homes; floors meant to last generations | Many times |
| Engineered wood | Real oak top layer on a stable layered core | Most homes, concrete subfloors, underfloor heating | Yes, if the wear layer is 3mm or more |
| Luxury vinyl | Printed parquet design on vinyl blocks | Kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, pets | No |
| Laminate | Printed parquet design on fibreboard | The pattern for less, in dry rooms | No |
For a real wood parquet that suits modern homes, engineered blocks are the usual choice. For rooms that get wet, vinyl herringbone gives the same look without the risk.
Block size, colour and finish
Block size
Blocks range from small traditional sizes to long, wide modern blocks. Small blocks make a tight, busy pattern that suits hallways, period properties and smaller rooms; larger blocks make a bolder, calmer pattern and show more of the grain in big, open spaces. The size changes the look more than you might expect, so compare two sizes as samples on the floor.
Colour
Choose from light and natural oak, grey, dark and smoked tones, walnut, and white-washed oak. Light colours keep a patterned floor calm; dark colours make the pattern stand out.
Finish
Lacquered blocks are the easiest to clean; oiled blocks have a soft, natural sheen and can be repaired locally. Unfinished parquet is sanded and finished after fitting, giving a perfectly flush surface across every block and the exact colour you want.
A and B blocks explained
Herringbone and chevron need mirror-image blocks. The tongue and groove (or click) on an A block runs one way and on a B block the other, so the A blocks form one side of each zig-zag and the B blocks the other. You need equal numbers of each, unless the floor is packed as a mixed set; the product page says how each floor is supplied. Order both from the same batch so the colour matches.
Where you can use parquet flooring
| Room | Best parquet | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Living room, dining room | Engineered or solid wood | Larger blocks in big rooms; run the pattern towards the window |
| Hallway | Engineered wood, vinyl or laminate | Run the pattern along the hall to make it feel longer |
| Bedroom | Any | Smaller blocks suit smaller rooms |
| Kitchen | Vinyl parquet (or engineered with care) | Vinyl is the safest choice where water is spilt |
| Bathroom | Vinyl parquet only | Seal the edges; never real wood or laminate |
| Small rooms | Any | A diagonal pattern can make a small room feel bigger; see parquet flooring for small rooms |
Parquet and underfloor heating
Engineered wood parquet is the best real wood choice over underfloor heating, glued down and kept below a 27°C floor surface. Vinyl and laminate parquet also suit heated floors within their temperature limits. Solid wood blocks are the least suited; if you love solid parquet and have underfloor heating, check the specification carefully or choose engineered blocks.
How parquet flooring is fitted
A pattern takes more planning than straight planks, and the result depends on the setting out. We recommend an experienced fitter for glued parquet; click parquet is within reach of a confident DIYer.
- Plan the layout: decide which way the pattern runs, usually along the longest wall, the main sight line or towards the main window. Snap a centre line so the pattern is square to the room and ends evenly at both walls.
- Prepare the subfloor: it must be clean, dry, sound and very level; screed must be dry and moisture-tested, and old floorboards are usually overlaid with plywood first.
- Acclimatise the blocks in the room, as the instructions state.
- Lay from the centre line: glued blocks are bedded in a suitable wood floor adhesive; click parquet locks together over an underlay.
- Cut the edges: every block at the wall is cut at an angle, which is why parquet needs about 10% extra. Leave an expansion gap at the walls.
- Finish: unfinished blocks are sanded and finished in place; edges are covered with skirting or beading, and doorways with threshold strips.
A border of straight blocks around the room (a “frame”) gives a formal finish and hides the cut ends. See our flooring installation guides, how to lay parquet flooring and parquet floor installation questions, and use our measuring guide to work out how much you need.
Caring for parquet flooring
- Vacuum with a soft brush head: the many joints in a parquet floor trap grit.
- Clean wood parquet with a well-wrung microfibre mop and a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner; vinyl and laminate parquet with a cleaner made for them.
- Felt pads under furniture and door mats at outside doors.
- Oiled wood parquet needs an occasional coat of maintenance oil; lacquered parquet can be re-coated when it looks tired.
- Worn solid or engineered parquet can be sanded back and refinished, which is how old parquet floors are restored to look new.
Parquet compared with straight planks
| Parquet | Straight planks | |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Patterned, designed, a feature floor | Calm and simple |
| Fitting time | Longer, more skill | Quicker |
| Cutting waste | About 10% | About 5% |
| Small marks | Hidden well by the pattern | More visible on long boards |
| Cost of the whole job | Usually higher (more fitting time and waste) | Usually lower |
Pros and cons of parquet flooring
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| A distinctive, designed floor that suits period and modern homes | Takes longer and more skill to fit |
| Wood parquet can be sanded and restored many times | More cutting waste than planks |
| The pattern hides everyday marks | Needs a very level subfloor |
| Available in wood, vinyl and laminate for every room | Real wood parquet is not for bathrooms |
How to choose your parquet floor
- Choose the pattern: herringbone for a traditional, lively look; chevron for a sleek, modern one.
- Choose the material for the room: engineered or solid wood for living spaces, vinyl for kitchens and bathrooms, laminate for value in dry rooms.
- Choose the block size to suit the room size.
- Choose the colour and finish.
- Plan the fitting: glued or click, the direction of the pattern, a border or not.
- Order free samples of your favourites and lay a few side by side to see the pattern in your room.
Browse all our parquet flooring, or request a callback for help choosing.
Frequently asked questions
Herringbone and chevron are by far the most popular. Older and more formal floors also use basket weave, brick bond, ladder and Versailles panels, which are usually made to order and fitted by specialists.
Herringbone is one kind of parquet. "Parquet" means any floor of blocks laid in a pattern; herringbone is the pattern where square-ended blocks form a broken zig-zag. See parquet vs herringbone flooring.
Usually along the longest wall or the main line of sight, such as from the door towards the window, so the zig-zag leads the eye through the room. In a hallway, run it along the hall to make the space feel longer.
Click herringbone is within reach of a confident DIYer with patience and accurate setting out. Glued blocks and chevron, where every point must meet exactly, are best left to an experienced fitter. See how to install herringbone flooring at home.
Yes. A pattern can make a small room feel more interesting and, laid diagonally, larger. Smaller blocks and lighter colours work best; see parquet flooring for small rooms.
Parquet blocks with a click joint that lock together and float over an underlay instead of being glued down. It is quicker and cleaner to fit and can be lifted later. See click parquet flooring.
A frame of straight blocks laid around the edge of the room, with the pattern inside it. It gives a formal, finished look and hides the angled cuts at the walls.
Usually over a new plywood layer screwed to the floorboards, which gives the flat, solid base a pattern needs. Click parquet can float over sound, level boards on a suitable underlay.
Usually, yes. Loose blocks are re-fixed, missing ones replaced, and the floor is sanded back to fresh wood and refinished. Solid and thick engineered parquet can be restored many times. If old blocks were laid in bitumen, take professional advice before lifting them.
Good vinyl herringbone uses high-definition wood prints and embossed grain, so it looks convincing from standing height, and it is water-resistant and warm underfoot. It is the practical way to get the pattern in kitchens and bathrooms. See LVT herringbone flooring.
Very. The pattern hides scuffs and dirt better than plain planks, and a herringbone running along the hall makes it feel longer. Choose a lacquered or brushed finish, or vinyl parquet for the hardest wear, and put a good mat at the door.
Yes. A common approach is parquet as a feature in the hallway or living room and matching straight planks elsewhere, in the same species and colour, with a neat threshold where they meet.
