Herringbone Flooring

How to choose herringbone flooring

Choose the material for the room

The pattern is the same, but the material decides where it can go. Engineered oak herringbone is the best real wood choice for most homes: it copes with central heating, concrete subfloors and underfloor heating, and it can usually be sanded if the wear layer is 3mm or more. Solid wood blocks suit period homes over timber joists and can be refinished many times. Luxury vinyl herringbone is the one to choose wherever water is spilt: kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and hallways. Laminate herringbone is very scratch-resistant and the most affordable way to get the look in dry rooms.

Block size

Small blocks make a tight, busy pattern that feels traditional and suits hallways and smaller rooms. Longer, wider blocks make a bolder, calmer pattern and show more of the grain in large, open spaces. The difference is bigger than it looks in photographs, so compare two sizes as samples on the floor of the room.

Colour and finish

Light and natural oak keeps a patterned floor calm and makes small rooms feel bigger. Grey suits Scandinavian and modern schemes. Smoked, dark and walnut tones make the pattern stand out and add warmth. In real wood, a lacquered finish is the easiest to clean and an oiled finish can be touched up locally; a brushed surface hides scratches well.

Planning a herringbone floor

Herringbone needs left-hand and right-hand blocks, usually labelled A and B, in equal numbers, unless the floor is packed as a mixed set; the product page says how each floor is supplied. Decide which way the pattern runs before you order: most people run it along the longest wall or the main line of sight, such as from the front door down the hall, so the zig-zag leads the eye through the room. A border of straight blocks around the edge gives a formal finish and hides the cut ends.

Because every block at the wall is cut at an angle, allow about 10% extra for cutting waste, more in small or awkward rooms. Our measuring guide shows how to work out your area.

Fitting herringbone flooring

The fitter snaps a centre line so the pattern runs square to the room and finishes evenly at both walls, then works outwards from it. Glued blocks are bedded in a suitable flooring adhesive on a level screed or plywood; click herringbone locks together over an underlay and is within reach of a careful DIYer. Leave an expansion gap at the walls and cover it with skirting or beading. Glued herringbone is best laid by an experienced fitter, and we can put you in touch with trusted installers. Step-by-step help is in our installation guides.

Looking after herringbone

Vacuum with a soft brush head, because the many joints in a patterned floor trap grit, and clean with a well-wrung mop and a cleaner made for the floor type. Felt pads under furniture and a good door mat keep it looking new; wood herringbone can be re-oiled or re-lacquered when it looks tired.