Herringbone Wood Parquet Flooring
Herringbone wood parquet combines natural timber warmth with a classic zig-zag pattern. It adds depth, movement and timeless charm, perfect for elegant homes and heritage-inspired interiors.
Shop Herringbone Wood
“Laid block by block. Herringbone is the pattern people notice before they notice the room.”
— our flooring team
Herringbone WoodThe look
Still unsure? Real people, honest advice.
The look
Herringbone Wood parquet in engineered oak: ten Oxford blocks in two sizes, all with a 3 mm wear layer. Six colours, oiled or lacquered, brushed or smooth, and every block listed as compatible with underfloor heating.
Two block sizes
Heated floors, yes
Colour and finish together
In depth
Choosing engineered herringbone
Herringbone is the parquet pattern most people picture: rectangular blocks with square ends, laid at right angles to each other and staggered, so the floor reads as a broken zigzag. The Oxford range does it in engineered oak, which is the version that goes over underfloor heating and stays flat in a modern, centrally heated house. Every block is 14 mm thick with a 3 mm European oak wear layer, tongue and groove, micro-bevelled, Classic grade except the Antique Brown, and carries a 15 year manufacturer's warranty.
Two block sizes cover most rooms. The 90 mm by 450 mm block, in six colours, gives a fine pattern that suits hallways and rooms of ordinary size. The 125 mm by 600 mm block, in four colours, gives a broader pattern for larger rooms. The two sizes are near enough the same proportion, so the geometry barely changes and only the scale does. Colour runs from White Oiled and Whitewashed at the pale end, through Light, Natural and Natural Brushed, to Dark Brown, Fumed and Antique Brown.
In practice
The surface splits the same way as the plank ranges. Seven blocks are brushed and one deep brushed, which hide fine marks; the Lacquered and White Oiled blocks are smooth, which is the cleaner, more formal look. Finishes are UV oil on four blocks, lacquer (UV, matt or invisible) on four, white oil on one and hard wax oil on the Antique Brown. Oiled blocks can be re-oiled locally; lacquered ones are refinished as a whole floor.
Two things to settle before ordering. The pattern is set out from the centre line of the room, so the room's shape decides how many cut blocks it needs, and the allowance for that is a manufacturer figure quoted below rather than a standard. And the boards need to acclimatise in the room, at its in-service temperature, before they are laid; for a patterned floor with hundreds of joints that matters more than for planks.
FAQ
What is the difference between herringbone and chevron?
Which Oxford block size should I choose?
How much extra do I order for herringbone?
How do I order the right amount?
Can I get a sample first?
Standards
What the published standards say
Each entry is quoted from its source and linked to it. The full set is in the standards reference.
Herringbone and chevron — what the two patterns are
Herringbone is laid from rectangular blocks whose ends are cut square: set at right angles to each other and staggered, so that the end of one block meets the side of the next and the pattern reads as a broken zigzag. Chevron blocks have their ends cut at an angle - typically 45 or 60 degrees, depending on the manufacturer - so the ends meet on a continuous line and form a V. No published standard we could read defines the two patterns; the definitions here come from manufacturers and agree with each other.
| Herringbone: angle between adjacent blocks | 90 degrees |
|---|---|
| Chevron: typical end-cut angle (manufacturer-dependent) | 45 or 60 degrees |
“Herringbone flooring features rectangular wood planks arranged in a staggered zigzag pattern. Each plank meets the next at a 90-degree angle. In chevron patterns, the wood planks are cut at an angle, typically 45 or 60 degrees, so they meet in a continuous V-shape.”
Source: Havwoods - Herringbone vs. Chevron: Which Parquet Style Suits Your Space Best? · second sourceCutting waste — how much extra to order
There is no published industry standard for cutting waste; the figures come from manufacturers' own guidance and they vary. Havwoods advises 8-12 % wastage for planks and 15-20 % for patterned floors such as herringbone or chevron. Quick-Step's UK guidance for laminate is 5 % extra in a regular room and 10 % in a room with many angles or curves.
| Wastage allowance, plank floors (Havwoods UK) | 8-12 % |
|---|---|
| Wastage allowance, herringbone or chevron (Havwoods UK) | 15-20 % |
| Extra to order, regular room, laminate (Quick-Step UK) | 5 % |
| Extra to order, room with many angles or curves, laminate (Quick-Step UK) | 10 % |
“For planks we typically advise on 8-12% wastage and patterned floors, such as herringbone or chevron, may need 15-20% wastage.”
Source: Havwoods UK - FAQs: How Much Wastage Shall I Encounter For? · second sourceWood over underfloor heating
UK trade-association guidance sets no blanket ban on wood over underfloor heating but ties it to a temperature limit, noting that some hardwood floor finishes are installed with a maximum floor surface temperature of 27 °C.
| maximum floor surface temperature for some hardwood finishes | 27 °C |
|---|
“For example, some hardwood floor finishes are installed with a maximum floor surface temperature of 27°C.”
Source: CFA Guidance Document — Beyond Installation: Guidance on Underfloor Heating (Contract Flooring Association)
Delivery & areas
