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Pattern guide 1 min read

Herringbone vs Chevron: Patterns, Costs and Which Suits Your Room

Two pattern floors that people often confuse. How to tell them apart, how they differ to fit, and which suits which room.

Herringbone
Blocks meet at a right angle
Chevron
Blocks cut to a point
Waste allowance
10% to 12%
Fitting
Full glue down
01

Telling them apart

Herringbone blocks are cut square at both ends. Laid alternately, each block meets its neighbour at a right angle, and the rows step across the room in a broken zigzag.

Chevron blocks are cut at an angle at each end. Laid point to point, the rows form a continuous unbroken V that runs the length of the room.

The easy test: Look at where two blocks meet. If the join is a straight continuous line running down the room, it is chevron. If the ends step past each other, it is herringbone.
02

What each does to a room

They are not interchangeable, and the room usually prefers one.

Herringbone
Busier and more textural. Reads as traditional and suits period rooms and hallways.
Chevron
Cleaner and more directional. Reads as contemporary and pulls the eye down the room.
In a narrow room
Chevron along the length emphasises the run. Herringbone breaks it up.
In a large room
Both work. Herringbone fills the space, chevron organises it.
03

What they share

Almost everything about the job is the same, and it is more demanding than a plank floor either way.

Full glue down
Both. A floating pattern floor opens at the joints over time.
10% to 12% for waste
Against 5% to 7% for straight plank. Every perimeter cut produces an unusable offcut.
Setting out decides the floor
The first two rows determine everything. This is a job for a professional.
Both suit underfloor heating
Glue down puts the floor in direct contact with the heated screed.
Important: Chevron blocks are cut to a specific angle and are not interchangeable with herringbone. Order the pattern you intend to lay, and order it all in one go.
04

Choosing between them

When the room does not decide for you, this usually does.

Period property
Herringbone. It suits the proportions without looking like a copy.
Modern open plan
Chevron. The clean lines suit the architecture.
Long hallway
Either, laid along the sightline. Chevron makes the run feel longer.
Small broken up room
Neither, honestly. Most of the pattern ends up cut away at the edges.

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 blocks90 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 source

Cutting 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 source

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