Herringbone Parquets

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Blocks for making herringbone patterns are available as ex-stock ready manufactured products in most qualities of Oak and also in Ash, Beech, Iroko, Maple, Merbau and Zimbabwe Teak. We are not yet showing photographs of laid areas in every species.

Single Large Dimension Herringbone

Herringbone is perhaps the most traditional pattern in the UK. Though it is not uncommon it need not look commonplace. There are batten sizes available from as small as 100mm x 30mm to almost as large as you like. The pattern can be made in almost any timber. There are double and triple herringbone patterns. The pattern relies upon the light reflecting off the alternate rows at different angles, thus presenting the rows as alternately light and dark. To the right is a photograph of an oak herringbone floor. These battens are 750mm x 95mm. they are made of French Oak cut 'quatier faux quatier'

This is a detail of the simple border around this floor. Many more styles of borders may be used to enhance a simple or complex design, Wenge, chiefly from Zaire, is frequently used for a near black contrast timber. The border 'frames' the floor nicely and can be used to reduce the visual impact of the many minor interruptions in the line of a wall such as support pillars, built in furniture and radiator casings. This heating vent was an essential but unsightly object in the formerly carpeted room. Creating the dark line around it has neatened it and integrated it into the design of the new floor.

This is a traditional image of a herringbone floor. This one was laid in the 1930's, is made of virgin growth pitch pine and was the subject of a restoration by David Gunton. Note how the rows of blocks alternate, light and dark. This effect is the result of the light being reflected at differing intensities according to the direction of the run of the grain in each row. Once, David was called by a customer who complained that the craftsmen had sorted all the blocks out into alternate rows of light and dark timber. It took a considerable amount of persuasion and demonstration to convince her that this was the natural and desired effect of laying in herringbone pattern and that the blocks are not sorted into light and dark shades for each row.

Herringbone can be laid up in single, double, or triple block patterns. This is an example of an oak block double herringbone.

The second hand oak blocks used to create this floor came from a school demolition. They had been bare of all protective finish and were daily mopped by the cleaner. The dirty water had run down between the blocks and soaked into the end grain, carrying some of the dirt with it. As a result, when the blocks were sanded in their new home, the ends of each block was deeply stained right through the thickness of the block. This produced a very pleasing effect upon the floor.

This bordered oak single herringbone floor has been fumed and aged to present a timeless image to an elegant homely hotel lobby.

In small rooms a scaled down pattern often works well. This herringbone pattern is made of 50mm x 200mm blocks to accord with the scale of the ante-room.

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