Herringbone is one of those flooring patterns that immediately reads as a step up — it's associated with high-end timber floors, but it's now genuinely achievable in vinyl and laminate formats too. It's not just a different look, though. Herringbone changes how a floor is installed and what it takes to get right.
What Makes Herringbone Different
Standard plank flooring is laid in straight, staggered rows running in one direction. Herringbone instead lays short, rectangular planks at 90-degree angles to each other, forming a continuous zigzag pattern. The visual effect is more dynamic and traditionally associated with parquet timber flooring — but achieving it accurately takes considerably more precision during installation than a standard straight-lay floor.
Which Ranges Offer It
Within Finfloor's range, herringbone is available in two different formats depending on the material and budget: Authentic Herringbone is an AC4-rated laminate option, offering the pattern at a more accessible price point, while Aurora II Herringbone is a glue-down LVT option, suited to spaces where a fully bonded, higher-traffic-rated floor is preferred. Both need to be confirmed for current availability, since specialty patterns like this aren't always held in the same volume as standard plank ranges.
Why It's a Glue-Down Job, Not a Floating Floor
Standard click-lock SPC and laminate floors float over the subfloor, which is part of why they're fast to install. Herringbone doesn't really work as a floating floor — because the planks run in two directions, a floating installation is prone to shifting and gapping at the direction changes over time. Herringbone is glued directly to a flat, well-prepared substrate, which anchors every plank individually and keeps the pattern lines straight and stable long-term.
Substrate Prep Matters More Here
Because a glue-down herringbone floor is fully bonded rather than floating, the subfloor needs to be flatter and more consistently prepared than it would for a standard floating floor — high spots or dips that a floating floor might tolerate will show up as an uneven bond line and pattern misalignment in a herringbone layout. This is worth confirming with your installer before committing to the pattern for a particular room.
Installation Takes Longer — Plan For It
A herringbone floor takes noticeably longer to install than a straight-lay floor of the same area, since each plank is individually positioned and cut at an angle rather than clicked or glued in a continuous row. This isn't a reason to avoid it, but it should be factored into project timelines and labour costs from the outset rather than discovered partway through a job.
Talk to Us About the Right Format
If you're considering herringbone for a project, tell us the room, expected traffic, and budget upfront — we'll confirm current availability between the laminate and glue-down LVT options and advise on what the substrate needs before installation.
Read our complete Vinyl & Hybrid Flooring guide →
Considering a Herringbone Floor?
Talk to us about the room, format, and current availability.