The parquet pattern atlas: herringbone, chevron and more

At a glance

Sizes are examples from maker catalogues and datasheets, not standard sizes. Names and angle conventions vary between makers: the conventions used here are set out below.

Names, and the convention used here

Parquet names are not standardised. No standard defines herringbone or chevron, and makers use one word for different patterns and different words for the same one. This sheet uses these conventions throughout, and the drawings follow them exactly.

• Herringbone: rectangular blocks with square ends. The end of each block meets the side of the next at 90 degrees, giving a stepped zigzag. French trade name: bâton rompu.
• Chevron: blocks with angled ends, so neighbours meet point to point in continuous V shapes. Also sold as Hungarian point, point de Hongrie and French herringbone.
• Cut angle: the acute angle between the end cut and the long edge of the block. A 45 degree cut gives a V of 90 degrees; a 60 degree cut gives a flatter V of 120 degrees.
• Length: for chevron, say whether a quoted length is the long edge or the tip to tip length. The two differ by W ÷ tan(cut angle).

Because the conventions differ between makers, write yours on the drawing and show the V, not just the name.

Block patterns: herringbone, chevron and brick

Herringbone and chevron are built from one block shape. Herringbone blocks are rectangles with square ends. Chevron blocks are parallelograms, made as matched left-hand and right-hand pairs (one maker packs them 50% right and 50% left). In the drawings the two tones show the two block orientations in herringbone, and the left- and right-hand blocks in chevron.

A 45 degree chevron forms a V of 90 degrees, much like a herringbone turned on its side, which is why one supplier describes 45 degrees as looking similar to herringbone and treats 60 degrees as the usual chevron cut. In brick (stretcher) pattern the rows run straight and the end joints of each row sit half a block along from the row before.

Square-based patterns: basketweave, chequerboard and cubes

These patterns are built from squares. In basketweave a square holds several parallel strips and the next square is turned through 90 degrees. The side of the square equals the length of the strip, which equals the number of strips times the strip width, so three strips 20 mm wide make a 60 mm square. Fingerblock is the same geometry: one maker describes it as three strips within each square. Chequerboard uses single square blocks with the grain turned in alternate squares. Cubes (tumbling blocks) split each hexagon into three rhombi of 60 and 120 degrees, so the three face directions give the illusion of stacked cubes.

Panel patterns: Versailles and Chantilly

Versailles and Chantilly are panel patterns: square or rectangular panels assembled in the workshop and laid as units. Parquet de Versailles was introduced in 1684 as a woodwork parquet to replace marble, and traditional panels were large squares of about 3 to 4 feet, laid on the diagonal to the room. One modern engineered version is sold as pre-assembled 800 x 800 x 20 mm panels with a 6 mm wear layer. One maker lists a Versailles panel of 12 elements and a variant of 8 larger tiles.

We have not drawn them. The sources we could read agree that they are panels, but not on the internal layout: one maker describes Chantilly as square elements within a rectangular surround, another as interlacing plus-shapes. Ask the partner workshop for its own panel drawing and put that on the layout drawing.

Dimensions that decide: block size and cut angle

Two numbers describe a herringbone block: width W and length L. Catalogue blocks run from about 4:1 to 7:1 in length to width. One supplier lists chevron blocks from 90 x 350 mm up to 120 x 600 mm and recommends 120 x 600 mm for larger rooms; one engineered herringbone block is 500 x 68 mm. There is no standard size, so state the size you want.

A chevron block needs a third number, the cut angle, and the angled ends change the geometry. For a block 90 mm wide with a 450 mm long edge:

Worked from the convention on this sheet, not catalogue values. Replace W and the long edge with your own.

Ordering and setting out

• Order by pattern, not by area. Angled ends reduce the laid area per block. One maker's datasheet lists 80 boards as 2.72 m² for straight ends, 2.30 m² for a 45 degree cut and 2.45 m² for a 60 degree cut. Ask the workshop for the coverage of the cut you specify.
• Chevron needs matched pairs. Ask for equal numbers of left-hand and right-hand blocks, and check minimum order quantities for angle-cut blocks.
• Make the layout drawing do the work. Show the pattern, block size, cut angle and how it is measured, handing, direction relative to the long axis, the start line, the border, how the pattern runs through doorways, and where movement gaps fall.
• Approve a sample area. A herringbone floor is hard to lay because many small rows must line up smoothly; dry-lay a sample area on site and approve it before fixing.

Pattern: herringbone (square-ended blocks, end meeting side at 90 degrees). Block [90 x 450 x 14] mm, [engineered oak, grade, finish]. Columns run [parallel to the long wall] from the centre line on layout drawing [ref]. Border [none / one block / plank frame [140] mm wide]. A [2 x 2] m dry-laid area to be approved on site before fixing.

Pattern: chevron. End cut [60] degrees, measured between the end cut and the long edge of the block, giving a V of [120] degrees. Block [90] mm wide, [450] mm long edge (not tip to tip), [14] mm thick, supplied as matched left- and right-hand blocks in equal numbers. V points aligned to the centre line on layout drawing [ref]. Quantity calculated for the cut specified.

Pattern: [parquet de Versailles], supplied as [800 x 800 x 20] mm pre-assembled panels from the workshop drawing [ref]. Panels laid [on the diagonal to the room axis] from [reference point]; [no friezes between panels]; border [none]. One sample panel to be approved before production.

Standards and sources

• No standard defines these patterns: herringbone, chevron and Hungarian point are trade names, and makers differ.
• BS EN 13226, 13227, 13489, 13756 and BS 8201:2011: parquet product standards, terminology and the installation code. Named; not read for this sheet.
• Maker catalogues and datasheets: read for sizes, left and right hand blocks and names only; nothing copied.

Questions we are asked

What is the difference between herringbone and chevron parquet?

In herringbone the blocks have square ends, and the end of each block meets the side of the next at 90 degrees, giving a stepped zigzag. In chevron the ends are cut at an angle so blocks meet point to point in continuous V shapes. Chevron blocks are made as left-hand and right-hand pairs.

Is chevron the same as Hungarian point?

In most English-language catalogues, yes: one maker lists chevron as also called Hungarian point, and French sellers use point de Hongrie for the angle-cut pattern. Another maker sells it as French herringbone. Because the names overlap, show the cut angle and the V on the drawing instead of relying on the name.

What angle is chevron flooring cut at?

45 and 60 degrees are the common cuts. With the angle measured between the end cut and the long edge, 45 degrees gives a V of 90 degrees, close to herringbone, and 60 degrees gives a flatter V of 120 degrees. One supplier treats 60 degrees as the usual chevron cut. Write down how the angle is measured.

What block size is used for herringbone parquet?

There is no standard. Catalogue blocks run from about 4:1 to 7:1 in length to width: for example 90 x 350 mm to 120 x 600 mm for chevron at one supplier, and 500 x 68 mm for one engineered herringbone block. One supplier recommends 120 x 600 mm for larger rooms.

What is the difference between basketweave and fingerblock?

Both are squares of parallel strips with alternate squares turned through 90 degrees. One maker describes fingerblock as three strips to each square. The geometry is the same, so name the number of strips and the strip size on the drawing.

What is a Versailles parquet panel?

A pre-assembled square panel of cut elements, introduced at Versailles in 1684 as a woodwork parquet to replace marble. Traditional panels were large squares of about 3 to 4 feet; one modern engineered version is 800 x 800 x 20 mm. The internal layout varies by maker, so ask for the panel drawing.