Herringbone & Parquet Fitting: London’s Love Affair With Pattern Floors

Herringbone floor has a certain theatrical flair. You enter a room and feel chilled. It’s not like anything dramatic happened, just that the floor did something. It moved. Well, at least it seemed like it did. This is the way these patterns work, and for centuries Londoners have fallen for it.

Patterned floors are in vogue at present. However, it’s an understatement to say it’s a trend. This is more of a homecoming.

It is the particular reason why London went mad for Parquet.

Victorian townhouses. Georgian terraces. Edwardian semis. With coving, corbels, fireplaces with tiles you could stare at for an hour, London’s housing stock already speaks the language of intricate detail. Pattern flooring is simply another lyric in that same song.

Particularly, herringbone goes well with London homes, like a good wool coat goes well with November. The arrangement – one plank set at right angles to the other – provides a visual rhythm otherwise unmatched with plank floors.

Parquet takes it one step further. That geometric pattern, laid out like bricks, basket weaves or the more adventurous Versailles tile provides a floor with a certain weightiness. The room is well thought out. Intentional. Like somebody cared.

But, yes, someone must care, and care a lot, to make this happen.

The Fitting Is Where It Sings Or Falls Apart

What no one says in the pretty instagram photos: pattern floors are difficult to fit. Not impossible. But hard on things that do not have straight-lay floors.

A regular plank floored room will not be ruined if a bit is cut slightly awry. With herringbone? If one angle is off and the entire visual effect falls into place. You can’t help but notice the discord; the bum note in a song that is otherwise flawless.

Subfloor preparation is of utmost importance. Herringbone requires a water level surface. A few millimetres can result in gaps, squeaks or rocking boards. The good wood floor fitters London measure the moisture content, the flatness of the subfloor, and sometimes invest as much time in the preparation as in actually installing the floor.

It’s another story when it comes to layout planning. What happens to the first board? At what angle is it to the longest wall of the room? How are the edges treated, what about the doorways, how is the link to the foyer handled? These decisions are made prior to the installation of any boards and will impact the appearance of the completed floor from any angle within the room.

If you don’t, you’ll find out. Do it correctly and the room will appear to be born that way.

Looking to change out your floors? To get the perfect pattern floor planned by our people, please contact our team today on 020 3322 7001 and speak with a member of our team!

Print Herringbone: The Plot Twist Nobody Expected and laminate it.

Some years ago, most flooring pros would look at you sideways if you were suggesting laminate for a herringbone floor. Laminate was considered the cheapie, the product you selected when you couldn’t afford the real thing.

Such a perspective is now antiquated.

How laminate has progressed today is simply amazing. Real wood-grain embossed surfaces. Click systems with a perfect angular fit. Wear ratings that defy heavy foot traffic, AC4 and AC5. And most important — herringbone specific laminate planks made to be installed in the traditional 45 degree or 90 degree pattern, without the added hassle of cutting solid wood.

This is an issue of high concern for people living in Camberwell. Camberwell is a neighbourhood under way; a wonderful blend of Victorian terraces, converted warehouse flats, and newer structures where past and present are combined in some very modern budgets. Herringbone threaded laminate can be as dramatic as solid oak, much less expensive and much more durable to the rigors of everyday life, when used through a Camberwell through-lounge.

Camberwell Residents Are Already Asking

One of the main questions also asked is: Is laminate flooring good for homes in Camberwell?

Yes — and here’s why you should give it a serious thought. Camberwell has many older properties whose sub flooring is slightly uneven, and which are actually easier to work with with good quality laminate over a good quality under lay than solid wood which requires the subfloor to be virtually flat. In addition, Camberwell streets are frequented by those who are able to walk, such as family, renters and specialists, who need floors that can experience the actual world without having to fuss daily.

For years Best Flooring Fitters London has fitted laminate flooring to private properties, rented properties and commercial properties throughout Camberwell. Having fitted laminate in London for 20+ years across the board in the most affordable ranges, the team will know which is worth it and which is a lost cause 6 months down the road. There’s no faking that type of experience.

Herringbone in Camberwell, what a perfect idea! This is one of the most requested things of the moment and it’s no surprise.

There’s a lot in Commercial Spaces that’s right.

When commercial floor installers look at pattern floors, they look at things in a totally different perspective — durability first, looks second. A herringbone floor in a café, office or retail area is going to take a beating that no domestic floor will take. Trolleys. Stilettos. A thousand times a week, chair legs had to be dragged across the surface. Daily use cleaning products.

The good news is that all this can be dealt with with the right laminate or engineered wood in a herringbone lay. Commercial floor installers who work with experienced installers will know which commercial floor products offer the wear ratings that will endure high traffic floors without looking shabby in eighteen months.

Best Flooring Fitters London have undertaken commercial installations throughout London — offices, restaurants, boutiques, communal building areas, to name just a few. Herringbone floored reception areas set a tone from the start. Clients notice. Customers pause.

That first impression? Worth every penny.

Why Trust Best Flooring Fitters London?

Fitting floors for 20 years in London means that you’ve seen just about every subfloor issue out there. Concrete that sweats. Joists that bounce. Old adhesive that refuses to come up clean. A fitter that has 20 years expertise will have already dealt with your precise problem before, most likely several times.

A good Wood Floor Fitters London will bring that experience with them on each job. They don’t take a stab at moisture readings. They use tools, manufacturer specifications and take time to do the preparation that makes the floor last 15 years instead of five.

Before the laying process begins, ask any flooring fitters that you’d consider hiring about the process. If they are unable to provide you a clear detailed answer regarding subfloor preparation, layout planning and acclimatisation, then move on.

Pattern Choices: Quick Lay of the Land

Not all pattern floors are created equal. Let’s take a look at the key choices:

Herringbone — The classic. Planks at 45° or 90°. Works in narrow corridors, large open spaces. Adds length to small spaces.

Parquet block — Thicker, more traditional. Old London house. Common for use in period restoration work. Glue on to subfloor.

Chevron — Just like herringbone, but the lines are cut at an angle so that the points fit together perfectly. Sharper, more modern feel. Less common fit and harder to fit than herringbone (there are less fitters who do it well).

Versailles panel — Showstopper. Big square panels of complex internal geometry. For use with statement rooms only. It’s not for the faint hearted — or those who want to stick to their budgets.

Herringbone, whether engineered wood or laminate, strikes a balance between appearance, durability and price – perfect for most London homes.

Don’t let the wrong fitter put his fingers on it

When pattern floors go wrong, it costs a lot of money to fix them. Lifting glued down lifting boards, re-prepping a subfloor, relaying a whole room – that can mount up very quickly. Cost savings of using the lowest priced fitter can be lost entirely in remedial work.

Wood Floor Fitters London services offered by Best Flooring Fitters London has the kind of aftercare and workmanship guarantee on which you can stand if something goes wrong. That’s not just comforting – it’s insurance that’s really useful!

Whether you are a homeowner, landlord who is refitting your rental properties or a business owner who is designing your commercial space, you deserve a floor that is as good as it appears. To skimp on the fit is a downright false economy.

Take no chances on the floors. Contact Best Flooring Fitters London at 020 3322 7001 or check out flooringfitterslondon.org.uk for a booking today. Properly lay out pattern floors — the first time.