The Herringbone pattern has decorated the finest homes for centuries. Today it’s the most-searched flooring style in Manchester — and with good reason. The interlocking zig-zag creates immediate visual depth, making rooms feel wider, taller, and more considered than any straight plank ever could.
But here’s what most suppliers won’t tell you: Herringbone is one of the most technically demanding floors to install. A single millimetre of error at the starting point compounds across the whole room. Get the first line wrong and by the time the fitter reaches the far wall, the pattern has visibly drifted.
At Luxury Flooring Manchester, Herringbone is our speciality — not a product we occasionally fit alongside carpets. Our in-house team installs Herringbone week in, week out, across South Manchester and Cheshire. We’ve developed a precision process that guarantees the pattern flows perfectly, the borders sit flush, and every corner is hand-scribed to perfection.
Both materials deliver the Herringbone look. The right choice depends on where it’s going, how you live, and your budget.
| Feature | Real Wood Herringbone | LVT Herringbone |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Natural grain, unique per floor | High-definition print, consistent finish |
| Warmth underfoot | ✅ Genuine warmth | ❌ Cooler feel |
| Waterproof | ❌ Not suitable for wet areas | ✅ 100% waterproof |
| Scratch resistance | Moderate (re-sandable) | ✅ High |
| Suitable for underfloor heating | ✅ | ✅ |
| Suitable for kitchens | ✅ Engineered only — avoid direct water contact | ✅ Recommended |
| Suitable for bathrooms | ❌ Not recommended | ✅ Recommended |
| Can be sanded & refinished | ✅ | ❌ |
| Supply cost (m²) | From £39/m² | From £25/m² |
| Fitting cost (m²) | From £35/m² | From £50/m² |
| Maintenance | Occasional oiling/lacquering | Wipe-clean, minimal |
| Longevity | 25–100 years (with care) | 7–35 years |
| Character over time | ✅ Patina develops naturally | ❌ |
💡 Can’t decide? LVT is our most popular Herringbone choice for kitchens, open-plan spaces, and family homes. Real Wood is the premium choice for living rooms and bedrooms where warmth and authenticity matter most.
A Herringbone floor is only as good as the fitter.
The pattern exposes every imperfection — an unlevel subfloor, a slightly skewed starting line, a border that doesn’t quite meet the wall. Errors that are invisible under straight planks become glaring under Herringbone.
1. Home Visit & Room Assessment
Before a plank is ordered, our surveyor visits your home. We assess subfloor condition, measure moisture levels, check for level variation, and confirm which installation method — glue-down or floating — is right for your room.
2. Subfloor Preparation
We screed uneven areas and ply-board where required to achieve a glass-flat base. No shortcuts. A Herringbone floor on a poor subfloor will creak, rock, and fail — regardless of the quality of the board above it.
3. Laser Set-Out
We use laser lines to establish the perfect centre point of the room. This is non-negotiable for Herringbone — it ensures the pattern is symmetrically balanced from every doorway and sight line.
4. Precision Laying
Blocks or planks are laid working outward from the centre. Adhesive is applied in controlled sections to prevent open-time issues. We continually check alignment against the laser reference throughout.
5. Border & Scribing
The border blocks are hand-scribed and cut to fit perfectly against your skirting boards or walls. We can also install feature borders and tramlines — ask at your home visit.
See what your neighbours are saying.
Altrincham – Woodpecker Oak
“Thanks for the expert advice. My new floor is perfect and has really brought my interior design vision together. I will certainly recommend you.”
Didsbury – LVT Herringbone
“Our new Project Floors herringbone has transformed our kitchen! The timeless elegance and realistic wood look are stunning. A stress-free experience.”
Chorlton – Karndean
“My house is now a home with my dream Herringbone floor. Thank you for introducing me to Karndean Art Select and saving me £££s! Lee, you are a legend!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Supply Costs
Fitting Costs
Additional Costs to Budget For
A typical 20m² Herringbone project (mid-range LVT, full glue-down, ply-board, preparation): Supply + fitting + adhesive + ply: approximately £2,400 fully installed.
Our Wythenshawe showroom isn’t a typical flooring warehouse. The Design Tables allow you to:
📍📍 Annabelle House, Southmoor Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M23 9DS | Easy parking | Relaxed, no-pressure atmosphere | Get Directions to showroom
We supply and fit wood flooring across South Manchester, Trafford and Cheshire East — from engineered oak plank flooring in Didsbury to wide-board herringbone in Wilmslow and full glue-down parquet in Altrincham. If you are searching for wood flooring fitters near you, the chances are we already work on your street.
Not sure if we cover your area? Call us on 0161 902 0920.
Yes — significantly. Herringbone fitting starts from £50/m² compared to £30/m² for straight planks. It requires a specialist who understands geometric set-out, laser alignment, and hand-scribing. A poorly fitted Herringbone is immediately obvious; a well-fitted one is something you’ll point out with pride for years.
The opposite is usually true. A correctly laid Herringbone draws the eye along the diagonal, making rooms feel longer and wider. The effect is amplified in hallways, where the pattern creates a strong visual runway.
Engineered herringbone is suitable for kitchens. Solid & engineered wood flooring is not recommended for bathrooms due to moisture sensitivity. LVT Herringbone is 100% waterproof and our recommended choice for both.
In Herringbone, blocks meet at 90° with each plank end butting into the side of the adjacent plank. In Chevron, plank ends are cut at an angle to meet in a perfect point at the centreline. Chevron looks more refined and formal; Herringbone more classic and characterful. We supply and fit both
Absolutely. We offer plain solid borders, double-line tramlines, and contrasting feature borders — all hand-scribed to fit your room perfectly. Ask your surveyor at the home visit.
LVT Herringbone is fully compatible with underfloor heating. Engineered wood Herringbone is also suitable, provided the UFH system is properly commissioned before fitting. We survey UFH installations carefully before proceeding.
A standard room of 20–25m² typically takes one to two days for our specialist team, including subfloor preparation, full set-out, pattern laying, and border scribing.
As a general guide: classic blocks (70×280mm) for period homes and rooms under 20m²; wide planks (120×600mm) for contemporary spaces and open-plan rooms; Whalebone for statement rooms of 30m² and above. Best confirmed in person at our showroom design tables.
Yes — supply-only is available. However, Herringbone is specialist work and we’ve seen too many boards damaged by inexperienced installers. If your fitter hasn’t done it before, it’s a risk worth discussing with us first.
We offer Manchester’s exclusive installation warranty — covering both product and workmanship. Combined with the manufacturer’s product warranty (matching the manufacturers warranty), you’re fully protected.
Book a free home visit and our specialist team will come to you — measuring, advising, and bringing samples to your room.
We provide expert supply and fitting across Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
View All Flooring Installation Areas in Manchester & Cheshire
