Herringbone Flooring Specifications
Herringbone floor is a type of hardwood floor with a very distinctive pattern. This pattern involves cutting wood into show rows and then laying these rows in a slanted pattern of parallel lines. You lay the floor by hand, laying out individual sections at a time. Before laying your herringbone floor, clean your concrete or plywood flooring to ensure that your subfloor sticks properly. Lay out your room as well, including measuring the room's diagonals. Does this Spark an idea?
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Subfloor
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You must lay a subfloor under herringbone flooring since you must glue, nail or staple the flooring into it. Generally, herringbone floors are glue-downs, but you can use the other methods as well. Plywood is commonly used as a subfloor for herringbone flooring. You must purchase plywood that is 3/4 inches thick. If your floor is not even, use a 3/8-inch plywood underlay. Even if you install a board subfloor, you must use a plywood underlayment that is at least 3/8 inches thick.
Size
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According to Hardwood Installer.com, the size of the herringbone floor boards depends on who you purchase the boards from. The site indicates that the Canadian company, Mirage Hardwood Floors, sells herringbone flooring that is 2 9/16 inches thick and that is either 13 3/4 or 17 7/8 inches long. Kahrs Wood Floors sells boards that are 2 3/4 inches wide by 18 1/2 inches long.
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Colors
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Generally, you can use any type of wood for herringbone flooring. For example, Kahrs Wood Floors sells herringbone flooring made of red oak, Brazilian cherry, walnut, doussie and red oak. You can purchase flooring of all the same type or alternate boards, creating a multi-colored pattern. For example, walnut is very dark while Brazilian cherry is a lighter red. Mixing these two together creates a varied light and dark pattern. Another type of herringbone flooring is paper faced. Paper faced herringbone flooring has narrow finger joints and creates small patterns. You must glue down this type of flooring since it is more delicate than the longer lengths.
Unfinished
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Besides finished boards, you can also purchase unfinished products, which are usually cheaper. These boards require you to sand and finish the product once it is laid. You can purchase these already cut into the proper lengths, or you can make your own cuts using a jig. A jig is used in conjunction with a table saw, and it controls the movement of the blade, creating consistent and even cuts.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit herringbone image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com
