Buying Guides · 9 min read
Cheap Herringbone Flooring: LVT and Engineered Wood Options Compared
Reviewed by our team, led by Adam Williams, Managing Director
Herringbone has gone from a period-property feature to the most requested flooring pattern in the UK. Developers are fitting it in new-build apartments, landlords are using it to lift rental values, designers are specifying it for everything from boutique hotels to family homes. It signals quality – and tenants and buyers notice.
In this article
- LVT Herringbone: the Practical Choice
- Engineered Wood Herringbone: the Real Thing for Less
- Cheap Herringbone LVT vs Laminate: Why We Usually Choose LVT
- LVT Herringbone vs Engineered Wood Herringbone: Which Should You Choose?
- Cheap Parquet Flooring: Herringbone As an Affordable Parquet Option
- How Grosvenor+ Makes Herringbone More Affordable
- See It in Person: Our 24/7 Smart Showroom
- Where to Start
- Frequently Asked Questions
The problem used to be price. Hand-laid solid wood parquet meant a specialist fitter, weeks of work and a budget that ruled it out for most projects. That’s no longer the case. Affordable herringbone flooring in LVT and engineered wood now delivers the same zigzag pattern at a fraction of the cost with faster installation and – in the case of LVT – full waterproofing.
This guide covers every affordable herringbone option available from Grosvenor Flooring in both LVT and engineered wood and explains how Grosvenor+ trade members get access to significantly better prices – especially important when herringbone uses 10-15% more material per square metre than standard plank.
LVT Herringbone: the Practical Choice
LVT herringbone delivers the pattern without the price tag or installation complexity of real wood. The planks are pre-cut to herringbone dimensions and either glue down onto a flat subfloor or click together as rigid-core SPC. No sanding, no finishing, no two-week acclimatisation. A standard room can be laid in a day.
Browse the full LVT herringbone range.
GF Herringbone LVT (Our Own Brand)
Our own GF range is where most value herringbone projects start. GF Glue-Down LVT comes in herringbone, chevron and basketweave. It has a 0.7mm tier for the busiest rooms. GF SPC has eight click herringbone designs. GF by Associated Weavers adds a 114 x 457mm parquet for herringbone. Every GF floor is priced online and samples are free by post. Textures and Elements also come in a 95 x 380mm herringbone. You can browse every option in our LVT herringbone collection.
Nordikka Tromso Herringbone LVT (Glue-Down)
Nordikka Tromso is a glue-down herringbone with realistic wood-effect designs. It’s the most affordable way to get herringbone into a project at scale – the price per square metre makes it viable even when covering large open-plan living areas or long hallways. Glue-down gives you a permanent, fully bonded finish with no edge lifting, which makes it the preferred format for high-traffic rental properties and commercial spaces.
Prices are on site and you can order free samples to check colourways against your walls, kitchen units, or client’s mood board before committing.
Nordikka Bodo Herringbone SPC (Click-Fit)
Nordikka Bodo is the click-fit version – rigid-core SPC planks that lock together without adhesive. Installation is faster than glue-down and the rigid core handles slight subfloor imperfections better, which means less prep work.
If speed matters – fitting out between tenancies, working to a tight handover date, or laying across multiple units in a single week – Bodo is the practical choice. It’s also easier to uplift and replace a damaged section without disturbing the rest of the floor.
Both Nordikka herringbone ranges deliver a genuinely premium look at a price that works for multi-room and multi-property projects – especially with Grosvenor+ trade pricing applied.
Explore our full range of cheap LVT flooring options.
Engineered Wood Herringbone: the Real Thing for Less
If you want genuine oak herringbone – the warmth, the grain, the character that only real wood delivers – engineered wood gives you that at a fraction of what solid parquet would cost. Engineered boards have a real oak top layer bonded to a stable multi-layer core (our GF engineered wood uses multi-ply), which means you get the look and feel of solid wood with better dimensional stability and less risk of expansion and contraction with temperature changes.
Browse the full engineered wood herringbone range.
GF by Grosvenor Flooring Herringbone (Best Value Real Wood)
The GF engineered wood range includes an extensive herringbone collection named after Cheshire and South Manchester locations – Alderley Oak, Farndon Oak, Ridley Oak, Bickerton Oak, Baddiley Oak, Barbridge Oak and many more. The designs are classic, the oak is genuine and because GF is our own label you’re not paying a premium for a third-party brand name.
For developers and landlords, GF herringbone is arguably the best-value real-wood herringbone on the market right now. You get genuine oak at a price point that makes it feasible to install across entire apartments or houses – not just a single feature room. And with Grosvenor+ trade pricing, the numbers get significantly better.
The GF range also includes Versailles panels if you want something different from the classic herringbone zigzag. GF does not make an engineered chevron; for chevron in real wood, see our engineered wood chevron range.
See our full range of cheap wood flooring options.
Cheap Herringbone LVT vs Laminate: Why We Usually Choose LVT
When searching for affordable herringbone flooring, many people start by looking for cheap herringbone laminate. It makes sense on paper – laminate is inexpensive and available in herringbone patterns from most budget suppliers.
But here’s what laminate herringbone can’t deliver:
Waterproofing. Most laminate is sensitive to moisture. In kitchens, damp entrances or rentals where spills are frequent, standard laminate herringbone can swell at the joints. LVT is waterproof, so it handles bathrooms, kitchens and high-traffic spaces without that risk. If you prefer laminate, check that the range is listed for the room you have in mind.
Realistic Texture. Budget laminate herringbone has an obvious printed surface. LVT – particularly rigid-core options like Nordikka Bodo – features embossed surfaces that feel like real wood grain when you walk on it. The visual difference is marked.
Durability Between Tenancies. Budget laminate scratches more easily than a good LVT wear layer. For rental properties that turn over regularly, LVT herringbone usually lasts longer between refits, which makes it the economical choice.
Speed of Installation. Laminate herringbone typically uses floating underlay, which requires more prep and adjustment. LVT can be glued directly to flat subfloors or clicked together (SPC), meaning faster installation and fewer surprises during fit.
If you have been researching cheap herringbone laminate, compare it with LVT before you decide. We sell both, including Evergreen and Lignum laminate herringbone, but for wet rooms and busy rentals LVT is the one we usually recommend. With Grosvenor+ trade pricing, LVT herringbone is often close to laminate on price.
LVT Herringbone vs Engineered Wood Herringbone: Which Should You Choose?
This comes down to three things: where it’s going, who’s using it and how often you expect to replace it.
Choose LVT herringbone if the space sees moisture (bathrooms, kitchens, utility rooms, ground-floor hallways), if you need fast installation (click SPC herringbone can be laid in a day), or if durability between tenancies matters more than the feel underfoot. LVT is the practical default for rental properties and high-turnover spaces.
Choose engineered wood herringbone if the space is a living room, bedroom, or dining area where the warmth and character of real oak genuinely adds value – either to the rental yield or to the sale price. Engineered wood herringbone makes a property feel premium in a way that even the best LVT can’t quite replicate.
Or use both. This is what many of our developer and landlord customers do. Engineered wood herringbone in the living areas, LVT herringbone in the kitchen, hallway and bathrooms. Match the colourway across both materials for a cohesive look throughout the property, while using the right product in each room.
Cheap Parquet Flooring: Herringbone As an Affordable Parquet Option
Parquet flooring – the category that encompasses herringbone, chevron and Versailles patterns – used to mean solid wood cut and laid by hand. That’s still an option if you want it, but the cost and installation time made parquet rare in modern projects.
Today, affordable parquet flooring comes in two forms: engineered wood parquet and LVT parquet.
Engineered wood parquet (including our GF herringbone and Versailles ranges) delivers genuine oak parquet with the stability and cost-effectiveness of engineered construction. You’re getting real wood, real grain and real aesthetic value at a price that works across multiple rooms.
LVT parquet (like Nordikka herringbone) looks like parquet, installs like parquet and is priced like parquet – but without the moisture vulnerability or the need for specialist fitters. It’s the practical modern take on the classic parquet pattern.
Whether you’re looking for cheap parquet vinyl flooring or engineered wood parquet, both options are available at Grosvenor with Grosvenor+ trade discounts applied.
How Grosvenor+ Makes Herringbone More Affordable
Herringbone uses more material per square metre than standard plank – typically 10-15% more due to the cutting pattern. When you’re covering multiple rooms or multiple properties, that material premium adds up fast. That’s where Grosvenor+ trade pricing makes a real difference.
Grosvenor+ is our trade and professional programme, open to landlords, developers, builders, property maintenance companies and interior designers. It’s free to apply and once approved you unlock:
Member Pricing – exclusive trade pricing across all our LVT and engineered wood ranges. When you’re ordering herringbone for an entire property or multiple units, the per-square-metre saving compounds quickly.
Ex-VAT Display – prices switch to ex-VAT when you log in, making project budgeting and client quoting cleaner and faster.
10 Free Samples Per Order – compare herringbone colourways side by side, test against real fixtures, or present options to clients. Ten samples is enough to shortlist confidently without guessing from a screen.
Project Tools – save herringbone products into named project folders for each job. If you’re fitting the same spec across multiple properties, reordering is one click.
AI Mood Board Matcher – upload a design reference or interior photo and our AI tool suggests matching herringbone products from our range. Useful for designers working to a client brief. Sign up for Grosvenor+ to access it.
QR Referral Programme – your personal QR code gives your customers access to your Grosvenor+ pricing for 30 days. You earn 1% of every referred order as store credit. Designers and builders who recommend herringbone to clients can turn every installation into recurring credit.
Applying takes two minutes. Most applications are approved the same business day.
Want trade pricing now? Apply for Grosvenor+ here or learn more about our trade accounts.
Grosvenor+
Elevate your project with Grosvenor+
Premium membership for professionals and discerning homeowners who demand excellence in every square metre.
- Exclusive pricing & discounts across thousands of flooring products.
- Priority fitting and dedicated project support.
- Member tools — project boards, QR referrals and more.
See It in Person: Our 24/7 Smart Showroom
Herringbone is one of those patterns you really need to see at scale before committing. Our smart showroom in Altrincham is open 24/7 – no appointment needed. Request a security code online and visit any time to compare LVT herringbone and engineered wood herringbone side by side. See how different colourways work in real light and at full room scale.
Where to Start
Browse our LVT herringbone collection or engineered wood herringbone range. Order free samples to test colourways in your space. Apply for Grosvenor+ to see trade pricing before your next project.
Not sure which herringbone format is right? Get in touch – our team can recommend the right product for your space, timeline and budget. You can also read our flooring sale guide on how trade pricing works or learn more about becoming a trade flooring supplier partner.
Who leads our guides
Managing Director, Grosvenor Flooring
Adam Williams is Managing Director of Grosvenor Flooring in Altrincham. He sets the standards our guides are written to and guides the team that reviews them, so the advice matches the floors we supply, the manufacturers' specifications and the way the fitters we work with install them.
More about Adam →Floor Finder
Not sure which floor to choose?
Answer a few quick questions about your room, who uses it and the look you like. Floor Finder picks the designs that suit you best, with prices per m² and a rough cost for your room.
Start Floor FinderFrequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest herringbone flooring?
Value luxury vinyl and laminate herringbone are the most affordable ways to get the pattern, while engineered wood herringbone sits at a higher price.
Is cheap herringbone still good quality?
Yes. Value herringbone ranges give the pattern and a durable finish at a lower price; choose a higher wear layer for busy rooms.
Is herringbone more expensive to fit?
Yes. Herringbone takes longer to set out than straight plank, so fitting costs more than a standard layout.
Can Grosvenor supply and fit herringbone?
Yes. We supply herringbone nationwide and offer supply and fit locally using a regular team of fitters we know and trust.
GF by Associated Weavers
Premium-spec glue-down, fairly priced
0.55mm wear layerPlank & parquet25-year warranty
Shop the range →