Laying Herringbone Flooring

Traditional 45-Degree Herringbone Floor Pattern

• 1

  Lay a 5-by-5-by-7.07-inch triangular tile at the upper left corner of the flooring’s baseline or corner of the room. The longer side of the triangle tile should touch the left wall or baseline so it looks like the tile is pointing to the right. Continue to lay triangular tiles in the same manner along the left side of the wall or baseline. You should end up with a vertical line of triangular tiles that point to the right.

• 2

  Lay a 5-by-10-inch rectangular tile between the first two triangular tiles that you previously laid. As you lay the tile, point it down at a 45-degree angle so it fits into the space between the two triangular tiles. Continue to lay rectangular tiles in the same manner along the row of triangular tiles.

• 3

  Lay the third row of the flooring by placing the short end of a rectangular tile just along the lower right side of a rectangular tile in the second row. The short right side of the second tile in the second row should be flush with the long side of the tile you just placed. The shape you will form with the two rectangular tiles should look like an upside-down, uppercase letter L that's slanted 45 degrees tp the left. Lay the remaining tiles in this row in the same manner.

• 4

  Lay the fourth row of tiles. Place a rectangular tile in the triangular gap that the tiles in the previous row form. The lower short side of the tile in the third row is flush with the second tile in the fourth row. Lay the tiles in the fourth row in the same manner.

• 5

  Use the same process to lay rectangular tiles in the rows that follow. When you lay the tiles at a 45-degree angle, the rows will alternate between tiles that point up and those that point down.

• 6

  Lay triangular tiles around the perimeter of the flooring space. When you finish laying the rectangular tiles, you'll see triangular-shaped gaps along the edges that are the same size as the triangular tiles that you previously laid.

90-Degree Inserted Herringbone Floor Pattern

• 7

  Place a 5-inch square tile in the upper left corner of the baseline or the corner of the room.

• 8

  Lay a 5-by-10-inch rectangular tile vertically under the square tile. The short end of the rectangular tile should touch the square tile.

• 9

  Place a rectangular tile horizontally under the second tile you laid. The two rectangular tiles will form an uppercase letter L.

• 10

  Repeat the three-tile pattern until you complete the row.

• 11

  Lay a rectangular tile vertically next to the first square tile that you laid, making sure that the tops of the tiles are flush.

• 12

  Lay a rectangular tile horizontally under the vertical tile you just placed. The tiles will look like you placed an L-shape within another L-shape.

• 13

  Place a rectangular tile vertically under the horizontal tile you just laid. The top of the vertical tile should touch the lower right side of the horizontal tile, like an upside-down letter L. Lay horizontal and vertical rectangular tiles in an alternating fashion until you fill up the flooring space.

• 14

  Lay square tiles in the gaps that remain.