Herringbone flooring has been having its moment for a while now, and honestly, we do not see it going anywhere. There is a reason this particular lay pattern keeps appearing on mood boards, in renovation reveals, and on the floors of beautifully redesigned homes across Ireland; it has an elegance and visual depth that straight-lay planks simply cannot match, and it works equally well in period homes where it feels genuinely traditional and in modern interiors where it adds a touch of classic glamour.
At Master Carpets and Flooring, one of the ranges that our customers keep coming back to is the Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone 12mm Laminate collection. Made in France by Alsafloor, the only laminate manufacturer in the country, it delivers the classic herringbone look in a robust, water-resistant 12mm laminate built to a specification that stands apart from most of what you will find at this price point. In this guide, we are going to walk you through everything you need to know about the range. Read on to see whether it might be the right floor for your home.
Before we get into the specifics of the Alsafloor range, it is worth spending a moment on the herringbone pattern itself, because understanding why it is so visually effective helps you appreciate what this type of floor brings to a room.
Herringbone is a layout pattern in which rectangular planks are laid at 90-degree angles to each other in a repeating V-shape. The name comes from the resemblance of the finished pattern to the skeleton of a herring fish, with the angled rows creating a distinctive chevron-like appearance that is simultaneously structured and dynamic. Unlike a straight plank layout, where the boards all run in the same direction and the eye travels along their length, herringbone creates movement and interest across the entire floor surface. The pattern draws the eye from multiple angles, which makes rooms feel larger, more layered, and more considered.
Herringbone has been used in flooring for centuries, from the marble floors of Italian Renaissance palaces to the oak parquet of Georgian townhouses. It has never really gone out of fashion; it has simply moved in and out of mainstream popularity. Its current resurgence is partly driven by the renovation television culture that has made homeowners far more design-conscious, and partly by the availability of engineered and laminate options that make the look accessible without the cost of traditional solid parquet.
The herringbone layout is particularly effective in hallways and corridors, where its directional movement creates a sense of length and intention in a space that a straight-lay floor can leave feeling slightly flat. It is equally at home in living rooms, dining rooms and open-plan kitchen areas, where its visual complexity anchors the room in a way that a simple plank layout rarely achieves.
The Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone carries an AC6 durability rating. This is worth pausing on, because AC6 is not just the highest domestic classification, it exceeds it. Most laminate flooring marketed as premium sits at AC5, which covers heavy domestic use and medium commercial traffic. AC6 goes further, covering intensive commercial traffic as well as the most demanding residential environments. In practical terms, this means a floor that will handle everything a busy Irish household can throw at it, pets, children, heavy furniture, and high foot traffic, with real margin to spare. If you want a herringbone floor that will still look good in twenty or thirty years, AC6 is the rating to look for.
One of the defining quality features of the Solid Plus Herringbone is its in-registered texture, where the surface grain and embossing are perfectly aligned with the printed wood pattern beneath. The result is a floor that not only looks like real timber but feels like it underfoot, with a raised texture that follows the wood veins exactly as they would on a real plank. This is the detail that separates a convincing laminate from a flat, plasticky one, and it is what Alsafloor describe as giving “the perfect illusion of a real parquet.”
One of the most practical features of the Solid Plus Herringbone range is its 100-hour water-resistant construction. Alsafloor uses a dual-protection system: watertight paint applied to the bevelling and a double layer of their proprietary Alsabeille wax sprayed onto the click system. Together, these make the assembly watertight to NALFA Level 1 requirements, meaning the floor withstands the spills and splashes of daily life without swelling or warping at the joints. The bevel protection is particularly useful in herringbone installations, where the number of exposed edges is higher than in a straight plank lay.
Each plank in the Solid Plus Herringbone range measures 644mm in length and 143mm in width. These proportions are specifically calibrated for herringbone installation, producing a pattern that looks balanced and well-scaled without appearing either too fine and fussy or too coarse and heavy.
Installation is made significantly easier by Alsafloor’s patented X Lock click system, developed specifically for their herringbone range. Unlike conventional herringbone installation, which requires separate left-hand and right-hand planks, the X Lock system uses a single board that works in both orientations. This simplifies ordering and on-site installation considerably, and Alsafloor provides a dedicated calculator on their website to help you work out quantities and order the patented starter triangles that make getting the first row straight much easier.
The planks feature four chamfered V-grooves, one on each edge, which define each board clearly and contribute to the realistic parquet-like appearance of the finished floor. The range comes with a 35-year residential warranty from Alsafloor, one of the most generous guarantees in the laminate category.
The Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone range available at Master Carpets and Flooring comes in nine colour options, spanning pale, airy tones through warm naturals to one deep, dramatic finish. Here is a guide to each.
Jefferson is the palest option in the range, a cool, lightly whitewashed oak that works beautifully in bright, contemporary spaces and feels fresh and uncluttered in open-plan layouts.
Beige Oak and Sandalwood Oak sit in the very light, warm-neutral territory, bringing a soft, natural look that pairs well with almost any wall colour or furniture choice. These are among the most versatile options in the range and a safe starting point if you are unsure.
Dahlia Oak and Almond Oak are warm, mid-toned naturals with a gentle golden character. These are the colours that look most at home in period or traditional interiors, in rooms with warm wall colours, dark woodwork, or natural stone. In a hallway with original Victorian tiles or a living room with an open fireplace, a warm oak herringbone in either of these tones feels genuinely right.
Praline Oak offers a slightly richer, more caramel tone, adding warmth and depth to the herringbone pattern without feeling heavy or dark. It is a particularly popular choice for living rooms and open-plan kitchen and dining areas.
Sunset is a warm, honeyed oak with more character and visible grain movement than the paler options. It brings energy and visual interest to the herringbone pattern and works well in rooms that benefit from a warmer atmosphere.
Jarnac Oak is a new addition to the range, with a fresh, natural oak tone that balances warmth and brightness. Its clean, open grain suits both contemporary and classic settings equally well.
Chokeberry Oak is the standout dark option: a deep, smoky grey-charcoal that takes the herringbone pattern in a completely different direction. It is a striking choice for a statement hallway or a sophisticated home office, where the depth of colour combined with the visual complexity of the herringbone pattern creates a result that genuinely stops people in their tracks.
If you are unsure which colour is right for your space, we would always recommend requesting a sample before committing to a full order. Laminate flooring looks significantly different in the context of your own room, with your own light levels and wall colours, than it does on a screen or in a showroom. Our team at Master Carpets and Flooring are always happy to help you find the right direction.
The Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone planks are sold in packs of 13, covering 1.2 square metres per box. When calculating how much product you need, allow for a waste factor of approximately 10% on top of your measured floor area. This accounts for the angled cuts at the room perimeter that are inherent to herringbone installation, and ensures you have enough product to finish the job cleanly without running short.
Herringbone installations benefit from careful planning before the first board goes down. Alsafloor’s online calculator, available at alsaflooring.com, helps you work out quantities and plan your layout. Ordering the patented starter triangles at the same time as your flooring simplifies the process of establishing the first row accurately.
The Solid Plus Herringbone is a floating floor, meaning the planks click together and float over the subfloor. A quality underlay is essential, both for sound absorption and to create the slight cushioning that helps the floor feel solid underfoot. The subfloor itself must be flat, clean, and dry; any high spots should be addressed before installation begins.
The range is compatible with underfloor heating, including low-temperature, electric, and combined heating and cooling systems, provided the Alsafloor installation protocol is followed. If you are laying over an existing heating system, condition the room to its operating temperature before laying the floor and introduce the heating gradually after installation is complete.
The Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone is a strong choice across a wide range of projects, but there are some circumstances where it stands out as a particularly compelling option.
It is an excellent choice for homeowners who want the herringbone look at a realistic budget without compromising on specification. The AC6 rating, 35-year guarantee, 100-hour water resistance, in-registered texture, and Made-in-France manufacturing all sit well above what you would typically expect at the laminate price point. If you have been assuming that herringbone means either real parquet at a significant cost or a budget laminate that will need replacing in a few years, the Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone challenges both of those assumptions.
It is also a particularly strong option for hallways and high-traffic areas, where both the herringbone pattern and the AC6 durability rating deliver the most value. A floor that has to handle daily foot traffic, outdoor shoes, pushchairs, and pets for the next three decades needs the kind of wear resistance that the Solid Plus Herringbone is specifically built to provide.
For those undertaking a whole-house renovation, the availability of a matching straight plank in every colour makes it straightforward to create a cohesive scheme across multiple rooms without having to source from different ranges. Running the same colour in herringbone through a hallway and in straight-lay through a living and dining area creates a result that feels genuinely designed rather than assembled from whatever was available.
You can visit our 9,000 square foot showroom in Moneen, Castlebar, or browse and order online at mastercarpetsandflooring.ie with nationwide delivery across Ireland.
The Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone 12mm is one of those products that earns its place by being genuinely better-specified than the category average: AC6 durability, 100-hour water resistance, in-registered texture, PEFC-certified materials, and a 35-year guarantee, all in a herringbone laminate with nine carefully considered colour options. If you have been drawn to the herringbone look but unsure whether laminate can deliver the quality and longevity you are after, this range makes a very persuasive case.
Browse the full range online at mastercarpetsandflooring.ie or visit our showroom in Castlebar to see it in person. Our team is always happy to help you find the right floor for your home, and if you would like a sample sent out before you commit, just ask.
Product specifications referenced in this article are sourced from official Alsafloor manufacturer documentation and are subject to change without notice. The Alsafloor Solid Plus Herringbone 12mm is available to view in our 9,000 square foot showroom in Moneen, Castlebar, alongside our wider Alsafloor range. Visit mastercarpetsandflooring.ie or contact our team for more information.
