# Chevron wood flooring (point de Hongrie)

> Chevron flooring has both ends of each board cut at an angle, commonly 45 degrees, so the boards meet in a continuous point. In French it is called parquet en point de Hongrie. Herringbone, by contrast, uses square ends meeting at right angles.

Source page: https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/chevron/
Updated: 2026-11-03

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Pattern | Board ends cut at an angle so pieces meet at a continuous point; typically 45 or 60 degrees [1] |
| French name | Parquet en point de Hongrie: blades laid like bâtons rompus but with the ends cut on the mitre [2] |
| Earliest dating cited | Point de Hongrie parquet appears in the 17th century according to a French library service citing Franck Briatte [3] |
| Example engineered board (Bauwerk Formpark Rombico) | 735 x 130 x 9.5 mm, 2-ply, 45 degree blade angle [4] |
| Example solid product (Dinesen Douglas Pattern) | One chevron project used 35 mm thick, 250 mm wide, 1.4 m long planks [5] |
| Example engineered collection (OscarOno Hongrie) | Flatgrain select oak, 12 mm with a 4 mm top layer, 150 or 190 mm widths, lacquered in twelve colours [7] |
| Setting out (NWFA) | Centre of a chevron is found by dividing the whole pattern width by 2; the mitred point is the centre [6] |

Chevron flooring is a parquet pattern in which the ends of every board are cut at an angle, so that neighbouring boards meet in a continuous V-shaped point [1]. In French it is parquet en point de Hongrie, laid like [herringbone](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/herringbone/) but with mitred ends [2] (explore our side-by-side comparison of [herringbone vs chevron](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/herringbone-vs-chevron/)). The angle is commonly 45 degrees, although 60 degrees is also made [1].

## What is chevron flooring?

Havwoods explains that chevron pieces have their short ends cut at an angle, typically 45 or 60 degrees, so that boards meet at a perfect point and form a continuous zigzag line [1].

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) lists chevron with herringbone, rhombus and standard block-pattern parquet among the geometric parquet patterns [6]. As with herringbone, the boards can be solid or engineered: Dinesen offers solid Douglas planks in a chevron pattern [5], and Bauwerk makes a 2-ply engineered board with a 45 degree blade angle for chevron laying [4].

## How does chevron differ from herringbone?

| Feature | Chevron | Herringbone |
|---|---|---|
| Board ends | Cut at an angle, typically 45 or 60 degrees | Square, complete rectangles |
| How boards meet | At a perfect point | At a right angle in a broken V, staggered |
| French name | Point de Hongrie | Bâtons rompus |

Sources: [1], [6], [2]. See our [herringbone flooring page](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/herringbone/) for how its left and right boards work. The CNRTL dictionary's wording is the cleanest definition: a point de Hongrie parquet has its blades laid as in a bâtons rompus parquet, but with their ends cut on the mitre [2].

## Why "point de Hongrie"?

The name means "Hungary point". A French library research service, the Guichet du Savoir of the Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon, looked into the origin in 2016 and reported that it found no link between this type of parquet and Hungary, or the embroidery stitch of the same name. It lists the alternative names parquet point de Hongrie, chevron, arêtes de poisson, fougères and en épis [3].

On dating, it cites Franck Briatte's *Art et techniques du parquet* for the statement that point de Hongrie parquets appear in the 17th century, and a parquet maker's blog for an old laying pattern dating from the early 17th and 18th centuries [3]. Those are second-hand citations, so we treat the 17th century as a reported date, not a settled one. For the best-documented panel tradition of the same period, see [Versailles panels](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/versailles-panels/). The French terms and history are covered in more depth on our [Hungarian point parquet](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/hungarian-point/) page.

## What sizes and angles are available?

| Example | Build | Dimensions | Angle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bauwerk Formpark Rombico | 2-ply engineered | 735 x 130 x 9.5 mm | 45 degrees | [4] |
| Dinesen Douglas Pattern | Solid | One chevron project: 35 mm thick, 250 mm wide, 1.4 m long | Not stated | [5] |
| OscarOno Hongrie | Flatgrain select oak, 12 mm with 4 mm top layer | 150 or 190 mm widths | Not stated | [7] |

Bauwerk describes the 45 degree blade angle as making the board suited to chevron laying, "also known as point de Hongrie" [4]. The OscarOno Paris [Hongrie collection](https://www.oscarono.fr/collections/hongrie) is an oak chevron in point de Hongrie, lacquered in twelve colours [7]. Always confirm the angle with the manufacturer, since one maker's boards are not interchangeable with another's.

## How is chevron flooring installed?

NWFA treats chevron and herringbone installation together. Chevron patterns are often glued down. They can be nailed using the schedule for the flooring as long as the pattern keeps an exposed side tongue, and the guidance warns that a pneumatic nailer's impact can force boards out of their intended position and knock the pattern out of square [6]. A nail-assisted glue-down is another option, with fasteners strictly as a supplement to the adhesive [6].

Setting out differs slightly from herringbone. To find the centre of a chevron pattern, measure the entire pattern width and divide by 2: the mitred point is the centre. Working lines for chevron fall on the opposite mitred end of each picket, rather than through the corners of alternating slats as in herringbone [6]. Because the pattern relies on every mitre meeting exactly, it is worth keeping the substrate flat and following the manufacturer's tolerances. Our [installation methods guide](https://www.misterendgrain.com/guides/installation-methods/) covers the fixing methods in general.

## Which wood and construction should you choose?

The pattern does not decide durability; the wood and the build do. Solid chevron gives a thicker surface, as in Dinesen's 28 mm and 35 mm Douglas patterns, while engineered boards such as Bauwerk's 9.5 mm 2-ply or OscarOno's 12 mm board with a 4 mm top layer have a wear layer bonded to a backing [5] [4] [7]. Our [engineered wood flooring](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/engineered-wood/) and [solid wood flooring](https://www.misterendgrain.com/flooring/solid-wood/) pages explain the trade-offs, and [European oak](https://www.misterendgrain.com/species/european-oak/) is a common species in both patterns.

## What should you check before ordering chevron?

Four checks come straight from the sources above. First, confirm the cut angle with the manufacturer, because 45 and 60 degrees are both used and the OscarOno Hongrie page gives no angle [1] [7]. Second, check the thickness and wear layer: the NWFA says parquet thickness varies from 5/16 in to 3/4 in and may be solid or engineered [6]. Third, order by the actual dimensions of the pattern, because the NWFA notes that the quantity of pieces depends on the jobsite layout and the repetition of the pattern itself [6]. Fourth, plan the layout from several bundles or packages so that colour and grain vary across the floor [6].

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between chevron and herringbone flooring?

Chevron boards have their ends cut at an angle, typically 45 or 60 degrees, so they meet at a perfect point; herringbone planks have square ends and are rectangular and staggered [1]. The French dictionary CNRTL defines point de Hongrie parquet as laid like bâtons rompus (herringbone) but with the ends cut on the mitre [2].

### Why is chevron flooring called point de Hongrie?

The origin is unclear. A French library research service looked at its reference books and found no link between this kind of parquet and Hungary or the embroidery stitch of the same name [3]. It also lists other names: chevron, arêtes de poisson, fougères and en épis [3].

### What angle are chevron boards cut at?

Havwoods says the angle is typically 45 or 60 degrees [1]. Bauwerk's Formpark Rombico boards have a 45 degree blade angle [4]. The OscarOno Hongrie page does not state an angle [7].

### Can chevron flooring be nailed?

The NWFA says herringbone and chevron patterns are often glued down and can be nailed if the pattern keeps an exposed side tongue for nailing, but a pneumatic nailer's impact can force boards out of place and knock the pattern out of square [6].

## Sources

1. [Chevron flooring vs herringbone flooring](https://havwoods.com/au/news/chevron-flooring-vs-herringbone-flooring), Havwoods, accessed 2026-11-03
2. [Parquet (definition)](https://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/parquet), CNRTL, Trésor de la langue française informatisé (CNRS / ATILF), accessed 2026-11-03
3. [Question d'origine : parquet point de Hongrie](https://www.guichetdusavoir.org/question/voir/54620), Le Guichet du Savoir, Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon, accessed 2026-11-03
4. [Formpark Rombico product leaflet](https://a.storyblok.com/f/329196/x/dd3e75069a/bw_product-leaflet_a4_formpark-rombico_fr.pdf), Bauwerk Parkett, accessed 2026-11-03
5. [Douglas Pattern: herringbone and chevron](https://www.dinesen.com/en/products/plank-floors/douglas-pattern), Dinesen, accessed 2026-11-03
6. [Wood Flooring Installation Guidelines (revised 2025)](https://nwfa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NWFA-Installation-Guidelines.pdf), National Wood Flooring Association, accessed 2026-11-03
7. [Hongrie collection](https://www.oscarono.fr/collections/hongrie), OscarOno Paris, accessed 2026-11-03