Which Way To Run Laminate Flooring

The length of the flooring board will more often than not run with the length of the room.

Which way to run laminate flooring.

If the room happens to be square the floor boards should run in the direction of the room s light source. When deciding the direction to install laminate flooring you have to consider your space lighting and decor. The best direction generally depends primarily on the shape of the house. Laying the flooring parallel to the longest side of the room creates the most pleasing appearance and makes the room appear longer than it is.

If you re installing your flooring on a main floor you will want to float the floor in the same direction throughout all of the rooms to create a cohesive feel. For example if you want a hallway to seem longer it is better to use the laminate flooring in the lengthways direction. Depending on how you want to show your room you can choose the orientation of the laminate flooring panels. The best way to decide is to lay out the floor and visualize what looks best.

In the same vein it s typically recommended that planks are installed parallel to the longest wall of the room. You want those boards to look like they are laid they way they are in a bowling alley all the way into the home through to the back. If you prefer a layout that requires the boards to run parallel to the joists you need to shore up the subfloor by adding a layer of 3 8 inch plywood. The rows of laminate planks should have a staggered sawtooth appearance so that seams never line up in adjacent rows.

Think of hallway flooring for a good example. Older houses with 1 inch planks running. As a general rule laminate flooring should be laid in the same direction as the longest wall in the room. Moving from right to left the last piece in each row will always be cut off with the cut off piece from the left shifting down to begin the next row of flooring on the right.

Here are a few tips to help you decide. It is common to see the laminate or wood flooring boards running with the direction of the longest walls in a room. If you have a width wise open concept run the flooring parallel to the longest walls. Run it from the front door straight to the back of the house perpendicular to the front.

Laminate flooring and space laminate flooring laid lengthways can have an expanding effect. Stay away from turning your wood flooring in different directions in different rooms in an attempt to create interest.