Lay Plank Flooring Long Way Or Short Way

Here are a few tips to help you decide.

Lay plank flooring long way or short way.

The best way to decide is to lay out the floor and visualize what looks best. The correct direction for laying hardwood floors. The most common way to lay install hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall or run in the installation. See figure 2 below.

Generally this is done by working from the most visible wall usually the one that greets the eye as you enter the room then working outward toward the entryway. Installing your floor this way is a general rule and common practice in installations. While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines. In this room below i ran the long side of the tile parallel to the wood floor and entrance to the room because of the direction one would be looking at the open kitchen from the living room and how one would be using the kitchen.

Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it provides the best result aesthetically. Using shorter plank lengths the ones shown are around one to two feet long results in a patchwork effect. 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. This draws the eye from side to side instead of down the length of the room.

The way your floors are laid out can affect the entire feeling of the room making it feel larger smaller busier or calmer. To combat this problem lay the flooring horizontally. Stay away from turning your wood flooring in different directions in different rooms in an attempt to create interest. In contrast using shorter planks will result in more end seams on your floor and if you go with especially short boards you will get a patchwork effect.

Laying of laminate flooring in a long narrow room. Plan the flooring layout. But at the end of the day the layout doesn t typically impact performance or quality. Vinyl plank flooring like laminate or wood flooring needs to have a layout that is pleasing to the eye.

It makes a house look chopped up and it costs more money to install particularly so in smaller and in open plan homes. Laminate flooring is a frugal and durable alternative to carpet tile and hardwood flooring. Laying hardwood flooring vertically in this situation would make the illusion even worse. Usually selecting the direction of your wood or vinyl plank flooring comes down to personal preference.