Hardwood flooring is extremely popular, and for good reasons, it is more durable and elegant and enhances the visual appearance and comfort where installed. But before installing a new hard flooring you should decide on the direction of planks. No worry, we are here to help you choose the best pattern and direction.
The Direction Of Joist And Sub-Flooring
The direction of joists plays a critical role in deciding which direction you should lay your hardwood flooring. Experts recommend installing planks perpendicular to the joists. This will fortify the flooring and make it less susceptible to the flooring unevenness. Installing planks parallel to the building joists increases the risk of sagging and creating gaps between the planks. However, if you prefer laying down boards parallel to the joists, you can shore up the flooring by adding some wider planks between boards.
Subfloor Condition
Regardless of the age of your building, you should inspect the subfloor before hardwood installation to find out how flat it is. Can you see any unevenness or sagging in the subfloor? Does the subfloor jump when waked on? In that case, you possibly have to repair the subfloor before hardwood installation. If you’re in doubt, you can hire an engineer to measure the subfloor flatness level and tell you if you need to get the subfloor fixed. Anyway, if you don’t want to invest on subfloor now, you have no way other than installing flooring planks normal to the direction of joist running. But you have no way of knowing if it will work and for how many years the flooring will last.
Sightlines
If you are after less busy-looking space, you’d better think of laying down your hardwood planks from the room entrance to the opposite wall. Arranging flooring planks in this way will simplify the room sightline and make it look bigger. This is one of the best hardwood flooring directions suggested by flooring professional. Why this arrangement is so popular and practical? Because laying the boards in this way allows the planks naturally flow with the natural traffic and look better, meanwhile, when compared to more fantastic patterns, this layout is easy to install and repair.
Diagonal Plank Installation
You are free to choose other plank installation layouts other than parallel or perpendicular to the subflooring line. A diagonal installation is as stable as boards perpendicular to joists meanwhile creates a more interesting visual effect and your room will look more elegant and contemporary. This hardwood flooring design is more suited for large rooms. While a 45-degree angle is the most common pattern used, it’s not the only option you have. For example, planks that are skewed slightly with respect to a wall-perhaps a little as 10-degree- will create a unifying visual appearance in the room.
One drawback of this pattern is that laying down plank at a slope to the wall requires more time and you will end up with more unusable plank because of cuts. Besides, it’s not considered as DIY-friendly project and most of the time, you have to hire some expert to install the hardwood for you.
Fancy Patterns
If you prefer, you may go fancier and try an interesting layout such as Chevron or Herringbone. If done correctly, they add undoubtedly depth and dimension to your room and create an aesthetically pleasing look that could astonish everyone. When choosing exotic hardwood patterns:
– You should consider 15% extra flooring material for the waste rather than the usual 10%.
– The installation process is more time consuming
– Complicated and fantastic flooring patterns like Herringbone require a seasoned hand to lay down, so it’s not wise to DO It Yourself.
– The result is; to getting fancy, you are more chancy to pay more for flooring.
Natural Light
When installing a hardwood flooring look for the natural light source. If you lay planks perpendicular to the source direction, any height variation in the flooring will show up and cast a small shadow on the neighbouring planks. So, it’s better to lay hardwood boards in the direction of light, especially when your room has a lot of natural lighting. On contrary, running your floor in the direction of the light will hide lines between planks and result in a well-favoured flooring.
In the end, there is no right or wrong way of laying hardwood flooring. However, following our instructions will make your room appear more eye-catching and save you some money and time.
Disclaimer
This website is presented by A1 Flooring Vic for the purpose of disseminating information free of charge for the benefit of the public. A1 Flooring Vic does not guarantee, and accepts no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this website or on any linked site. A1 Flooring Vic recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to their use of this website and that users carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the material on the website for their purposes. The material on this website is a summary only of the subject matter covered and is not intended to be nor should it be relied on as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. Users should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. The material on this website may include the views or recommendations of third parties, which do not necessarily reflect the views of A1 Flooring Vic, or indicate its commitment to a particular course of action.
References
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