Direction To Run Wood Flooring

Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it provides the best result aesthetically.

Direction to run wood flooring. Run it from the front door straight to the back of the house perpendicular to the front. The most common way to lay install hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall or run in the installation. The direction you choose can impact the visual perception of the space inside the room. However on a lighter subfloor such as plywood you will need to add a layer of three eighths inch plywood if you wish to run the floorboards parallel to the floor joists.

I ve looked at a lot of old houses with wood floors lately and at least in my area the flooring mostly runs the same way in all rooms usually the direction of the longest possible run so if the house is wider than it is long all flooring runs side to side. This allows the wood to go with the flow of traffic and look better when you come in the house. When you walk in the front door you want to see the wood running in the same direction away from the door. The direction in which the flooring runs may not be a top consideration but it is essential to plan this aspect carefully.

If you are installing wood into the area by the front door you may want to consider running the boards perpendicular to the door. If the house is longer than it is wide the flooring runs front to back. If you want your room to feel smaller and warmer lay your wood flooring from side wall to a side wall. 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.

While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines. You will only be able to run boards perpendicular or diagonal to the joists without a sturdy subfloor as the boards need support to prevent sagging. Before going with a standard vertical pattern consider the shape and size of your room.