Hardwood flooring direction

[Rob McFall]

I am trying to decide which direction to install my hardwood flooring and hope some may be able to provide some input. With regard to running the flooring perpendicular to the floor joists, I have been told that I can go any direction because I have 7/8" car decking fastened at a diagonal over the floor joists. Assuming it is true that I can go any direction I want (???), any advice which way to run my floors?

I've attached a JPEG of the floorplan. The measurements are approximately 32' x 26' for the Kitchen, Dining Room, and Office Nook areas, with the span from the Dining Room to the Office Nook being 32'. The family room area is about 17' x 25' and thus the distance from the Front Door to the back wall of the Family room is about 50 feet. My initial thought was to install the flooring front to back, but that span from the front door to the back wall of the family room is so long...I don't want it to have that bowling lane look.

I appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks,
Rob

[Lee DeRaud]

I don't want it to have that bowling lane look.Huh. I've seen articles where it says not to run it cross-ways because it creates a "ladder" look, but the easiest alternative is the "bowling lane" look.

Diagonally, that's the answer. :p :eek:

[Rob McFall]

Huh. I've seen articles where it says not to run it cross-ways because it creates a "ladder" look, but the easiest alternative is the "bowling lane" look.

Diagonally, that's the answer. :p :eek:


I edited my prior post because the picture I attempted to "draw" in the message didn't turn out. I hope the JPEG I attached can be opened. I have actually debated on doing a diagonal install just because the out of parallel walls wouldn't show up so much...

[Alan DuBoff]

Rob,

Really preference. Once you have sub-floor over the top it really doesn't matter.

Most people run it the short way, but it depends on how you want it to look, there could be reasons for running it the long way (i.e., to make the room look longer).

Diagonal works also, as Lee suggested, but takes more time and creates more waste. If you like diagonal, do that, it is all preference after all. I put hardwood flooring in a 10'x20' space and ran it across the short width, the 10' way.

[Rob McFall]

I have heard that flooring generally looks better when run the length of the room... On the other hand, you mentioned running your flooring width-wise, which sounds like it looks fine. The trouble is not knowing what it will really look like until after it is down.

[Dave Falkenstein]

We had laminate flooring professionally installed in two rooms. The installer recommended installing it so it ran toward several windows, so the light shines along the joints, not across them. In a room with no windows he installed it so the joints are parallel to the long dimension.

[Andy Hoyt]

I vote for running it the long way.

I think the individual spaces will look better. And if you're worried about the bowling alley look you could diffuse that by creating a focal point at the room transition with a compass rose or some other geometric pattern of contrasting woods. Or do the same with an area rug and furniture.

[Rob McFall]

As far as what I heard about the car decking and being able to run the floor any direction I want...does that sound OK? Also, I thought car decking was tongue and groove. What I have is 7/8" x 12" boards of various lengths laid on a diagonal, but they aren't tongue and groove.

[Andy Hoyt]

Yup. My first floor subfloor is locally sawn white pine run on the diagonal with southern yellow pine and doug fir strip flooring (in various rooms) and has held up really well for the last 102 years. And our cellar is damp year round if that matters.

[fRED mCnEILL]

If you have a "feature" in the room that you want to highlight that will determine the direction.

for example, when we did our great room we wanted to highlinght the fireplace. So we did a "frame" around the fireplace and then ran the hardwood floor perpendicular to the fireplace. The direction of the flooring helps to highlight the firepace.

Fred Mc.

[Mike Cutler]

Rob. My living room is 15'x30' and the flooring runs on the 15' dimension. It looks crappy, and really makes the room look "short" It really needs to run along the longest dimension.

[Bob Childress]

I agree with Mike. I think you will be happiest running it the long dimension.

[Tom Jones III]

After a lot of research it seems that with a decent sub-floor you should be able to run the strips in any direction without regard to the joist direction. I've got 3/4" plywood for a sub-floor and tomorrow I will begin to install strips parallel to the joists.

[Keith Weber]

Rob,

Most people run it the short way, but it depends on how you want it to look...

Most people??? It's been my experience that it's the other way around. It would look goofy to have the boards go the short way in a room that was not close to square. Picture a long, narrow hallway as the extreme. Why would you want the boards running across the hallway?

Keith

[Jeff Caskie]

We had laminate flooring professionally installed in two rooms. The installer recommended installing it so it ran toward several windows, so the light shines along the joints, not across them. In a room with no windows he installed it so the joints are parallel to the long dimension.


From all my research in installing my floor, I agree with Dave. The light will make the seams pop and you don't want to draw attention to the joints. Hopefully this coincides with the 'long' way.

[Sam Shank]

I laid flooring in a 15x30ish room in the 15 dimension and it looks fine. 2.25" cherry. At the one end, I made a perpendicular transition and changed over to 4" maple in an adjoining kitchen and family room.

Looks great. It's so much better than carpet or vinyl you won't care!

[Rob McFall]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I really appreciate all the input. My first inclination was to go with the length of the room, and it seems most agree this would be the best way to go. As someone mentioned, either way will look a lot better than what was previously there...

The other option would be to lay the hardwood diagonally, but I was afraid doing so may be overwhelming because of the size of the area. Anyone have any pictures of diagonal layouts or thoughts about putting down hardwood in a diagonal orientation?