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living room Design Dilemma Flooring

Please help with direction of new flooring that will be installed.

6 years ago

I have a tri level home and we are getting new floors installed. The floor in the upper and lower level are installed In different directions as shown in the picture. The upper level floor is horizontal that is where the kitchen and formal dining room are and the lower level down the 3 steps are vertical. Now that we are getting new floors installed should the lower level go horizontal as well to match the upper level and stairs??? Thanks!

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Comments (5)

JN Vert
6 years ago
Yes. I think the flooring should be installed in the same direction. I would install it the way the top level is seen in the photo; in line with the stairs.
jhmarie
6 years ago
The upper floor looks like solid hardwood - can never tell for sure in a photo. If it is, you could have it refinished and it would be very pretty. Solid hardwood is usually installed perpendicular to the joist - so there is something strong to nail them into.

The lower floor looks like laminate - which is not real wood. Laminate can be installed any way you want.

If the new floors are solid hardwood, they too should be installed perpendicular to the joist. If they are laminate or LVP, it does not matter. Engineered can usually be installed any direction also.

They still make the hardwood you have on the upper level. You can match it and refinish the old and have great "forever" floors. If you pull up the solid hardwood and replace with laminate or LVP, you will have replaced a high quality floor with a lower quality floor. Engineered is also, lifespan wise, a lesser floor than solid hardwood.
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Boxerpal
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I believe that you will see a dramatic beautiful change if the floors all go in the same direction. All three levels same direction will be striking. When they go in different directions is it not soothing to the eye but choppy.
s m
Original Author
6 years ago
I agree, I personally think it will look better if it all matches the upper level and they all go the same direction. My installer told me that if we do that and make the lower level horizontal to match the upper level then the Living room in the lower level is going to look a lot smaller. Is that true???
0
Boxerpal
6 years ago
It will look smaller and choppy if they are in different directions. All the same way you won't notice how big or small the room is with furniture and decor around the space. You will notice how the floors run in the same direction and perhaps lengthen the space in this way.

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