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Flooring Design Dilemma

Hardwood laying direction

5 years ago

Hi everyone,

we are going to install hardwood all over our main floor, mainly a hallway with a living room on the right runs from the main door into a large room perpendicular has the living, dining and kitchen. the hardwood guy says its better to install hardwood in two different direction 1 runs with the hallway and 2nd runs with the living, dinning area something like this /... what do you think ? I am worried it would look bad

Featured Answer

SJ McCarthy

5 years ago

The ONLY time a recommend that wood floors CHANGE DIRECTION is if the wood JOISTS change direction. If the joists are all running in the same direction, there is no need to change the direction.

A *real wood flooring professional will try his/her DAMNEDEST to run everything in the same direction (whenever possible). So long as the structure of the home allows it, the wood can/should run in the same direction.

A regular flooring 'guy' will change directions because it is easier on them...see where I'm going?

If they need to change directions, the best/pretties option includes a decorative/inlay transition between the two floors. This is expensive AND difficult to achieve. A high-end wood flooring professional can and will offer decorative work. A regular flooring 'dude' will not.

A quick discussion will tell us which type of professional you have hired.

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Comments (6)

PRO
PL Interior Spaces
5 years ago
Generally speaking, the flooring direction looks nicer when it follows the longer dimension of a room. Installing it in different directions between rooms can sometimes help to divide a room and create an unconscious threshold without using different flooring, but it all depends on how open on room is to another.

The first photo you posted is a good example of how 2 rooms that are linked can use flooring in the same direction to help connect them, and at the same time by switching direction in what looks like the kitchen can help to add a threshold.
Boxerpal
5 years ago
My hardwoods all go exactly in the same direction. But perhaps this is the floor plan of my house. Maybe my house lends itself to the floor flow placement. I do know that the floor guys did not want our long hallway to look like a bowling alley. The wanted the floors to go crossways. You will note some blue tape on the floor. They are coming back to follow up with those spots.

Here are some photos...

That light down the center is just the lighting. This is only int this photo not in person.
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mark_rachel
5 years ago
It should run perpendicular to your floor joist. I would NOT break it into 2 directions. It all needs to go in the same direction.
miroomiroo
Original Author
5 years ago
it might be a good idea to share my floor plan its a T shape, he wants to install floors in the arrow direction changing them at the entry for the main living space .. if we will keep all in the same direction then I can see the hall floors installed parallel to the doorway .. I am not sure how the joists are in my house
SJ McCarthy
5 years ago
Once you pull the carpet, you will find out how the joists run. And the installer should NOT be making this type of a decision WITHOUT knowing the joist presentation.

If you have joists, the JOISTS determine the direction, NOT the installer. Is this person a 'general contractor' who does other work and who happens to install floors, or is this person EXCLUSIVELY dedicated to hardwood flooring?

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