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Flooring Design Dilemma

hardwood flooring - joists switch direction

3 years ago

I am installing new hardwood flooring on the entire upstairs of my home (4 bedrooms). The house is contemporary. The joints in the non-master bedroom rooms run north to south (front of room to back of room). However, the master bedroom which is at one end of the house has joints which run east to west. They basically switch directions in that one room. If I have all the flooring going in the same direction, the hardwood will be parallel to the joists in the master bedroom. If I switch the flooring in the master to run parallel to the joists, there will be a "break" where the hallway meets the master bedroom to switch direction. The upstairs has all new 3/4" plywood as a subfloor. My instinct is to keep it all consistent on the upstairs level and run it all in the same direction. Thoughts?

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Comments (5)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
3 years ago
IMO with a 3/4 “ subfloor you should be able to do that.
marianna17 thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
marianna17
Original Author
3 years ago
Do you think it would look better to have the whole upstairs hardwood running in the same direction, as opposed to switching how the hardwood runs in the master bedroom? My main concern is entering the master bedroom, the floors won't run left to right they will run front to back I.e. perpendicular to how the bed is situated but also perpendicular to how the light (south light) hits the room.
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Just use common sense here. Look at the condition of the subfloor boards. What are they made of and are they still mostly stiff and flat? If they haven't sagged between the joists in 80 years or so, they're not going to do that now. Although the book says install finish flooring perpendicular to the joists, I would not worry much about that, especially where the subfloor material condition is as I described. Simply make sure that the subfloor is well-attached and sqeak-free.
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The direction of the joists is paramount. The "Best Practices" (which keeps warranty in place) requires that hardwoods should run perpendicular (across the joists like a "T") to the joists. Of course there are TWO ways to "get away" from this requirement. Both require more work and more money and more material. Run the planks DIAGONAL. This removes the "perpendicular" requirements for the hardwood. But it will not give you the VISUAL you are looking for with the lower level. And you will need 15%-25% waste of the hardwood AND 15% up charge on labor = very expensive option. Lay ANOTHER LAYER of subfloor grade plywood (not OSB) over top of the existing subfloor layers. This will stiffen up the subfloor and that will remove the requirement to run perpendicular to the joists. This adds $1.50/sf onto the job + more labor costs = more expensive project. So....before you make a decision, find out which direction the joists run before you go any further. Your professional flooring installer can help with that.
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Comments (9)
If you start laying the boards north to south, do that throughout the house; if you start laying the boards east west, do that throughout the house. As you decide how you want the boards, think about how you would want them in your living room -- or great room -- and why and then talk with your pro installing the boards and ask if that is the most practical way to lay the boards and, if not, why not. Go from there.
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Comments (4)
I like to see floors going long upon room entry. I feel it gives more spacious look. So I would run then long in your case.
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calidesign
3 years ago
What does your flooring installer suggest? If it functions better in a different direction, I don't think it would look bad to change the direction at the doorway. You won't really notice it once the furniture is back in.
marianna17 thanked calidesign
marianna17
Original Author
3 years ago
Ok thanks I am meeting with the floor installer in a few weeks. I will ask his opinion. I think I prefer the floor in the master bedroom to run the opposite way of the rest of the upstairs.
PRO
Sharon Brindley Designs
3 years ago
When we built our home our contractor said flooring had to run in the opposite direction to the floor joists (we had a subfloor) - I’m not 100% sure he was correct but your flooring contractor should know.

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