Comments on: Which Way Should Hardwood Floors Run?

By: William Hirsch

William Hirsch — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 13:00:09 +0000

In reply to Doug.

Doug – If I understand your description correctly, I think what he is suggesting would work well. The hallway is the critical space since you want the boards running in the long direction so you don’t get a “ladder” effect. Another general rule, which can be violated at will, is to run flooring perpendicular to the line of sight as you enter the room. But in narrow rooms, like hallways, this rule would be overridden by the “avoid the ladder” rule. In large rooms, the flooring direction is less critical since it will have rugs and furniture interrupting the view of the entire floor.

By: William Hirsch

William Hirsch — Tue, 11 Jun 2019 12:47:38 +0000

In reply to Lisa. Lisa - I don't think anyone would ever compare the wood floor direction from one level to the next. And with those large rooms, you have freedom to run the flooring either direction. Once there is furniture in the room, The direction of the flooring becomes less critical, unlike in a hallway.

By: Doug

Doug — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 09:39:33 +0000

Hi, I’m installing engineered bamboo on the whole first floor on a concrete slab except the raised entry foyer. The foyer is 10’x14′ and steps down just one step into a 22′ long x16′ wide great room ahead of you, and also has a step down on the right leading down a narrow 10′ hallway passing by a powder room before heading into the kitchen. Great room extends to the end of the home. A large dining room is to the right of the great room. Basically the floor layout is foyer and great room on the west side, and dining room and kitchen on the east side. Contractor is encouraging me to install the floor in this raised foyer and hallway parallel to the front door, and the rest of the 1st floor perpendicular. Having a challenge wrapping my head around the suggestion. Would love your thoughts!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 12 May 2019 22:49:37 +0000

Hello. We live in a ranch style house 52′ x 30′ with the front and back doors being on the long wall. We are about to install laminate flooring in the basement. Upstairs in the main floor, we have laminate installed running along the long wall ( east to west) so that we did not get a bowling alley effect walking into the front door which has sight lines straight to the back of the house. The room in the basement is 30′ long by 15′ wide with the doors, windows and openings on the long wall. Someone is suggesting that we run the laminate north to south in the opposite direction of the upper floor to make the room look wider. Would it seem odd to have the flooring running in opposite directions from one level to another? Thanks for your insight.

By: William Hirsch

William Hirsch — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:24:47 +0000

In reply to Ellyn.

Ellyn – In the large room, you could lay the flooring either direction. But the floor boards should lay perpendicular to the floor joists below to give the flooring more stability. In hallways, it is usually best to lay the floor boards in the long direction to avoid the “ladder” effect. But if that means the floor boards will end up running parallel to the floor joists, you should consider adding some blocking between the joists to support the floor boards that are on the subfloor only and not over any joists.

By: William Hirsch

William Hirsch — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 01:14:25 +0000

In reply to Scott J. Scott - Unless a room is particularly narrow and will not have rugs or furniture, and if the appearance of the floor is the only consideration, you can run the flooring either direction. The big issue with wood framed floors is the potential squeaking if the floor boards run parallel to the floor joists. With a concrete floor, you don't have that issue.

By: Ellyn

Ellyn — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 23:18:22 +0000

Bill,

I am about to lay floors but I am unsure of the direction… I was going to lay it long ways down the very large and open living room/dining area, but I am afraid that it will create the ladder affect in the front foyer as you walk in. What are your thoughts? I am putting the flooring in the whole house!

By: Tammy

Tammy — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 21:17:46 +0000

My question has to do with installing different widths of HW that will be touching end to end. We have 1 7/8 inch maple HW in the breezeway that connects to our living room. We are removing the carpet in the LR and replacing with the same grade and color maple HW, although we couldn\’t get it in the same width as the breezeway because they no longer carry such a narrow width. The LR maple will be 4 1/4 inch. The problem is that in a small area, the HW will touch each other end to end. At first, I thought we must lay it in the opposite direction so that it looks intentional, but after reading the importance of running the HW perpendicular to floor joists, I think we should run it in the same direction as the other HW with a transition piece in between. Because the breezeway wood has aged for 15 years, it does look quite different than the new wood. My question is: are we better off to lay the new HW perpendicular to the joists in this case with the different widths next to each other end to end, risking such an awkward appearance? Or should we go in the opposite direction, which may end up with squeaky boards? Adding to the subfloor or wood blocking is not an option.

By: Scott J

Scott J — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 04:18:40 +0000

My 15’ hallway had maple wood laid straight down the length 9 years ago (bought what I that would be enough to finish on a diagonal but there is not enough). At the living room and hall intersection entry the angel due to circular shape of room left the wood at the hall entry to living room at a diagonal. My living room is 12×17 – there is not enough of the same wood to finish the job diagonally. Which direction should the wood go? Concrete floors with cork and 3/4” plywood under. Have pictures if you need.

By: Mary Monfort

Mary Monfort — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 20:34:31 +0000

Hi Bill,
I have a concrete floor on which I plan to put hardwood flooring throughout the living & dining rooms, foyer, two adjoining family rooms (we removed an extra wide siding glass door to add a second family room), kitchen, laundry , bedroom off of kitchen, and hallway off family room to three other bedrooms. Yes, it’s a large ranch style house! My contractor keeps debating which way to run the hardwood. The entry foyer has dining room to right and living room to left, each with extra wide openings to the rooms. Then there is only a regular doorway into the family room. I currently have hardwood in the family room running from that doorway across the length of the two family rooms to the back of the house (windows across that wall). As you step into the family room from the foyer, you immediately have a (pocket) doorway to the kitchen at right. I had (until a leak) 25 yr. old vinyl wood-style plank flooring running across the long eat-in kitchen from that doorway – thus perpendicular to the current hardwood flooring. On the family room wall opposite the kitchen door is a door to the hallway, which runs from the front of the house to the back – so the doorway view is across the width of the hallway (looks right into the doorway of the middle bedroom). My question is whether to run the hardwood straight across from the living room through the foyer and into the dining room, and carry it on through the rest of the areas that way (which would make the hallway to bedrooms have the ladder look), or to run it the opposite way. Then the wood at the front door would give a line of site down the planks all the way across two family rooms to the staircase (in second family room) going up to second floor and to windows on back wall. The kitchen is laid out so that the cabinets & appliances are in a “U” shaped section (across from dining room and has a swinging door to dining room) and then the second half of the kitchen is an eat-in area. From the family room as you enter the kitchen, you see the laundry room door at the far end. And the extra bedroom is at the back left of the kitchen. The garage is behind the dining room and sharing a wall with the eat-in kitchen area and laundry room. All rooms are fairly large. First family room is longer going from kitchen to bedroom hallway. Additional family room is a little longer the other way. Hope this makes sense!