Wood flooring can look very luxurious and aesthetically pleasing in any home. Unlike tile flooring, hardwood can make a house look warm and comforting in any style and color. If you are deciding to install your own wood laminate floors or are considering having a professional lay down your flooring for you, you will need to think about or discuss with a flooring professional the best direction to lay laminate flooring for your home.
Best Direction to Lay Laminate Flooring - Which Way to Go?
The general rule is to lay the laminate in the same direction as entry. In other words, lay the flooring straight from the front door to the back through the whole house. This opens up the home and creates a nice flow throughout the house.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are some exceptions to that general guideline of what is the best direction to lay laminate flooring.
Long wood laminate planks are more expensive than getting them in short planks. With shorter planks, homeowners are more likely become creative with the way they lay down the laminate flooring. It’s best to have someone who knows how to lay down the flooring in the way you like to do so.
Be aware that this type of design may leave your house looking choppy or rough and uneven especially if not installed by a professional.Know that if you keep changing directions in the flooring, you may have some waste. You’ll have to cut pieces and slivers to make fit into corners and to accomodate for designs, but the best way to avoid this is to lay the flooring straight and parallel all going in the same direction.
If you are only adding new flooring in a certain room and leaving the rest of the house in old flooring you can really go in any direction you’d like, especially if the other rooms are covered in carpet. In the case that the rest of your home is dressed in a different type of wood laminate, you can either blend in with the same direction as that flooring is going or lay the flooring perpendicular to add a unique look.
With homes that have a solid wood foundation, you’ll have no other choice than to go perpendicular to the base wood planks.
Tips For Laying Wood Laminate Flooring Yourself
- Start at the door way or the wall with the most doorways, as this is the hardest spot to install flooring of any kind.
- Always wear knee protection.
- Be aware of heavy furniture that can dent, lift, scratch or warp your flooring.
- Invest in laminate shears to cut your laminate flooring instead of using a saw that can be noisy and create unnecessary debris.
Bottom Line
Whether you are tearing out your carpet and replacing it with new wood laminate or just installing new laminate in a specific room, you should know what is the best look for your home’s flooring to make a great impression right when guest step in to to visit. It would be in your best interest to ask a professional to take a look at your home to determine which is the best direction to lay laminate flooring in your home.
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