Laminate flooring is one of the most sought-after flooring options today. It’s beautiful, cost-effective and timeless. When shopping around for laminate flooring, you’ll find that the boards come in a wide range of lengths. However, one of the biggest dilemmas many people have is whether or not there’s a best direction to lay laminate flooring. Well, there are several factors to bear in mind.
Best Direction to Lay Laminate Flooring - Spruce Up Your Home
The most popular way to run your laminate flooring is to run it from the front door straight to the back of the house, perpendicular to the front. The idea is to lay them in such a way that they run all the way into the home through the back, similar to how they would be laid in a bowling alley.
Laying your laminate flooring in different directions in different rooms may create some interest, but it not only costs more to install but also makes your home look chopped up. This can be a major drawback especially in smaller and open plan homes. As such the general rule of thumb is to install your floor straight through from the front to the back.
However, because every house has a different layout and other unique circumstances, there may be a few exceptions to the rule.
Exception One
If you’re aiming for a custom design feature with a special pattern, inlay or border; which will result in a change in pattern, then bending the rules does more good than harm. This type of arrangement is typically done in higher end installations and often results in an appealing appearance.
Exception Two
If you’re doing a new installation in an area that just can’t seem to blend in with existing flooring then you may have to turn the boards in the opposite direction, for example, to make it look like a purposeful transition. Circumstances that may force you to do this may include scenarios where you’re unable to get the exact product existing or the dye lot changes with the new product. Either way, you’re forced to go with a similar product, but not an exact match.
Exception Three
The rooms layout may also prompt you to go against the general rule. For instance, if you want to capture the texture and highlight the color of the flooring, you can start by identifying the main source of light and then run the floor perpendicular to the light.
Exception Four
Consider the dimensions of your space. There are cases when it may make more sense to lay the planks in a particular direction because of the dimensions of the planks vis a vis the floor.
Exception Five
You can also use the direction of the flooring to create an illusion of a bigger space. For instance, if you’re installing in a small room with no natural light. Running the planks with the length of the room will make your space look larger.
Bottom Line
Ultimately, it depends on the layout and architecture of the rooms as well as personal taste and preference when laying very hard to scratch up laminate flooring. Nonetheless, the best direction to lay laminate flooring is straight from the front of the house through to the back is a good go-by.
