Hardwood floors are the new hype for interior decorators and new homeowners. Hardwood flooring adds a touch of elegance to the house. It also changes the outlook of the dimension of the entire house.
But you should be aware of how the flooring would be set. There are some factors that need careful consideration before you install the hardwood floor.
Should hardwood floors change direction?
The direction of the hardwood floors are a personal preference. But the direction should not change. The most common formation for the hardwood is to align the plank parallel to the longest wall. It makes the rooms and hallway look longer and more elegant than any other pattern.
Table of Contents
Hardwood floors are very popular nowadays and bring a touch of elegance to your home. Most interior decorators and homeowners go for the hardwood for the floors of the new house. It is a new sophisticated approach to the house interior.
However, there is a lot to think about in the case of such flooring design. The prime concern is the direction of the hardwood floors. Usually, it is a personal preference.
You can choose whichever way for the hardwood floor plank. You just have to make sure all the planks are in the same direction. A different direction for different rooms does not look good. It causes visual disharmony.
One of the most followed rule is to lay the hardwood perpendicular to the joist of the floor. This is to prevent the plank from separating or buckling. Even this is no absolute rule.
You can place the hardwood however you would prefer. Just make sure all the plank are in the same direction for all the rooms.
The main reason to put hardwood flooring to your house is to make it appear visually pleasing. And putting the hardwood floor plank in different directions for different rooms goes against the main objective of it. The uncoordinated pattern makes the entire house look a bit distorted.
If you want to put hardwood plank for the floors of your house, find the right direction for all the rooms. Make sure to coordinate the direction of the plank for every room.
Is it OK to change direction of wood flooring between rooms?
While the direction of the hardwood floor plank depend on your personal questions, it is not a great idea to apply different directions for different rooms.
All the plank of the hardwood flooring for all the rooms should face the same direction. It is for both safety shows and appearance of the rooms.
You can choose which way your flooring will face and how you will lay the length of the hardwood floor. But it should be same for all the rooms. So you should make sure that the direction that you choose is fit for all the rooms. Otherwise it will not look good.
You can change the direction of the flooring between the rooms, but it will not look good. If the directions are changed between the rooms the harmony of the interior breaks. So make sure to not change the direction of the wood flooring between rooms.
Which direction should hardwood floors be laid in a hallway?
There is no rule for the direction of your hardwood floor plank to be laid in the hallway. But there are some things that you should keep in mind. You should try to place the plank of the hallway in the direction that is away from the doorway.
Hallways are usually long and very narrow. So they need extra attention while placing the hardwood floor plank.
The common direction Of the layout is the point of blanks lengthwise. It makes the hallways look longer and distant from the doorway. This is an ideal set up for the hardwood flooring plank.
Try to align the plank parallel to the longest wall and away from the doorway. This is the only thing you should keep in mind while aligning the hardwood flooring. Just make sure your hallway does not look narrower than it already is. And any direction for it is fine.
2 reasons why hardwood floor should not change direction
Hardwood flooring should not change directions from room to room. Once you decide on the direction of the plank make sure it is set for all the rooms. Changing the direction of the hardwood flooring of the rooms is always advised against for the two obvious reasons-
Visual disharmony:
The rooms look disoriented and uncoordinated if the directions of the hardwood plank are different from each other. The rooms will appear in different dimension as well. Some might look narrower than the others.
This is not ideal. Which is why make sure all the floor plank are in the same direction for all the rooms.
Safety issues:
Uncoordinated plank floors can cause the plank to not set properly and sag in the connecting point. There is a chance that the joining point of the plank will not connect. This is a risk for the flooring. It may break any time.
You should make sure the hardwood floor plank are in the same direction in all the rooms. Being creative and changing the direction of the plank is not a good idea when it comes to hardwood flooring.
For the visual appeal and other safety issues try not to change the direction between rooms.
What size dowel is used to change hardwood flooring?
For a hardwood flooring, a 1/4″ diameter dowel should be the best size. A 36 inches length dowel is always a first choice when it comes to changing the hardwood floors. Though most decorators advise against using a dowel, but if you must a 1/4″ diameter dowel should be good.
Usually when it comes to changing the hardwood floors, a tongue and a groove is used. There are the most efficient tools to change the plank of the hardwood flooring. But if you do not have these tools near you, you can go for a dowel as well.
The size of the dowel depends on the flooring plank. However a 1/4″ diameter dowel should be good enough for the standard hardwood flooring.
The length can be cut short according to the hardwood floor. But 36 inches is the standard length for the hardwood floor plank in most houses.
Should all flooring go the same direction? When should you change the hardwood floor direction?
The flooring of the hardwood should go in the same direction for all rooms. It is not a good idea to change the direction f the flooring from room to room. This will create an unpleasant visual for the rooms. Try not to change the direction of the flooring between the rooms.
If you feel the direction of the plank does not compliment one room but goes well for the entire house, then you can choose to switch the direction for that one particular room.
But that will still cause a visual disharmony. If you have no other option left, you can change the direction of the hardwood flooring.
Different direction hardwood flooring for different rooms are very unpleasant and make the house look disoriented. Better not to go for this sort of design, unless there are no other option left. But it is always advised against to have different direction flooring between rooms.
How to change direction when laying hardwood flooring?
In some cases, you may have to change the direction of your hardwood flooring. It is always said to not change direction of the hardwood floor from room to room. But it can’t be helped if the situation demands it. In cases like that you should follow the given steps-
Mark the places:
Mark the two places where the tongue of the previous completed row falls out. Use a chalk or a pencil to draw noticeable lines.
Align boards:
The installation must run backwards. So make sure the tongues face the opposite direction f the completed area. Facing out of the edge of the mark drawn previously, align the boards with the tongue.
Attach scraps:
Attach the scraps with some decking screws.
Backfill area:
Backfill the area once the forward layout is complete. Insert a slip tongue into the groove facing the backfill area.
Set the board:
Grab the straight boards to set them against the wall, where the nailer doesn’t reach. Finish off the rest of the installation like so.
The process of changing direction of the hardwood flooring is not easy. So make sure to follow the steps very carefully to not make a mistake. It can be hard to undo.
Final thoughts
Hardwood floorings should be in the same direction for all the rooms. Otherwise the entire house will look uncoordinated and disoriented. There is no rule to which direction the hardwood should be installed. Whichever direction you prefer, just make sure it is the same for all the rooms.