Determining the direction to lay/install Hardwood, Laminate, or Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring

What direction to install my hardwood floor? A helpful guide for determining the direction to install your Hardwood, Laminate, or Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring.

Visit the link below for a helpful tool to help you visualize what your floor will look like prior to installation as seen in the video.

For the largest selection of quality Hardwood, Laminate, Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP), or Stone Polymer Composite (SPC) flooring visit our our store or online showroom.

Corona Hardwood
350 S Maple St., Suite A
Corona, CA 92880

[deandecoursey]

If you are installing 3/4 inch thick nailed down hardwood flooring, as a flooring contractor, I was always taught that preferably, the floor is laid perpendicular to the joists for stability. Of course, the homeowner makes the final decision, but I always explain their options.

[myteric]

I was skeptical about the visualizers, but tried it anyway. SO much better than I expected. Thanks a bunch.

[chrisgraham]

The bottom line is; It Doesn't Matter...it's your choice. The only factor that you might consider is the installation procedure and whether one direction presents more problems than the other. If your planks ends are terminating against the longest wall, you will have more end cuts to make during installation. In some cases, there may be more cuts, or more intricate cuts required to fit against doorways or other features if the flooring is laid in a particular direction. Its easier to make custom, odd shaped cuts into the end of the planks than to cut them into the side long length of the plank. Finally, it's more pleasing to the eye if the flooring direction in a room matches the same direction as the flooring in other rooms, that may be visible from the room you are flooring.

[rockbiltacademy]

This was incredibly helpful. Thank you! I had not even thought of an app to preview the flooring direction! My poor husband kept laying down samples and then switching them for me! Thanks!

[immanuelkuhrt]

Exposed ceiling beams can also decide the floor direction. It tends to give a strange impression, if the beams and the floor run in different directions.

[MelissalaTi]

This is a great video, thanks so much! I’m actually installing wood flooring in a doll house and wasn’t sure which direction to lay it—this video was a huge help.

[TigerMarine]

Thanks for the visualizer, we are about to lay flooring and we would have gone the wrong direction. Now we are confident in our selection and direction.

[wg]

This video was really helpful! We hadn't thought about the problem that changing direction would cause. Thanks for posting this.

[akalrove]

Corona Hardwood; these guys were ahead of their time

[kahusarang]

Thanks a ton. My new flooring install is 4 weeks out so this video came out at right time.

[stinkbugdesigns]

Thank you for getting straight to the point. This was very helpful!

[amandawimberley]

Most Helpful Video!! I’ve laid out tile for over half the room and still couldn’t decide 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thanks so much!

[ezekiel-pjst]

As a hardwood pro, lay wood perpendicular to the floor joists. Your'e welcome.

[kellyjensen]

Lance from nsync became a floor installer!

[mattheweburns]

We were always taught to install by tradition, the same way that you would install hardwood floors which is perpendicular to the floor joists

[DeuxHirondelles]

Thank you so much for this video and the links. In our situation, two different rules gave us opposite results. We uploaded a photo and were able to try out a flooring very similar to ours and the decision became very clear.😊

[BradThePitts]

My 1st floor is a large "L" and my planks are on a diagonal. It helps bring the eye around the corner. Significantly more waste, though. Every single plank has at least 8" of linear distance chopped off. (Piles of triangles in the trash.)

[paulstein]

Was told that since I’m selecting Uniclick planks, they can’t be in 2 different directions. Since we have a galley kitchen, horizontal makes the most sense. Our condo I neighbor did horizontal and besides the better look in the galley kitchen, horizontal seemed to give it a cozier look.

[homie-gtv]

California company! Homie-G approves. And thank you for that website that gives me an idea of how different floors might look in my house.

[ruthtran]

Wow thank you so mụch. It saves me from a lot of headaches.