Which Direction to Lay Flooring (and Changing Direction Between Rooms)

Plank direction changes how a room looks more than most people expect. The same floor can make a room feel longer, wider, calmer or busier depending on which way it runs. Here is how to decide, and how to handle the spots where the direction has to change.

Which way should I run LVP or laminate planks?

Floating LVP and laminate are not fastened to the subfloor, so the direction is mostly about looks. These are the rules of thumb, roughly in order of importance:

1. Follow the main line of sight. Stand at the front door or the main entry to the room. Planks that run away from you look cleaner than planks that run across your view.
2. Run parallel to the longest wall. This makes the room look longer and reduces the number of short cuts.
3. Run toward the main light source. Light from a big window shining down the length of the planks hides the seams. Light shining across the seams highlights every end joint.
4. Keep one direction through connected spaces. An open kitchen, dining and living area should all run the same way.

When these rules conflict, line of sight from the main entry usually wins. If you're installing yourself, see how to install LVP flooring for layout and the first row.

Which way should hardwood run?

Nail-down solid hardwood is different. The boards are fastened to the subfloor, and the floor is stronger and stiffer when the boards run perpendicular to the floor joists. Running parallel to the joists can let the subfloor flex between joists and cause cupping, squeaks or gaps. If you must run hardwood parallel to the joists, the common fix is adding a layer of plywood underlayment to stiffen the subfloor. Check the manufacturer's instructions and the NWFA guidelines for your subfloor thickness.

Glue-down or floating engineered hardwood follows the same looks-first rules as LVP. See engineered vs. solid hardwood.

To find joist direction, look at the ceiling below in the basement, or find the nail lines in the existing subfloor. Joists usually run the short span of the house, front to back or side to side.

What about L-shaped rooms and rooms with windows on two walls?

In an L-shaped space, run the planks along the longer leg of the L, since that's the view most people see. Turning the floor at the inside corner almost never looks right. In a room with big windows on two walls, favor the wall with the most light or the best view, and lean on line of sight from the entry to break the tie. Dry-laying a few planks both ways settles most of these debates in a couple of minutes.

Which direction for hallways?

Run planks the length of the hallway. Running across a narrow hall makes it look choppy and creates dozens of short cuts. If the hallway connects to rooms that run the other way, either commit to the hallway direction throughout or break at the doorways (see below).

Plank direction by room

Changing direction of flooring between rooms

Sometimes the best direction in one room is wrong for the next. A bedroom off a long hallway is the classic case. You can change direction, but only at a clean break point:

• At a doorway with a T-molding. Stop the hallway floor centered under the closed door, start the bedroom floor in the new direction, and cover the joint with a T-molding. This is the simplest method and also gives a floating floor the expansion break many manufacturers require. Details in flooring transitions between rooms.
• At a doorway with a border board. Lay a single plank across the doorway (a header or threshold board) running perpendicular to the hallway, and butt both floors into it. This is common with hardwood and gives a built-in look with no raised strip. With floating floors, the border still needs to allow for expansion, so check the instructions.
• Not in the middle of a room. Changing direction in an open space almost always looks like a mistake.

If you can't change direction at a doorway (no door, wide opening), keep one direction for the whole area.

Changing tile direction between rooms

Tile has a bit more freedom because it has no real "length" unless it's a plank or rectangular tile. Square tile can simply continue on a straight grid. For wood-look plank tile or large rectangles, follow the same rules as plank flooring: line of sight, long wall, light. When tile direction or pattern changes between rooms, break it under the door with a threshold, a metal profile or a single border row of tile. Plan the layout from the doorway so you don't end up with thin slivers at the threshold. See tile installation.

Should I lay flooring diagonally?

A diagonal (45 degree) install can make a small or oddly shaped room look larger and draw the eye away from walls that aren't square. The trade-offs:

• More waste. Plan on noticeably more extra material than a straight install, often 15% or more depending on the room.
• More labor. Every row starts and ends with an angled cut.
• Harder transitions. Changing direction at doorways is awkward with a diagonal layout.

Diagonal works best in a single room like a foyer, small kitchen or bathroom. In a whole first floor, it gets busy.

What you'll need to plan the layout

• Tape measure and chalk line
• Framing square or speed square
• A few loose planks or tiles to dry-lay
• Pencil and graph paper or a simple sketch of the rooms
• Flashlight (to find joists from the basement)

How to decide flooring direction, step by step

1. Sketch the floor plan. Mark every room, doorway, the main entry and big windows. Seeing it on paper makes conflicts obvious.
2. Find the main sight line. Stand at the main entry. Note which way you naturally look.
3. Check the joists if it's nail-down hardwood. Look from the basement or find the nail rows in the subfloor.
4. Dry-lay a few rows. Put down several loose planks both ways and look at them from the doorway and in daylight.
5. Pick break points. Decide where, if anywhere, the direction will change. Only at doorways.
6. Measure for the last row. Adjust the first row so the last row isn't a thin sliver. Most plank instructions set a minimum last-row width.
7. Snap a reference line. Start from a straight chalk line, not a wall that may be out of square.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Running planks across a narrow hallway.
• Changing direction in the middle of an open room.
• Running nail-down solid hardwood parallel to joists without stiffening the subfloor.
• Starting the first row off a crooked wall so the floor runs out of square.
• Ignoring the doorway layout and ending up with a sliver at the threshold.
• Underbuying material for a diagonal install.

When to hire a pro

Plank direction is a planning decision anyone can make. A pro is worth it when you have an open plan with several rooms and hallways that need to tie together, diagonal or herringbone layouts, nail-down hardwood over questionable joists, or tile with direction changes that need to land cleanly at doorways.

Need it done for you?

We lay out direction and break points with you during the walkthrough for LVP, hardwood and tile jobs. Book a free in-home estimate and get a fixed-price quote within 48 hours.