If you are installing laminate flooring yourself, you might wonder what is the right direction to install my laminate flooring? When deciding the direction to install laminate flooring, you have to consider a few rules of thumb when it comes to room size, layout and natural lighting.
It’s also important to consider your goals! Do you want the room(s) to feel bigger? Do you want the eye to lead to a focal point? Would you like for your floors to make a statement? The best way to decide is to lay out the floor and visualize what looks best. Here are a few tips we recommend for determining the direction of your laminate flooring.
Install Laminate Flooring Parallel to the Longest Wall
If you’re installing your flooring on a main floor, you will want to float the floor in the same direction throughout all the rooms to create a cohesive feel. If you have a width wise open concept, you will want to run the flooring parallel to the longest walls. This will create a natural feel.
If you’re only doing one room, the same rule applies! Install parallel to the longest wall to give more depth to the space. If your room is square, read the tip on natural light below.
Install Laminate Flooring from Front Door to Back Door
If your open concept is a front door to back door home, you can run the flooring straight from the front door to the back door. The flooring will follow your eye line and accentuate the flooring planks.
Install Laminate According to Natural Light
Another option could be identifying the main source of light in your space, and run the flooring perpendicular to the light. This is a great way to highlight the color and capture the texture of your flooring.
If you have many windows, you can also install laminate flooring parallel to how the sun rises and sets.
If installing in a room with little to no natural light, run the floors with the length of the room. The length of the planks will make your space appear larger.
Installing Laminate Diagonally
We’ve covered the traditional parallel and horizontal laminate flooring directions, but you may also consider a diagonal installation. Diagonal installation can give your home a modern and upscale look. You can choose from a variety of angles, from dramatic to subtle. Keep in mind that this installation will require additional materials due to the cuts.
Other Considerations for Flooring Direction
Consider your dimensions – a floating floor should not run more than 40ft long or 20ft wide, and must be broken up at these dimensions.
In narrow rooms, you’ll want to stick to a vertical look. Going horizontal will make the room look smaller! Installing laminate flooring to accentuate a feature, like a fire place or accent wall, can create an amazing looking room! Be mindful of the wood grain, pattern and design of your floor. Installing in a certain direction can help bring out textures and colors!
Visualize Flooring Direction in your Room with our Visualizer
Want to see how the flooring will look in any direction? Simply upload your room on our room viewer tool! This allows you to see a variety of styles, colors and directions to determine the best fit for your project!
Free visualizer tool that lets you see what our flooring will look like in your room. Take a photo of your room, and select the floor to see how it looks in your home.
Follow these guidelines and you should be able to decide the appropriate direction. Just remember to take into consideration all aspects of your laminate flooring and space before you start installing!
More Installation Tips:
- 9 Essential Tips for Laminate Floor Installation
- How Should I Prepare for My Laminate Flooring Installation?
- How Should I Acclimate My Laminate Flooring?
6 comments
[…] How to Determine The Direction To Install My Laminate Flooring […]
[…] you are installing new laminate floors in a room, you should install them parallel to window light. This will make the room look larger and make the floors look natural in your […]
The guidelines here would almost always have one run the flooring pieces away from the window. Not only do most of these installations look funny to the eye of anyone familiar with real wood flooring but the orientation is unappealing.
Add to the nature of the product and the laying a stripe of laminate 20′ or more feet long is almost impossible by the lone DYI’er.
Laying the flooring by your suggestion here can distort the room visual resulting it what appears to be a narrow room when it is nearly square.
I and a business partner have apartment buildings with exact floor plan duplicates. I lay my flooring best by eye way and she lays here according to these same rules picked up at the hardware store (from someone who does not install). Her livingrooms look narrower despite dimensions within inches.
Whichever two walls are the shortest measure between are the two to which the flooring should go perpendicular.
Who runs flooring the length of 8 hallway? Nobody. In the old days with real wood, the leftover short pieces went here.
As for the look, if you buy cheap flooring no orientation or light source will make it look anything except cheap.
Hi Allen, thanks for your feedback. We will review some of our images and add to this post.
Your first picture has the flooring parallel to the window, not the light.. This floor is Perpindicular to the natural light.
Hi Aaron, thank you for your comment. Looks like we need to update our photo! Thanks for pointing that out.