Many homeowners choose to swap out existing flooring for hardwood. It’s tough to match the unique beauty that hardwood offers. Everyone gives at least some thought to the color they want their hardwood to be, but that’s only the beginning of the decisions that will need to be made. Have you given much thought to what direction the flooring should be laid in? There are a few factors that can influence that decision.
Room Dimensions
The dimensions of any given room can influence what direction is best for laying your hardwood floor. Part of it will depend on the effect you’re trying to achieve. If you want to give the impression of depth, you’ll find that laying the planks along the length of the floor will help with that. That effect can be even more pronounced when the lines of the hardwood continue uninterrupted through multiple rooms or hallways. On the other hand, if your goal is to create the illusion of more width in a room, you’d do better to have the hardwood laid across the width, rather than the length.
Lighting
Anyone who wants to create a streamlined look in their home should carefully consider the impact that lighting will have when combined with their hardwood floor. To create a more seamless look, lay the hardwood flooring parallel to the light source. This is especially important when you have lots of natural light entering your home. That way the light won’t illuminate any variations in board heights as distinctly.
Personal Pattern Preferences
Your own personal preferences should have some influence as well. There are multiple ways to lay hardwood floors. You can choose to lay the flooring diagonally to create a stronger visual impact in the room. Laying it in a herringbone pattern is another great way to make a statement. You could even create a checkerboard pattern or some other geometrical design, if you so choose. If you decide to go with something more intricate, make sure that the person installing the floor really knows what they’re doing. You don’t want to have to deal with mistakes down the road.
There’s more to having a stunning hardwood floor than simply picking the wood that looks the most beautiful out of the samples you have available. How the floor is laid will have an impact as well. Think carefully about the area where it will be installed and what way will suit it best so you can enjoy the best of what a hardwood floor can offer your home.
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