Which direction to lay hardwood floors?
 

My sister is coming to help me install a new floor in a bedroom, either a Pergo type floor, or possibly hardwood. If we're successful I want to do the entire house. I've always had wall to wall carpet. Which directions should the planks go, Plan A or Plan B? I think it should be Plan A, but won't that make the hall look like a bowling alley?
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Traditionally, all rooms are laid the same direction ... and Plan A would be traditional.

Like quilting, why feel you have to keep with tradition! :D

I too was worried about a bowling alley effect when I was restoring a 150 yo home with a long upper hallway. To solve that problem, we laid the strips on the bias ... plus it added interest to the other rooms.

I loved the look .... and we had many compliments when others saw the results.

From everything I've read on Pergo, laminate, hardwood, etc., the boards should go whichever is the longest length of the room, not sure I explained it well though, so if the longest length of the room goes east and west, then that's what direction the new flooring should go, and it should also say that in the directions for installing the flooring.

I agree with this also. Another thing is if you lay the boards like they are going in example A it gives the appearance that the room is bigger.

From EHOW.COM - my underlines and bold type
Instructions

<section style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">

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  • 1Lay the planks at right angles to the floor joists or at a 45 degree angle to the joists, unless the subfloor has been reinforced. Flooring parallel to the joists on a non-reinforced floor will dip down over time
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  • 2Run your hardwood planks in the same direction that traffic moves. If you install flooring perpendicular to traffic flow, it causes a sense of blockage. Flooring generally runs the long way in a hallway, for instance.
    
    

</section>In our house the boards are perpendicular to the floor joists and run the long way in the hallway.
Similar to your Plan A. #2 above talks about running the planks in the hallway in the direction that traffic moves.


Nan

Edited to add - you may just want to read the whole page! Haha!
http://www.ehow.com/how_5802277_deci...ood-floor.html

i read some time ago that the boards should be laid in the direction of the windows... sometimes that means that the hallway will be in a bowling alley direction :) If the windows are in different directions, then choose the direction of the living room windows.

I agree with quiltinghere. Our hall boards run the long way. They all run that way, joists run side to side, hardwood runs lengthwise. What I have read and always heard. I would look at the joists.

Ask at the place where you are buying the boards - they can help you.

We had just installed laminate in the entire house and the installer said he had to start from an exterir wall. Seems like these are better squared. He chosse to start on the Master Bedroom - ours is a split plan- and kept going.
I love it .