Laminate Flooring Direction

canadiandude

Hi (eh), I've got a pile of laminate flooring here I'm ready to install. But I've been racking my brain the past three days trying to decide which direction to lay the planks. I've done lots of Googleing on the subject, and most say to lay it parallel to the incomming light and/or parallel to the longest wall.

Okay, so in my living room I'm going to lay it parallel to the long wall, to me this will look the best and this will be going the same direction (lengthways) down the hall - BUT, I can't figure out which direction to go when I hit my bedrooms:

In my mind the best direction to run it is in the same direction as all the rest, so there are no directions changes when I hit the bedrooms. But this does not lend itself to the other opinions that say to run it parallel to incoming light and parallel to the longest wall. Rather it would be running perpedicular to both.

I seriously need a professional opinion here! Should I run it all in the direction?? Or, change direction when I hit the bedrooms to follow the popular opinion??

joecaption

I'd run it all in the same direction.
You do know you can not run the flooring through the doorway from the hall and into the room, right?
There has to be a transition strip there and the flooring in the bedrooms gets laid againt the outside wall first and runs toward the door.

JetSwet

Running the lam the longest way of the rooms will give you less wast.
You don't need a transition peace under the door if you are going the keep same direction.
I would keep it the same in bedroom so it's all one floor.
Cutting around the bottom of the doors is the hardest usually u need to cut the Jams a little so there are no reveal.

canadiandude

Thanks for the replys folks. I didn't think I needed a transition peice in the doors if it's all going the same direction. The install directions I have with my flooring says if you come to a point where you can't angle the flooring to lock it together (like a doorway), you have to chisle/cut away the locking lip then glue the pieces together.

It also says to glue the short side of the panels together on the very first and last rows.

Now I'm really leaning toward running it all the same direction, so it's all one floor and it's consistant... this was my first instinct, I suppose I should stick to it.

JetSwet

You have to make it one piece under the door. If you have a gap along the same wall as door you will have to trim down your pieces by the wall.

No nothing gets glued, or nailed down for lam floors.

Make shore you stagger your Lines at least a foot check all your pieces for chips.