Flooring – How to orient the laminate flooring in this room

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I'm planning to install new laminate flooring in a bedroom that has two closets, and I just want to make sure I'm orienting it correctly. From what I've read, there are two rules for this:

Along the longest wall of the room
Perpendicular to the highest source of light

I am only able to follow one of these rules for this room. Please take a look at what I'm planning so far:

Bedroom layout

Here, I have the laminate along the longest wall of the room, and I'm planning to use T-moldings at the closet doors so the laminate is along the longest walls in there as well. Is this a good way to lay it out, or is there a better way?

Best Answer

Not an expert but I have installed laminate in 3 rooms in my house. I would go with the light (assuming you mean windows being the light source) rule for the following reasons:

Assuming your drawing is to scale, if you eliminate the alcove in front of the closet, the room is almost square making the longest wall rule almost irrelevant.
The reflection off the floor from outside light when you walk into a room will be broken by seams in the laminate (I've found that even the flattest laminate still has seams) which will make your room seem darker and probably look smaller as well.

Also, no matter what the choice, I would probably recommend putting the laminate in the closets the same direction as the main room. I believe those rooms are small enough that the longest wall rule doesn't really apply and I believe it will look funny having the boards a different direction when finished.

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Wood – Where should I start laying nail down hardwood flooring and how to make it straight

First, remember to lay your wood perpendicular to the floor joists. Laying it parallel can cause a waving effect which is unpleasant.

Next, find the longest, longest, straightest wall which is perpendicular to the joists. Measure out two feet from the wall all the way down the wall. Then find the best line down these marks, snap a chalk line, Measure back to the wall about 23 and 5/8 inches. Snap a this line. Line up your first run of floor against this line, tongue side out (nail through the tongue).

As for room to room, if they are really out of square with each other, try building a transition between rooms:

----||----
----||----
----||----
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This allows you to lay each room separately, allowing each room to be square.

Flooring – How to lay “click system” laminate flooring across an opening

While I disagree with your orientation, this isn't really that hard as long as you're using a floating floor.

Start by running a line of boards across all three rooms, and orient them so they are as perpendicular as possible to all the walls. (Alternatively snap a chalk line to represent the left edge of that single line of boards.

Now in each room, measure from the left edge (or chalk line) of the board to the left hand wall. Divide that distance by the width of your boards. The remainder is the width of your starter boards in each room. Rip your boards to fit.

Start laying the boards out in the room with the most distance to the left of the line. When you get to your opening, stop - lay the boards out in the next room until they come up to the opening. Run your line of boards from the first room into the 2nd room.

Now since its a floating floor, shift the floor in the new room to align with the board sticking into the room. Click the connecting board into place, and you now have a continuously aligned run.

Repeat for room 3.

Best Answer

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