Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - puttin down laminate
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samiamaquilter
02-15-07, 03:41 PM
Where would you start laying the floor in an area that has two sections divided by stairs going down in the middle of the two sections. I have read that you need to worry about the stairs-you wouldn't want a small piece there but it looks like it would be hard to make sure that the ends of both rooms would be kept fairly square if you started in the middle of a room. Would you want the length or width at the stairs top? My gut feeling would be the length of the planks perpendicular to the stairs. Keeping it all fairly square boggles my mind anyway.
Our main support beams under the floor go the width of the house (same way the stairs go) and I think the underlayment went the other way. Which way should my planks go-with the support beams or across the beams or does it matter. For some reason I have read that you should also take into consideration how the sun comes into the room- I like the look of the light across the width of the boards-shows better grain.
Does it matter if you change which way they go when you transition to a different room?
Any opinions and suggestions will be appreciated.
Our main support beams under the floor go the width of the house (same way the stairs go) and I think the underlayment went the other way. Which way should my planks go-with the support beams or across the beams or does it matter. For some reason I have read that you should also take into consideration how the sun comes into the room- I like the look of the light across the width of the boards-shows better grain.
Does it matter if you change which way they go when you transition to a different room?
Any opinions and suggestions will be appreciated.
Annette
02-21-07, 02:32 PM
measure the distance between the front of the steps over to the opposite wall. divide by the width of your planks. figure out how the planks will fit there & KNOW how wide your starting and ending planks need to be so you don't end up with slivers anywhere. don't guess. figure it out first. if you can't do it mathematically, take a bunch of planks & click them together til you've about filled the space & see what you'd be left with if you started at the wall (where you need to start). you may need to rip your starter row so you'll be left with a nice full plank in front of the stairs. or maybe you'll only have to shave a little off the plank by the stairs. whatever. just figure it out.
as to laying with or against your joists, it doesn't really matter with laminate, that i've ever heard.
as for the light coming in, i'd consider more how the lines of the planks look in the room than how the sun will look passing over the planks (usually, rooms have windows on several walls anyway). if you want to accentuate the length of the 2 spaces & visually "join" them, run the planks down the length from room to room the longest way. also think about the main entry into this space. i like to be greeted into a room with planks running toward me, not against me. basically, it's really up to you how you run the planks.
as to laying with or against your joists, it doesn't really matter with laminate, that i've ever heard.
as for the light coming in, i'd consider more how the lines of the planks look in the room than how the sun will look passing over the planks (usually, rooms have windows on several walls anyway). if you want to accentuate the length of the 2 spaces & visually "join" them, run the planks down the length from room to room the longest way. also think about the main entry into this space. i like to be greeted into a room with planks running toward me, not against me. basically, it's really up to you how you run the planks.