Hardwood is one of the most beautiful materials you can choose for your flooring, but before you choose the color and type of wood, you need to figure out the direction you want the wood installed.  If you think it doesn’t matter, think again!

The direction of the hardwood flooring is going to change not only the look but the flow of the room.  There are a few different directions and types of installations to consider.

Vertical Flooring Installation

This is pretty straightforward.  In order to get this look, you’ll want to place the planks parallel with each other.  For example, if you have a foyer, you would install from the door straight out to the hallway.  This is a really classic pattern and works well with contemporary homes. Because this is the easiest of all directions to install your hardwood flooring, it’s also the cheapest option.

Horizontal Flooring Installation

This is the opposite of the vertical direction.  Instead of placing the planks from the door to the room, you would place the planks from wall to wall.  This directional installation works really well for smaller rooms or rooms that are narrow because it fools your eyes to look from side-to-side and makes the room look bigger.  

Herringbone Flooring Installation

You don’t see this a whole lot, but it is an interesting concept.  Essentially when the hardwood flooring is installed, you would use a kind of diagonal zig-zag pattern.  If you like herringbone but you don’t want the entire space done with this style, you can also choose squares for a parquet design!

Diagonal Flooring Installation

In this concept, you would start at one of the corners in the room and work your way outward at a 45-degree angle.  This adds a really elegant touch and would work well with a gourmet kitchen or a modern styled home. A lot of the time when you see a diagonal directional installation it’s done with a darker colored wood.

Random Widths and Lengths

This allows you to use planks that are different widths and lengths to the flooring installation.  That means you might have some narrow and some wide boards, or you might have some shorter or longer planks.  This works really well in homes that have a rustic style. You can also make it feel and look even more rustic by adding natural or less-than-perfect planks with markings, notches or planks with discoloration to change the look of the flooring.

When it comes time to choose the direction you want your planks to go in, it really comes down to personal preference.  Do random widths and lengths work really well in rustic homes? Yes. But that doesn’t mean if you have a traditional or modern home you can’t use it!  If you love it and the way it looks, that’s really all that matters.

If you’re having a really tough time picturing what your entire home will look like, it might be a good idea to find one of those 3D home software programs you can download.  You can add your dimensions, furniture, and of course flooring to see how it would look in real time!
If you want to know more about hardwood flooring installations or you want to get a quote on your flooring project, contact Cascade Flooring Pros or call (971) 563-3204.

Author: Cascade Flooring