Hardwood flooring must be installed perpendicular to the floor joists or on a diagonal for any single layer subfloor. To run parallel to the joists, you'll need to add a 1/2” plywood underlayment or brace every 16” between joists with a nominal 2”x 6” SPF nailed in place.
Wood floors should always be laid perpendicular to floor joists—across rather that in between them. This will make the floors structurally sound and will help prevent the planks from separating, sagging or buckling. So, there is no right or wrong way to lay your wood flooring.
Flooring experts recommend installing flooring boards perpendicular to the floor joists in a house with a plywood subfloor. Installing them parallel creates the possibility that the floor will sag between the joists and open gaps between the boards or worse.
The most common way to lay hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall. Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists, this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it aesthetically provides the best result.
You should not change the direction of hardwood flooring between rooms—the reason why is that it causes visual disharmony. Placing hardwood flooring in the same direction that follows your space is best.
When placing wood floors in multiple rooms and a connecting hallway, the boards should all be directed away from the main entrance to the hall, and adjoining rooms should continue in that same direction.
Our flooring pro recommends installing underlayment perpendicular to the way the planks will be installed. The underlayment will be less likely to “bubble” as you lay the flooring. He also suggests installing only a few rows of underlayment at a time to avoid tearing it up with your boots.
It is very important that the underlayment run the same direction as the flooring.
It's not always easy to tell which way floor and ceiling joists run. For floors, they will typically run across the shorter width of the room. With ceilings that have rafters, they typically run parallel to the rafters.
Use a stud finder to locate the joists. A stud finder is an electronic gizmo used to determine the location of wall studs or floor joists. They're available at hardware stores and home centers. Move the stud finder along the floor to determine the possible location of a floor joist at the center point of the squeak.
The best appearance is usually achieved by installing parallel to the length of the room, but always install perpendicular to the floor joists (wood subfloors) unless special subfloor conditions are met. Always rack out the flooring before installing to avoid clustered end joints and repeating patterns.
Floorboards are almost always laid at 90 degrees to the joists. The wall below must be running parallel with the joists meaning they cannot be sitting on it.
Install plywood underlayment smooth side up. To avoid damage to the surface, install underlayment immediately before laying the finish flooring.
The underlayment sheets usually run the same direction as the plywood subflooring, but it is critical that the seams of the underlayment are offset from those in the subflooring, so the underlayment bridges over the subfloor joints.
Staggering a Subfloor
Stability is more important than aesthetics when laying a subfloor, so it isn't important to make the pattern random. When laying the plywood, install a full sheet along one edge of the floor, then start the next row with a half sheet and use a full sheet for the third row.
The big question is, should flooring be the same throughout the house? The quick answer is YES! Using the same flooring throughout ties rooms together, improves flow, makes the home seem larger, simplifies cleaning and maintenance, and is often easier on the budget.
You could install a thin threshold between each room. That would cover the overlap in finish between the rooms. If the planks run parallel to the doors, you could cut out one board between the two rooms. That would give a clean line between finishes (and place the one board back at the end.
Put simply, the answer to the question do wood floors have to match room to room, is entirely one of personal choice. You can choose to have different flooring in each room if that works for you, but synergy and flow from selecting one central flooring material can look wonderful too.
Why Do I Need to Use Transition Strips? Transition strips serve two main purposes in a residential or commercial space. First, they're put in place to make navigating from room to room easier. They also provide a visual break between rooms and flooring materials that might otherwise be jarring and less than attractive.