To lay your flooring in a basic pattern, design experts recommend starting from the most visible wall of the room from the entrance. Lay your planks so that they run from end to end, parallel against this wall. It's recommended you start ¼ of an inch off the wall.
We recommend starting in the left corner of the longest wall in the room and to install the planks in the same direction as the main light source (e.g. the main window).
Apply “The Rule of Three” to Home Flooring
This rule says you should use three flooring types at maximum throughout the whole home. For example, you might use hardwood in public areas of the house, except the kitchen and bathroom, where you use vinyl linoleum.
The starting point for laying your tile will be in the center of the room where the lines cross. You should begin laying the tile at this center point and work outward from there.
Keep in mind that most of the time, tiles should begin from the center of the room. This rule doesn't apply to every situation, but it's a good starting point. When it comes to floor tiles, starting from the center of the room will make your job easier, and the tiling pattern will be symmetrical.
Install the First Row
If the door to the room is located on one of the shorter walls, start laying the planks on the door side of the room. This will ensure you have the clean, uncut edge at the threshold. Begin the first row of flooring by placing the planks with the tongue side facing the wall.
Instead, “staggering” means you start each new row with a different length of the plank so that the ends don't match up with the ends of the planks in the previous row. This creates an offset pattern, similar to bricks in a wall, where each brick is placed over the space between the two bricks below it.
Start your first row by placing the planks with the tongue side against the wall. You can also trim the tongue off the boards in the first row with a utility knife. However, because the baseboard will cover a bit of your first and last row, trimming off the tongue is not necessary.
Put a mark on the board at the 3 feet point. Now, measure the adjacent board from the same corner to 4 feet and put a mark there. Then, measure the distance between the two marks. If it is 5 feet, then you have a perfectly square corner.
The best pattern to lay vinyl plank flooring is a staggered or offset pattern. This method involves positioning each plank so that the seams do not align, creating a natural, visually appealing look.
Staggering not only creates a more natural and visually appealing look but also improves the overall strength and durability of your floor. Here's why: Prevents Seam Alignment: Staggering ensures that the seams of your planks don't line up perfectly in adjacent rows and prevents potential weak spots.
A 1000-square-foot space will take around two to three days with a couple of people working on it. However, the timeframe can also depend on the space.
Treat your whole as a single room and just begin. Start from one corner of the house, and go from there. A bonus tip is to undercut the doorjambs so that the flooring can fit underneath the door easily.
Which direction to lay vinyl plank flooring in a small bathroom? In a small bathroom, lay the vinyl planks parallel to the longest wall. This approach helps elongate the space, making it appear larger and more open.
Start from one corner in the widest part of the room and work to the opposite/smallest end (could be a hallway or kitchen with cabinets or something). If the area to be covered is rectangle, lay the planks parallel to the long axis of the room OR, match any existing plank flooring direction.
When establishing a starting line, knowing where you want to close out the floor helps you get there neatly. If the room is reasonably square already (the walls measure parallel), snap a line parallel to the closing wall and simply transfer that line back to the starting wall and begin the installation.
You will want to start in the left side of the wall you pick with the tongue on the long side of a plank facing the wall.
Lay the first row of vinyl plank flooring along the wall, leaving the manufacturer-recommended amount of expansion space between the plank's edge and the wall (usually about 1/4-inch). If the planks are cut, make sure the cut edge is facing the wall.
Vinyl plank flooring that hasn't been staggered is more prone to buckling and separation. This happens when vinyl flooring can't bear the weight of heavy furniture items such as couches, pianos, tables, beds, etc.
To lay your flooring in a basic pattern, design experts recommend starting from the most visible wall of the room from the entrance. Lay your planks so that they run from end to end, parallel against this wall. It's recommended you start ¼ of an inch off the wall.
Make a mark on the wall at both ends of the room where you will place your first row. This will give you a reference point for where the whole planks should start and end. Follow this guide to make your floor straight: Start with a whole plank from the point you've marked on the wall.
Start at the corner of the room and place the first board with the tongue facing toward the wall. Be sure to leave a gap of about a ½-inch so the floor has room to expand and contract.