Laminate Floor Install Advice

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5
Location
Memphis, TN
Hey everyone! This is my first post, but I'm a long time lurker here.

My wife and I just purchased Pergo Casual Living laminate flooring to replace all the old contractor grade carpet in our house.

I'm looking for advice on the direction to run the laminate in each room. I've been told I can run it in any direction I want, but that it looks best if it's run parallel to the longest wall or parallel to the direction the sun shines into the room.

In the attached floor plan, the grey areas have no flooring, the blue areas have ceramic tile, the white areas will be receiving the laminate, and the windows are shown in yellow.

Thanks in advance!
 

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I've always started from the front entryway. If there is a natural direction for it to flow to guide the guests into the house, in your case I would have it run down the hall towards the kitchen. I almost always have the rest of the house run in the same direction. In your case the run would go well for the living room and master bedroom transitions too.
 
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Just my .2 cents, you never see flooring put down in alternating directions, or at least I never have. I know I would never buy a house or install my own that had that. The idea behind this wood flooring is to simulate the real stuff, so might as well make it look as close to it as possible. Running it up and down (as your picture sits) would make the most sense, in the end will be the easiest to work around when you come to those doorways too. Do yourself a favor and don't skimp on the plastic padding material that goes under the flooring.
 
Okay, based on what you guys have said, what do you think of this?

I've added green blocks to designate the transition moldings (T Molding, End Molding, etc.).
 

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Paul, I'm far from a professional but I think the hallway would look better with the laminate running the length of the hall rather than the way it is pictured now. It wouldn't take long to call a couple of installers to get their ideas. The rest of layout looks great. One other thought on the hall orientation, the flooring would be stronger going length wise because you would have more interlocking connections that way. It would be very easy for the floor to want to buckle up or creep. I maybe wrong (wouldn't be the first time:D) but I wouldn't lay the hall that way.
 
Paul, I'm far from a professional but I think the hallway would look better with the laminate running the length of the hall rather than the way it is pictured now. It wouldn't take long to call a couple of installers to get their ideas. The rest of layout looks great. One other thought on the hall orientation, the flooring would be stronger going length wise because you would have more interlocking connections that way. It would be very easy for the floor to want to buckle up or creep. I maybe wrong (wouldn't be the first time:D) but I wouldn't lay the hall that way.

That is something to consider, for some reason I wasn't considering the "click" or "locking" floors that float over foam. So is it a floating system or will it be nailed/glued to the subfloor? What is your subfloor construction?

Cheers.
 
I have done 2 houses as a DIY and from reading all the information I could find. They do say start on the longest wall and to lay the floor so it is inline with the window/s were the most the light come in. Sometimes the longest wall is the opposite of were the windows are located for the light. I have come to the following conclusion; Lay the floor to were you will think it would looks the BEST This maybe more work up front but you will like it more after you are finished. I agree with Royall, to me it looks best going with the length of the hall way (the opposite that you have on your layout). Also no matter which way you lay it, I would lay it all in the same direction. Think out where your transition moldings would work the best and you can do closets last with pieces left over if need.

The last think is what a man told me once when I was building my house. "There is only one rule to follow - It is your house build it the way you want too."

Have fun and do not forget the knee pads.

Mark
 
That is something to consider, for some reason I wasn't considering the "click" or "locking" floors that float over foam. So is it a floating system or will it be nailed/glued to the subfloor? What is your subfloor construction?

Cheers.

It's a floating click/lock floor. No nails or glue. My subfloor is concrete.
 
Are we talking about changing the direction of the circled hallway seen below (Floor Plan 2b)? So it would look like Floor Plan 3?

Paul
 

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Okay, based on what you guys have said, what do you think of this?

I've added green blocks to designate the transition moldings (T Molding, End Molding, etc.).

Flooring should run the length of the hallway never across, If you run it long ways as you enter the front door, It will make the room look like a bowling alley. In real stick built home construction, The Finished flooring would run perpendicular to the floor joists. Your floor plan is so cut up with entrys and hallways, it would be hard to set forth an "as a rule" plan. I would consider Turning the direction of the flooring as each room dictated.

My opinion, only for what it is worth.
 
Are we talking about changing the direction of the circled hallway seen below (Floor Plan 2b)? So it would look like Floor Plan 3?

Paul

I lived in a house that had the floor installed like in Plan 3. It was a bit jarring to my eye walking through the rooms and hallways with the floor changing direction. Also the T-molding transitions were annoying going between rooms and hallways, but I tend to shuffle around in my socks inside the house :)

Because you are dealing with two hallways making a T at the kitchen you could choose either one as your baseline. Just walk through and imagine your eye drawing you through the house, do you want to be drawn to the kitchen from the front door or to the living room and master bedroom from the hallway T?

Choosing either one I would recommend keeping the plank direction the same in each hallway the living room, master bedroom and the space next to the garage with no T-molding transitions.

Regarding the hallway that will end up with "short" planks. Keeping the joints to a minimum and a solid flush fitted baseboard install you won't have a problem with buckling. You might consider edge glueing the planks in the hallway just to be safe (check your manufacturer's documentation.)

I have only installed engineered and solid wood flooring using adhesive or nails and always kept the plank direction consistent through the halls and rooms with seamless transitions. So I am probably inclined to lay it out the same way again even though it is more work.

The biggest consideration is your own desires. Start a walk through at your front door, imagine yourself walking in with your guests and what you would like them to see. What do you want to lay down that will make you happy and hopefully proud? You will be putting in a lot of work, you don't want to be second guessing yourself 2 days, 2 months or 2 years down the road.

And yes, get a good pair of knee pads. The other gotcha is making sure you cut the door jambs and trim so the planks slide underneath. You can do it by hand, but consider renting a Fein Multimaster. Practice on the inside jambs of your closets first just in case there's beginner's goof!

Keep asking questions until you are satisfied with your plan of attack.

Cheers.
 
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Are there steps or something between the halls and family room? Just wondering if the transistions are needed if the floor can flow without them into those areas. I have it in my basement and goes all the way around without any transition strips (stairs is in the middle) not even in the door ways.

BTW...Welcome to the family! :wave:
 
Are there steps or something between the halls and family room? Just wondering if the transistions are needed if the floor can flow without them into those areas. I have it in my basement and goes all the way around without any transition strips (stairs is in the middle) not even in the door ways.

BTW...Welcome to the family! :wave:

No, there are no steps or anything.

The instructions state: "Pergo T-Moldings are used to join two different areas of Pergo floors together in doorways and archways four feet wide or less. If a closet is large enough to walk into, the doorway needs a T-Molding."

I thought that meant I needed a T-Molding between the living room and the adjacent hall for example. Maybe I'm not reading that correctly... :eek:

Paul
 
I've only installed this type of flooring once, but as I remember, it had directions as to how to install it and if my ol' brain still computes, the directions said that when you start you start in the left corner, depending on the direction of your run. I'm thinking if you run in all one direction you'll have less waste and you'll get a more pleasing look to the eye. I would suggest looking to the long ways in the rooms..starting in the far left corner of the living room and maintain the run throughout... you will have the planks running crossways in the long hallway, but it will still be running the same as the rest of the house.
 
...And yes, get a good pair of knee pads. The other gotcha is making sure you cut the door jambs and trim so the planks slide underneath. You can do it by hand, but consider renting a Fein Multimaster. Practice on the inside jambs of your closets first just in case there's beginner's goof!...


Cheers.

Dan brought up some really great points. And unless you are ripping out all of your doors and casing, you will need to cut them back and get under them. Also, don't know if you've ever done this flooring before, but whatever is in the laminate on the top of the boards will destroy your saw blades. So don't go throwing your Forrest Chopmaster in your miter saw :) My guess is that a job of your size will show a very dull blade probably only half way through.
 
Great post Wes, I'd forgotten how fast that stuff will make a new blade dull. There is a Freud blade for 7 1/4" saws that was mentioned in another post (sorry but I forgot already who posted it) it cost about 80 bucks but he has used it for several jobs. Made for this kind of use. If I were doing my house over again I'd get that blade and just use my worm drive rather than running back and forth to a miter saw.
 
No, there are no steps or anything.

The instructions state: "Pergo T-Moldings are used to join two different areas of Pergo floors together in doorways and archways four feet wide or less. If a closet is large enough to walk into, the doorway needs a T-Molding."

I thought that meant I needed a T-Molding between the living room and the adjacent hall for example. Maybe I'm not reading that correctly... :eek:

Paul

Interesting. I didn't use the Pergo brand, I think it was Shaw. They only said that if the room was longer or wider than 28' you'd need the transistions, but may depend on the joint they use. Wes is right about the saw blade. Use a carbide tip, but not your good one. :)
 
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