Flooring Same Direction As Joists

So if you re redoing the floors in the foyer run the planks in the same direction as the front door.

Flooring same direction as joists.

I agree that if you have less than 3 4 of you should definitely run the flooring perpendicular to the joists or at a 45 degree angle. Most flooring installers will lay the flooring parallel to the long length of the room to avoid the ladder affect. Hallways should aim to have planks running in the same direction. Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it provides the best result aesthetically.

While personal preference is a factor the direction in which you run hardwood flooring boards is governed by visual and structural guidelines. Common sense tells you that large floor joists can carry more load and spacing joists closer together also increases the load bearing capacity of a floor. How joists support floors and ceilings joists the horizontal members that span two walls and or beams have to carry the weight of the walls people furniture appliances and other stuff we place on them. Floor joists are used to support a floor over an open area like a basement crawl space etc.

The correct direction for laying hardwood floors. But larger is not always better when builders are constructing a home or adding a room addition. When hardwood floors are installed parallel to the joists they will sag squeak and gap. However if you have 3 4 plywood or osb you can change the direction.

When a load is applied to a joist the wood fibers along the bottom edge go into tension and those along the top go into compression fig. For example you can follow the direction of the main or most frequently used entrance of the room. The general rule of thumb is to install perpendicular to the floor joist doing so will allow the flooring to keep its structural integrity if the joists sag. The extra two inches of vertical distance when a floor is framed with 2 x 10 joists rather than 2 x 12s can be quite important for example.

If your sub floor is a concrete slab you can run the floors in any direction you prefer. Sight lines and aesthetics laying the hardwood flooring so that it runs from the main entrance of the room to the opposite wall is the best for sight line. When many joists are installed next to each other and a sub floor like plywood is nailed on top they create a large floor area called a floor system. It s like a mini bridge that s only supported at each end.