How to choose the laying direction
Which way the planks run decides how big the room feels, how seamless it looks and how much you cut and waste. This guide walks through the five things that set the direction – and shows you how to compare both options before you commit.
Compare directions in the planner →
The laying direction is the first design decision, and it is also a cost decision: the same room wastes a different amount depending on which way the planks run. Work through the five points below to find the direction, then draw your room in the free planner and let it compare the waste of each option side by side.
Finding the laying direction in 5 steps
Follow the main daylight source
Find the window that lights the room most of the day and, as a rule, lay the planks running towards it. When the boards run with the light, the end joints throw almost no shadow and the floor reads as one seamless surface rather than a grid of seams.
Work with the shape of the room
Run the boards along the longer axis of the room. Planks that follow the length draw the eye down the room and make it feel longer and calmer; laying them across the short way chops the space up and emphasizes every joint. In a square room, let the daylight decide instead.
Account for the entrance and the traffic
Stand in the main doorway and picture the first view of the floor. Usually it looks best with the planks running away from you, into the room, so the lines lead the eye forward. Matching the direction to the main walking route also keeps the seams from cutting across the busiest path.
Plan around fixed features
Hallways and narrow rooms almost always run lengthwise, whatever the light does, or they look like a ladder. Check where the direction meets stairs, thresholds and doorways too: a change of direction wants to fall on a threshold, not in the middle of an open floor.
Test both directions and compare the waste
Once the look points one way, confirm the cost. Draw your room in the free planner, flip the laying direction and read off the waste for each: the direction changes which pieces you cut and how much you throw away. Pick the one that looks right and cuts least.
Frequently asked questions
- Daylight or room shape – which one wins?
- When the two point different ways, daylight usually wins, because seams that catch the light are the thing you notice every day, while a slightly shorter-looking room is not. The exception is a clearly long, narrow room or hallway: there the shape wins and the boards run lengthwise regardless.
- Is a diagonal laying direction worth it?
- A diagonal lay looks striking and can make a small room feel wider, but every wall turns the cut ends into wedges, so the waste climbs well above a straight lay. It is worth it if you love the look and have planned for the extra material – the planner shows you exactly how much more a diagonal costs.
- Does the laying direction change how much material I need?
- Yes. Straight and diagonal lays waste different amounts, and even two straight directions can differ once the offcuts stop reusing cleanly. That is why it pays to compare directions in the planner, which counts the real cut pieces for each and rounds up to whole packs.
See the waste of each direction on your real floor plan
The free planner lays every plank at real dimensions on your own floor plan. Flip the laying direction and it instantly recounts the cut pieces, the waste and the laying pattern – so you can weigh look against cost before you order a single pack.
Open the free planner →