How to Choose the Laying Direction

Finding the laying direction in 5 steps

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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 emphasises every joint. In a square room, let the daylight decide instead.

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   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.