Which direction to lay flooring (with pic)?

[Munzy]

Hi all,

Which direction should I run my new engineered flooring (2.2m lengths 220mm wide)?

I’m thinking from top to bottom of the image below? I would rather run left to right but that 12m is a very long span I would think?

Any issue running the planks into the steps at a right angle and adding a nosing?

Need some advice please!

 

[geraldthehamster]

I'd run them lengthways myself, for no particular reason

 

[Munzy]

I'd run them lengthways myself, for no particular reason

How’d you mean, left to right in diagram above? Should I be worried about a 12m run and expansion/contraction?

 

[geraldthehamster]

Yes, left to right. I was thinking aesthetically. No idea about expansion and contraction.

 

[Munzy]

Yes, left to right. I was thinking aesthetically. No idea about expansion and contraction.

Yep, I’m with you, that’s what I’d prefer, just worried about a 12m run. Will wait for a flooring expert to share their thoughts.

 

[Diver Fred]

What material is the sub-floor?
If boarding (wood) which way is that running?
Will the engineered flooring be floating or fixed?
Is the skirting boarding done? Or fixed after?
Is the 3 lines in the middle indicating steps?
Are the Blue lines indicating windows?

 

[Munzy]

What material is the sub-floor?
If boarding (wood) which way is that running?
Will the engineered flooring be floating or fixed?
Is the skirting boarding done? Or fixed after?
Is the 3 lines in the middle indicating steps?
Are the Blue lines indicating windows?

This is a ground floor concrete slab. It will have 80mm rigid insulation over the top and then 18mm tongue and groove chipboard. The engineered planks will float on top of the chipboard. No skirtings in place yet.

The blue lines are indeed windows and the lines in the middle are a couple of steps.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

How’d you mean, left to right in diagram above? Should I be worried about a 12m run and expansion/contraction?

In point of fact timber expands and contracts far more across the width than with the grain. That, and aesthetics, are why you normally see flooring planked parallel to the longest side of a room. Your floor is floating, therefore I'd expect an expansion gap all round which would generally be hidden beneath the skirtings

 

[Munzy]

In point of fact timber expands and contracts far more across the width than with the grain. That, and aesthetics, are why you normally see flooring planked parallel to the longest side of a room. Your floor is floating, therefore I'd expect an expansion gap all round which would generally be hidden beneath the skirtings

That’s interesting regarding which way wood usually expands, I didn’t know that. There will indeed be an expansion gap around the perimeter hidden by skirting.

Fantastic, looks like I can lay it the way I want!