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The Buckingham Group Resource Library | Remodeling Concepts_Articles_01
What's the Right Wood Floor Installation for You?
Straight, diagonal, chevron, parquet and more. See which floor design is best for your space.
Installing a wood floor? Whether you’re using hardwood, laminate or even plank tiles, once you’ve picked
that beautiful product, you’ll have to make another important decision: which way to install it. While
straight and horizontal patterns are the most popular, there are many more options, and one might be
better for your project. Here are the pros and cons of some of the most popular installation methods for
wood flooring to help you make the best choice for your home, budget and style.
Straight
The most common strategy when picking a wood flooring
pattern is to consider two basic orientations. Assuming the
wood will run in straight lines following the peripheral
walls of a rectangular room, the flooring can run
approximately north-south or east-west.
Generally, choosing the orientation that follows the longest
walls will emphasize the longer dimension, making the
floor area appear bigger.
Pros:
* Straight patterns are simple to lay out. Installers can use
one wall as a starting point and move across the room in
simple strips.
* Creates little waste, as it involves no complex cutting
patterns. (Most boards can usually be used in full.)
* Can create long, continuous lines, especially when run
throughout connected rooms or in an open space.
Cons:
* A straight pattern is common, which can make it less
exciting for those who prefer a unique look.
* It’s simple to install only in rectangular rooms. A complex
room shape can force this pattern to become partially
diagonal or to change directions.
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Diagonal
A diagonal wood layout typically creates the longest lines,
and thus makes a space look its largest. This makes it a
popular choice for open floor plans in small units, such as
condos and apartments, where expanding the look is key
for attracting buyers and creating an airy feel.
Pros:
* Taking the wood from corner to opposite corner
highlights the longest line of a room and maximizes the
lengthening effect.
* By not following traditional shapes, this pattern prevents
the floor from looking off in rooms with unusual shapes and
angles.
* Diagonals naturally read as dynamic and energetic.
Cons:
* Creates more waste, because many boards will need to
be mitered at the edges rather than meeting at simple
parallels.
* Installers won’t have an easy starting point and will need
a bit more skill, especially for a pattern at an odd angle
(one other than the common 45-degree angle).
Perpendicular
Although technically a straight pattern, it is
far less common to intentionally install
boards so that they run perpendicular to the
longest lines of a room. One con is that it
requires many more cuts (meaning more
waste and labor time), but it can help widen
a tunnel-shaped room by emphasizing the
little width there is, and can also add a
warmer, rustic appeal by emphasizing the
individual boards.
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Chevron
A chevron pattern immediately conjures a sense of the
wealth and grandeur of historic estates, making it a
fashionable choice for modern, contemporary and
transitional homes; it has been especially trendy in recent
years.
A true chevron pattern has boards meeting at mitered angles
(usually 45 degrees), creating diagonal zigzags along one axis
but long, uniform stripes along the other axis.
(Notice how the long lines created by the parallel boards here
follow the long axis of the room.)
Pros:
* Creates straight lines to help lengthen a room while also
creating drama with engaging diagonals.
* Arrows formed where boards meet create an even more
dramatic feeling of motion that keeps the eye moving about
the space.
* Can create a lot of visual interest with a less exotic wood,
which can sometimes save costs compared with using a rarer
material.
Cons:
* Requires every board to be cut, creating waste and taking
significantly more time than straight patterns.
* In a small space, the look can be either lost (at a large
scale) or very busy (at a small scale), depending on taste.
Herringbone
Similar to a chevron, a herringbone layout creates diagonal zigzag
patterns, but with unmitered edges to create a more broken pattern.
Pros:
* Takes time to install but creates less waste than a chevron, because it requires fewer cuts.
* Creates a subtler zigzag than a chevron for a more classic and rugged, and possibly less trendy, look.
Cons:
* Does not emphasize length as strongly as a chevon.
* Still requires mitering where the boards meet the walls.
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Parquet
Technically a parquet floor is any intricate pattern or design,
and not just the swirling-square style that was popular a few
decades back and has more recently fallen out of favor.
Generally, many smaller patterns currently feel dated, but
larger patterns can read as classic and custom, like
herringbone and chevron but rarer.
Pros:
* Complex patterns will be unique, for the most exclusive
look, without necessarily costing more than other patterns,
like chevron.
* Patterns can accent individual spaces and define areas
within a room.
Cons:
* Busy patterns require many cuts and a lot of time to install.
* A unique pattern can hurt resale value if it speaks to very
specific tastes or feels like part of a past trend.
Square
A square pattern can be thought of as a large, simplified
parquet. The installer follows the outside edges and works
toward the center (with mitered or unmitered corners), so
this pattern is easier to lay than some others and offers a
good compromise between busy and straight.
Pros:
* Creates a standout statement especially suited to rooms
with one central feature, such as a dining room or foyer.
Cons:
* Must be carefully planned to reach a neat center, because
most rooms are not perfectly square.
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Inset Pattern
Pros:
* Creates beautiful custom effects with rich textural appeal.
* Patterns can be used to break up a floor into sections that best suit
the individual room while still linking spaces through a common
material.
Cons:
* Purchasing multiple materials increases costs.
* Typically requires advanced skill to properly lay multiple materials
perfectly flush and straight, or in intricate patterns.
A Few Last Thoughts
It’s important to consider how your material will interact with the
pattern you choose. A busy grain will look dramatic even with a simple
layout and can look almost overwhelming when applied to a more
complicated plan.
Generally, unless you crave
maximum drama, the more
high contrast the grain is in
your wood, the simpler you
should go with your layout.
If you’re stuck with a busy or
dated pattern you don’t like,
take a cue from this condo
renovation
I
completed
recently. Staining a floor to a
dark finish and sealing it
thoroughly can virtually erase
the seams between boards, preserving the inviting texture of the wood while erasing the seam lines —
because sometimes the best floor pattern is none whatsoever.
Courtesy: Houzz