Most people prefer to lay their laminate flooring boards parallel with the room's longest wall for an optimal aesthetic and practical flow. However, the best orientation can depend on the specific visual effect you aim to achieve and the room's characteristics.
Strategic Laminate Flooring Layouts for Your Space
The direction in which you lay your laminate flooring can significantly impact how a room feels and appears. Different orientations offer distinct benefits, helping to manipulate perceptions of space, length, or width.
Laying Laminate Vertically
Orienting your laminate planks vertically can dramatically alter a room's perceived dimensions.
- Elongation: Laying the boards vertically "will elongate a room," making it appear longer than it actually is. This technique is particularly effective in shorter or wider spaces that you wish to make feel more expansive.
- Natural Light Alignment: This orientation "works great if pointing towards a window, as it will follow the natural light." Aligning the planks with the main light source helps to hide minor imperfections and makes the seams less noticeable, creating a smoother, more continuous look.
Laying Laminate Horizontally
Conversely, a horizontal layout can create a different spatial illusion.
- Wider Appearance: Laying laminate flooring horizontally "can make a small room appear larger." This method is ideal for narrow rooms, as it draws the eye across the width, giving the impression of a more expansive area.
- Cozy Feel: While making a room appear wider, it can also contribute to a cozier or more intimate atmosphere in larger spaces.
The Most Common Approach: Parallel to the Longest Wall
The most widely adopted method for laying laminate flooring is to align the planks parallel to the longest wall of the room.
- Visual Balance: This orientation often provides the most balanced and aesthetically pleasing look, guiding the eye naturally down the length of the room.
- Ease of Installation: For many room shapes, starting parallel to the longest wall can simplify the installation process, especially when working with tongue-and-groove systems.
Summary of Laminate Flooring Orientation Effects
| Orientation | Visual Effect | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical | Elongates the room | Rooms where you want more length, pointing towards a window to follow natural light |
| Horizontal | Makes room appear wider | Small or narrow rooms where you want to increase perceived width |
| Parallel to Longest Wall | Most common, balanced | General application, often preferred for aesthetics and ease of installation |
Choosing the right way to lay your laminate flooring involves considering the room's existing layout, natural light sources, and your desired visual outcome.
