ᐅ Installation Direction of Vinyl Flooring and Waste Material Issues
Created on: 21 Jul 2020 11:03
N
Nanopixel
Hello everyone,
I have been thinking about the following problem for a while. To make it easier to understand, I have attached a floor plan showing three rooms, their exterior windows, and the door openings. Vinyl flooring with plank dimensions of 152 x 23 cm (60 x 9 inches) is to be installed in this area.
1. Option: Kitchen flooring laid lengthwise
Since the flooring should be installed lengthwise relative to the main light source, it seems appropriate to lay it lengthwise towards the large window in the kitchen. However, this creates a problem: with a room length of 464 cm (183 inches), there is a leftover piece of only 6 cm (2.4 inches) including a 1 cm (0.4 inches) expansion gap. Even if you start with a half or otherwise cut plank rather than a full one, the joints in each row only shift by 6 cm (2.4 inches), which is far from ideal. I also want to minimize waste as much as possible.
2. Option: Kitchen flooring laid crosswise
There is a second window (or balcony door) in the kitchen, so perhaps installing the flooring crosswise is possible? The room width of 297 cm (117 inches) fits almost perfectly with the plank length of 152 cm (60 inches). However, this leads to another issue: since the adjoining hallways will also be floored with the same vinyl, to avoid a 90° rotation at the door thresholds, the hallway flooring would have to be laid in lengthwise. This is probably not ideal for long, narrow corridors.
How would you approach this?
Thanks in advance,
Regards
N
I have been thinking about the following problem for a while. To make it easier to understand, I have attached a floor plan showing three rooms, their exterior windows, and the door openings. Vinyl flooring with plank dimensions of 152 x 23 cm (60 x 9 inches) is to be installed in this area.
1. Option: Kitchen flooring laid lengthwise
Since the flooring should be installed lengthwise relative to the main light source, it seems appropriate to lay it lengthwise towards the large window in the kitchen. However, this creates a problem: with a room length of 464 cm (183 inches), there is a leftover piece of only 6 cm (2.4 inches) including a 1 cm (0.4 inches) expansion gap. Even if you start with a half or otherwise cut plank rather than a full one, the joints in each row only shift by 6 cm (2.4 inches), which is far from ideal. I also want to minimize waste as much as possible.
2. Option: Kitchen flooring laid crosswise
There is a second window (or balcony door) in the kitchen, so perhaps installing the flooring crosswise is possible? The room width of 297 cm (117 inches) fits almost perfectly with the plank length of 152 cm (60 inches). However, this leads to another issue: since the adjoining hallways will also be floored with the same vinyl, to avoid a 90° rotation at the door thresholds, the hallway flooring would have to be laid in lengthwise. This is probably not ideal for long, narrow corridors.
How would you approach this?
Thanks in advance,
Regards
N
No, no, Lumpi_LE is basically right. You just cut 2 boards at the beginning.
Example:
1st row:
60 - 152 - 152 - 100 ... leftover 52
2nd row:
90 - 152 - 152 - 128 - 70 ... leftover 82
3rd row you start with the leftover from row 1:
52 - 152 - 152 - 108 ... leftover 44
4th row you start with the leftover from row 2:
82 - 152 - 152 - 78 ... leftover 74
and so on.
Example:
1st row:
60 - 152 - 152 - 100 ... leftover 52
2nd row:
90 - 152 - 152 - 128 - 70 ... leftover 82
3rd row you start with the leftover from row 1:
52 - 152 - 152 - 108 ... leftover 44
4th row you start with the leftover from row 2:
82 - 152 - 152 - 78 ... leftover 74
and so on.
kbt09 schrieb:
You just cut up 2 boards at the beginningExactly, starting twice is the trick – I was a bit confused myself earlier.N
Nanopixel21 Jul 2020 12:08Thank you, kbt09, that’s a good idea to use the remaining pieces in the row after next, so starting twice…
… and just fundamentally… am I going the right way with the installation direction here? Or should I rotate it by 90 degrees instead? Which would also be beneficial for stability, as the main walking paths would then run along the planks rather than across them.
… and just fundamentally… am I going the right way with the installation direction here? Or should I rotate it by 90 degrees instead? Which would also be beneficial for stability, as the main walking paths would then run along the planks rather than across them.
So I think, especially with click laminate flooring, it probably doesn’t matter.
Regarding the starting and ending pieces, you can also allow for some additional material waste here, which adds even more variety. For example, if you have a leftover piece of 100cm (39 inches), you could cut about 20cm (8 inches) off it as well.
Regarding the starting and ending pieces, you can also allow for some additional material waste here, which adds even more variety. For example, if you have a leftover piece of 100cm (39 inches), you could cut about 20cm (8 inches) off it as well.
N
Nanopixel21 Jul 2020 14:40OK, but purely from an aesthetic perspective, laying the flooring lengthwise or crosswise does make a difference.
On one hand, manufacturers recommend installing the floorboards lengthwise to the direction of the light. On the other hand, there is advice to lay the flooring crosswise in long, narrow rooms for visual effect.
What should you do if these two recommendations contradict each other?
On one hand, manufacturers recommend installing the floorboards lengthwise to the direction of the light. On the other hand, there is advice to lay the flooring crosswise in long, narrow rooms for visual effect.
What should you do if these two recommendations contradict each other?