Q: We are currently having Bamboo floors installed in our house by a contractor. The contractor is saying that our subfloor is uneven because of settling. Our contractor wants to run the floors in our family room perpendicular to the way he laid them in the living room and dining room?
Shouldn’t the floors be laid in the same direction throughout the entire house? Is there a way to fix the unevenness of the subfloor? Is laying hardwood floors in different directions okay?
A: As a general rule of thumb, most floors (planks) should be installed across the joists and not parallel to them. Anything can be fixed and whatever is causing unevenness in the sub floor would need to be ascertained first.
Similar Q: My hardwood floors are 100 years old, and run the same as the joists. I want to add a new hardwood floor to my kitchen. Which way should the floor lay, with the joist or across the joist?
A: Your existing hardwood is likely 3/8 strip which one old time expert has referred to as a “floor covering”. it doesn’t add any structural stability as was often laid in any direction without concern for the direction of the joists. A 3/4 thick floor should almost always be installed across the joists unless the sub floor is 1 1/4 thick or more.
Related Questions
Breathable mats for hardwood floorsQ: We recently installed Azek boards for our outside porch floor. They told me at Azek that if I want to put an outside mat down where we exit the house, it needs to be a breathable mat and not a rubber mat. Do you have a suggestion for me?…
Hardwood floors installed over zipcreteI live in a condo and recently had hardwood floors installed in my kitchen and living room. The contractor used nails versus glue. The original floor in my kitchen was vinyl and under the vinyl is zipcrete. I was told by another contractor that my floors should have been installed…
Hardwood floor in a barnQ: I'm going to be putting a hardwood (probably oak) floor down in a barn. This barn has gaps and holes in the siding so it's kind of exposed to the elements. It's definitely exposed to the temperature. How should I treat the wood? Should I even bother letting it…
Accidentally put floor polish on pre-finished hardwood floorsQ: I accidentally put floor polish, instead of cleaner, on pre-finished hardwood floors. You gave me a solution to try 1/3 water, 1/3 ammonia, 1/3 Windex. It worked but I have apx 1200 square feet of flooring. You indicated that if it didn't work I should call back for a…
Hardwood floor in basement cuppingQ: My basement was finished by the previous owners about 30 years ago, and they put down hardwood floors, possibly directly on the concrete. The boards have bowed up in a large section in the center of the floor, and you can bounce on them. The floors slope down to…