How to Lay Out a Hardwood Floor in an L-Shaped Room

Snap a chalk line about 1/4 inch from the longer of the two walls that form the inside corner of the "L." Extend the chalk line along the length of the wall, past the corner and across the middle of the wider section of the room, all the way to the opposite wall. The line will be a reference for laying the first course of flooring.

Assemble the first course of flooring along the wall and extend it the full length of the chalk line, keeping the grooved edge on the line. Tap the boards together, end to end, and cut the last board to the correct length with a circular saw. Save the off-cut for beginning another course of flooring.

Snip the head off of a 2-inch finish nail with a pair of wire snippers. Insert it into the chuck of a drill and use it as a pilot bit to drill holes in the boards through their faces. Drill the holes in pairs, each about 1/2 inch from the edge of the board, and space the pairs at 10- to 12-inch intervals. Drill holes within an inch of each end of each board.

Drive a 2-inch finish nail into each board and set the head about 1/8 inch below the surface with a nail punch.

Tap the next course of flooring into the tongue-side of the first course, staggering the ends of the boards so they are offset by at least 6 inches from the ends of the boards in the first course. Drill holes through the tongues at a 45-degree angle, maintaining the same spacing you used for face-nailing the first course. Drive a nail into each hole and set the head with a nail punch.

Measure the length of the flooring that extends across the wider part of the room and cut enough 1/2- by 1/4-inch spline material with a table saw to fit into the grooves. You can cut the splines from scrap lumber or from spare flooring boards. They should fit snugly in the grooves and extend out about 1/4 inch.

Lay the third course of flooring by tapping the groove-sides of the boards into the splines and nailing the boards through the tongues. When you're done, you'll have three courses in the part of the room that forms the horizontal part of the "L," and tongues will be facing either wall.

Install the rest of the floor with a flooring nailer, first filling the part of the room that forms the vertical part of the "L" and finishing with the part of the room that forms the horizontal part. Ensure you stagger the ends of the boards in adjoining courses throughout the installation.