Is the Installation of Laminate Floor Staggered or Corner to Corner?

Plank Pattern

• When you install laminate flooring, you need to stagger the planks between each row. In other words, you don't want the seams to match up in adjoining rows. If you lay the laminate corner to corner, the seams end up in one place across the floor, which takes away from the stability and natural look of the flooring.

Perpendicular

• In addition to laying the planks with a staggered pattern, you should lay the planks perpendicular to floor joists whenever possible, according to Find Any Floor. However, the direction of the light source in the room is a consideration when you are deciding on the direction of the planks.

Light

• Although the recommended direction of the planks is perpendicular to floor joists, this is not the recommendation if the light source is shining in the opposite direction. If the light from the windows shines lengthwise in the room, you should lay the planks the length of the room so that light and planks are parallel with each other. However, the flooring in the adjoining room may be another consideration when laying the staggered planks on the subfloor.

Adjoining Room

• If the adjoining room has laminate flooring, you should install the planks going in the same direction as the planks in the adjoining room. For example, if planks in one room run the length of the room, you don’t want to install the flooring in the adjoining room the width of the room because the area where the rooms meet will be different.