Can I Install Hardwood Floor Parallel To Joists

However that is mostly personal preference.

Can i install hardwood floor parallel to joists.

I believe the national wood flooring association recommends a glued 5 8 1 2 subfloor combination for a parallel application. My question pertains to an upcoming job. With 5 8 plywood or thicker the plywood itself will grip the fasteners well enough to avoid the floor from pulling up so hitting joists periodically throughout the installation is less of an issue. I have a client that would like their 3 4 birch flooring to run parallel to the joists.

Older houses with 1 inch planks running. Flooring is tbd but will probably be either 3 4 hardwood or 1 2 engineered. Determine where to start consider your starting point very carefully. The subfloor is tji joists with 3 4 t g osb glued and screwed.

If you prefer a layout that requires the boards to run parallel to the joists you need to shore up the subfloor by adding a layer of 3 8 inch plywood. Joist spacing will be 16 oc tji and subfloor will be 3 4 ply. If you insist on changing the recommended floor direction add a minimum nominal plywood underlayment to the existing subfloor. If the subfloor is stiff enough there is no reason why solid nail down strip flooring can t be run parallel to the joists.

The most common way to lay install hardwood flooring is by aligning the planks parallel to the longest wall or run in the installation. Is this ok or should another layer of sheathing be put on the floor perpendicular to previous and then install flooring. Apart from a few exceptions like sagging joists this is the preferred direction to lay wood floors because it provides the best result aesthetically. I have always installed hardwood flooring perpendicular to the floor joists.

Hardwood floors that are installed parallel to the joists will eventually sag between those joists.