When picking timber flooring for your home, you can choose different colours, ranging from pale blondes to dark honey shades. But it's not only the colour alternatives that provide a way for you to express yourself. The different plank widths and laying patterns offer further opportunities. For specific ideas when installing your timber planks, read on.
Plank Direction
You may be wondering how to lay the planks around your home. One option is to set the floorboards vertically in a room, parallel to the longest walls. This helps to evoke a sense of spaciousness. However, you might want to lay the planks horizontally in a long skinny room to give the illusion that it is wider. This way, you'll balance out the overall proportions. Another option is to set the planks at a 45-degree angle to a room corner, which will make the floor more lively though it will retain a classic feel.
More Detailed Floors
Another factor to consider when installing timber flooring is the plank widths, which don't need to be uniform. For something different, your contractors could lay variable-width floorboards. The surface will then display irregular lines with the combination of broad and narrow boards, giving the room a rustic feel. Alternatively, you might want to go in the opposite direction and create a sophisticated decor. A herringbone pattern will help you to achieve this. On these floors, the vertical boards form zig-zag patterns that snake across the room.
Spaciousness
Do you want to create a sense of spaciousness in a room and make it feel bigger? You can do this with the shade of your timber flooring. Choose pale-hued woods that reflect more light than darker tones, helping to brighten up the room so that it feels larger. You should also go with wide rather than narrow floorboards. Each plank you lay creates a join line, and a floor full of skinny planks will display extra lines and visual detail. You should aim for the reverse effect to make a room feel larger. That is, aim for minimal flooring with fewer joins by using wide planks.
Thus, you'll have many considerations to think about when undergoing a timber floor installation. The plank direction can alter the seeming proportions of a room. Plus, you need to select a floorboard width and decide whether you want a more decorative pattern like herringbone or a smooth and minimal effect.
Contact a timber floor installation contractor near you to learn more.