Where to start laying flooring in a room with irregular walls
Starting a flooring installation from a corner can cause the planks to slant by the time you reach other areas, making it hard to find the right layout direction. Choosing the easiest starting point prevents alignment issues and keeps the installation straight across irregular spaces.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Snapping a straight line a few squares away from the wall instead of starting directly against an uneven wallDid this help you?
- 2Measuring end pieces to avoid narrow slivers at the edgesDid this help you?
- 3Following online advice to start from the longest section or hallwayDid this help you?
- 4Starting from the exterior wall of the walkout doorDid this help you?
- 5Measuring off the longest exterior wall and eyeballing straight linesDid this help you?
- 6Using a laser level with a 90-degree cross to establish a master reference lineDid this help you?
- 7Planning around slivers or strategically placing them in low-traffic or low-visibility areasDid this help you?
- 8Asking for layout advice on online forumsDid this help you?
- 9Guessing installation starting points through trial and errorDid this help you?
- 10Starting at a stair nosing and making sure the layout is perfectly square before proceeding.Did this help you?
- 11Prioritizing the direction that looks best in the main living area where you spend the most time.Did this help you?
- 12Using rugs or runners to cover up the awkward perpendicular flooring in hallways.Did this help you?
- 13Pre-measuring from the starting point through the hallway to ensure planks hit the center of doorways and avoid narrow sliver cuts.Did this help you?
- 14Using cut ends in the hallway to create a random pattern that breaks up the 'ladder' look.Did this help you?
- 15Using glue-down flooring instead of click-lock to allow for better expansion across large continuous spaces without transitions.Did this help you?
- 16Laying planks parallel to the longest wallDid this help you?
- 17Installing planks perpendicular to the floor joistsDid this help you?
- 18Running planks lengthwise to make areas look deeperDid this help you?
- 19Following the rule of thumb to run flooring with the longest stretch of the house.Did this help you?
- 20Running the planks parallel to the main light source.Did this help you?
- 21Creating AI renderings of the space to visualize different flooring directions.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“None of my interior walls are square or straight so I can’t easily find the square line.”source ↗
“I’m going to have to compromise somewhere but I want to make sure everything is lined up as best as I can before I start.”source ↗
“Having a hard time figuring out what the best way is to lay these planks.”source ↗
“As shown in the image I am deciding between starting at point 1 or 2 (written in blue).”source ↗
“Where would you guys start to make it the easiest on yourselves?”source ↗
“I guess my most pressing question would be recommendations of where to start? At the end of the hallway where I will have to use a stair nose piece? Or the threshold of the door ( so I could work forwards and backwards, while still having a whole plank under the door jamb)”source ↗
“What are some tips? I’m looking to DIY my own floor”source ↗
“I was thinking of starting there at that transition so it would be a full board and I rip down the ones at the walls on the left and right. Bad move? Should I start on the right wall in the living room instead and live with a skinny board at the kitchen transition?”source ↗
“I have this floor plan and want to install LVP flooring. Where should I begin? I want the planks to run long ways in the living room. Is it possible to do it without any transitions?”source ↗
“I want continuous LVP everywhere, but my layout is actively working against me.”source ↗
“Option A (North-South): Looks incredible in the open-concept living/kitchen space because it follows the longest sightline and light from windows. The catch: It turns that first perpendicular hallway into a windowless choppy wooden ladder.”source ↗
“There is no winning. Which lesser of two evils do I choose before I lose my mind and just pour gravel everywhere?”source ↗
“Which direction to run vinyl plank flooring for our house?”source ↗
“I've heard the first rule of thumb is to run flooring with the longest stretch of the house. Second thing that should be considered is the light source. These two categories somewhat clash with our layout”source ↗
“We want the LVP all throughout the house; is it true that you don't want to change direction per room/area?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6Can you install LVP flooring room by room?
- 11Which direction should rectangular floor tiles go?
- 2Which direction should I lay laminate flooring in a cornered layout?
- 4Should I glue down engineered herringbone flooring or float it?
- 2Do I really need to self level my floor?
- 2What kind of flooring can you put on a screened-in porch?