Rethinking Flooring Direction: The Sideways Trend in Timber Installation

In the "Getting Sideways" article from ATFA Timber Floors Magazine Issue 52, Phil Buckley from Mint Floors & Shutters discusses the emerging trend of installing flooring across the short direction of a room, diverging from the traditional method of aligning with the longest run. While this approach can introduce challenges, such as increased lateral expansion pressure, it also offers benefits, especially for floating floors and floors prone to peaking on end joints. Installing floors in this manner can help hide control joints, reduce pressure on end joints, and make pattern repeats less noticeable, offering a fresh perspective on flooring design.