Need Help to Stop Planning and Get Going

[EKuan]

Hello,

New member and happy to be here! Looking forward to learning from everyone. I am currently in the middle of two major projects, one being finishing my basement, which I am still framing at the moment; the other is planning and more planning for vinyl plank flooring on my second floor. The entire second floor is covered in carpet from the previous owner and it is worn down and bunches up in many areas. I am ready to get it out but I cannot get past all the planning involved. I need some help mainly with a couple of questions.

Here is a rough sketch of my upstairs and every room has carpet except for the bathrooms. If anyone can help me with the following questions, I have pondered for months, I would be extremely grateful.

1. Is it possible to run it all without transitions or would this be a terrible idea? Someone mentioned running the loft and master together, but the master has an odd curve to it that I think makes it a difficult room to do.

2. How would you tackle the master since it is nearly L shaped?

3. Which direction to run the planks is the best? My furthest line of sight is the arrow running from the back wall of the master to the back wall of the loft, the stairs also enter/exit into the loft, so I was thinking that would be the best way to run it if I was going to attempt running the entire floor in one fluid shot. If I add transitions then possibly running horizontal in Bedroom 2 and the Office makes sense, while keeping it vertical through the Loft, Bedroom 1, and the Master.

4. The rectangles along the walls are windows, which I know some people state is a reason to run planks one way or the other based on how the light enters the window and hits to floors (if this does matter much).

I have been going back and forth on so many ideas for so long that it is keeping me from working and looking for any insights. I appreciate it!

 

[Mark Brown]

Well hullo, welcome to the wicked world of flooring.

First glance at your drawing and I would say run it right to left across the picture. Depending on what product you choose (most) I would say run it all together. Unless that space is 4-5k sqft then maybe you might need some breaks.

Alternatively just run it all parallel off that 45° wall and really make your life miserable

As for the laying of it, thats easy. One piece... two pieces, three pieces... More. Done!

We will get you there.

I will presume you are looking at a floating plank, have you exposed the subfloor the carpet is installed on?

 

[highup]

I second what Mark said.
You can slap him for the 45 degree suggestion. He doesn't know where you live.

 

[EKuan]

Thank you, both! My manager has done a few floors and he said going left to right as well. I was thinking about doing a herringbone pattern off the 45 degree wall and run it in one shot .

Yes, to floating planks. Thinking rigid luxury vinyl, trying to find something without a lot of chemical release (VOCs). The space is about 2000 square feet.

I have not ripped the carpet up yet and exposed the subfloor. I have a feeling there will be some work to be done there as well. I have some creaky boards around Bedroom 1 and the Loft, possibly some leveling to do.

If running left to right do you advise starting in the top left corner in Bedroom 1. Run that up to the door frame, then hit the loft as it meets the planks from Bedroom 1? Bring that up to the door frame of Bedroom 2 and then begin in the left top corner of Bedroom 2 and bring it over to meet the planks coming through the door frame from the loft? If that makes sense?

I really appreciate the advice and expertise here, I am doing everything in this house on my own and learning most of it as I go. I am ready to get this started but not so much ready to drop all that $$$ on the flooring.

 

[Mark Brown]

It is an ugly lay no matter where you start. There is no doorway denoted for BR 1 but I assume it is located at closer to the walk in / linen closet side? If it were, then you would have a nice long run to get a chalk line from the whole space and then could use that to project through into the vast majority of spaces with ease. Then starting there might not be so bad. Personally I would want to start somewhere where I could align the longest row and work off of that. I am not opposed to working backwards. For perspective for what I am trying to say, if you were to run it in an up down orientation with the drawing, I would start right where you have drawn the arrow and fill in both directions from there. The less joining I can do the happier I am because it is the only thing it is possible to screw up.

 

[EKuan]

Yes, apologies, I forgot the door. It is near the linen closet door. When standing at the wall of BR1, I could get a chalk line through the door, across the loft, ending at the back wall of the office which would cover the full length of the second floor. This would be your suggested place to start? And then run it all in one shot with no transitions under doors?

This alone has been very helpful because I was only considering running the planks up and down (along the arrow in my drawing). A horizontal run definitely makes it more viable to do it all rooms in one shot. If attempting this without transitions is the floor more apt to buckle or have gaps as it settles?

 

[Mark Brown]

Spc i would vote you are ok to go transitionless all day long