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apennameandthata I suppose that it should go at right angles to the joists.

Scott Lewis Homes It is always best to run the floor the opposite direction of your floor joist. The room looks like you have great views and lots to look at with the ceiling angles. The flooring could be run straight and be fine I think. Good luck looks like a great room.

gunnsharon We just recently installed hardwood in a similar room with a water view. The joists ran perpendicular to the window wall thus the hardwood runs in parallel rows to the window wall. I would have really liked to have a herringbone design but no installers in my area on the south shore of NS could do that. Be careful with the installers and watch for the 5% of your wood that does not meet the standard. Preverco states that these should not be used or could be installed in closets or back rooms. Definatley not placed in prominent walkways or the center of a room. My installers did not get that. So discuss this with the installer and see that he does this.

Deborah Butler, Brickwood Builders Running it perdendicular to the joists has been the standard for many years, but there are now ways to run it in either direction and it works fine. I would run it towards the windows. Beautiful space!

lionnessone Have you thought about installing pattern style flooring? ; Such as herringbone, diamond, and square mix it up. Think outside the box. The traditional way of laying flooring is over rated. Put your own twist on making a grand impact within your home. Play around with patterns and find that wow factor you’ll love forever. Go back to your childhood and get out those crayons with your artistic mine and start designing your own flooring....... Remember; there's no place like home!

[houzz=Villanova Residence - front hall][houzz=Entry Halls & Main Stairs][houzz=Classical Shingle][houzz=Front Entry][houzz=Lakeview Residence Entry][houzz=Private Residence]

pollyannagal With a ply subfloor you can lay them however you like as the load is spread across the joists so it's a matter of personal preference. Think about how you want the light to fall with regard to the grain and joints in the floor - try laying some boards down in each direction and see how you like it. Across the window will emphasise the grain and joints. Also think about the shape of the room - do you need to visually stretch it in any direction or lead your eyes towards something? Generally it looks better if boards run parallel to a fireplace as they can look 'chopped off' if they end at the hearth and can take your eye away from the fire itself.

elenaperuzzo The joists ran perpendicular to the window wall thus the hardwood runs in parallel rows to the window wall. This is the rule for wood floors!

Linda I wouldn't go with any fancy details since vacation house indicates to me a certain casual aspect to the decor. Herringbone and diagonal designs require a lot more work from an installer and aren't a good idea unless you've actually seen the person's work. Don't settle for carefully cropped photos or references from a flooring store which might not be the actual person who will be installing your floor.

I wonder how anyone could claim to be a floor installer and not know how to cherrypick the best boards for the most visible locations and put the ugly boards in a less noticeable place. I was working with a prefinished floor today and there were lots of quality problems but we confined most of them to the closet, around the radiator and behind the door. Also, the installer has to think about how the room will be used and where the furniture will be placed. For example, don't use the best boards in the middle of the dining room.

eileenzig For a different look we put our wood floors on a 45 degree angle from the floor joists. Makes room look more interesting and balanced and not too lo ng and narrow or wider and stubbier.

2B Design Great question! This is consistently the biggest mistake I see in "Great Room" design. The fact that it is new construction with ply subfloor negates any consideration of the direction of the joists. The most important consideration is "flow". When you walk into a room your eyes and subconscious are focused on the path that you need to take to get where your going. It starts at floor level then moves up to insure that you'll avoid any obstacles. Imagine what it would look like if you run the boards length wise. You'll have 80 rows of 40' lines grabbing your attention. This will make it the most obvious feature of the room and detract from what I assume are beautiful details that you've spent a lot of time and money to create like the dining table/island or cabinets and etc.
I've been designing/building great rooms for nearly 20 years and have used a simple and unique rule about 90% of the time. 22.5 deg angle!! (that's half of 45 for the geometry challenged). The bigger the room the more effective this method is. Start by figuring out what the most common path that will be used in the room. Typically starting from an entrance them moving to the work area or the fridge. Open a few boxes of flooring and start laying rows out in that direction. After this it should be obvious to you how your eye follows these lines and draws you toward that which your seeking.
Every installer will tell you that he's never done it that way and that it's gonna cost extra. So what! I can send pics if you like, just don't have them handy right now.
Happy Designing!
Bryan Barber
2B Design

PARADISE INTERIOR DESIGN I run my hardwood diagonally when ever possible. The line starts at the point of entry to the room and runs to the natural line of sight, or the focal walls. In your case it's the same direction the photo was taken. It will just pull you towards that fabulous view. Once you've deleted the fixed lines you've created a great sense of movement and freedom. You can place furnishings in any direction without conflict. In older homes or rooms that have an odd shape you don't have to worry if the room is not square. It also helps to widen a narrow space with an infinitive line. Great for open floor plans with directional issues, hallways and galley kitchens. There is a bit of extra waste but it's worth every penny. I add about 10-15% more material but discuss your layout with your installer before purchasing. You don't want to come up short.

Good luck on your project!
Ione Victoria

nmadias9808 I do all tile,stone and marble on a diagonal. Ive never done wood on diagonal but sounds good.If its prefinished wood the lines ARE very distracting. point the lines to the view. When craftsmen say they can't they just havent yet.Find an installer with creativity,experience and confidence.Our installer did not use any inferior boards, not in a closet or under a table or anywhere.Find a perfectionist he will take a bit longer but floors are pretty permanent so dont rush.Herringbone would be cool and special which is design speak for expensive.lol No matter what you pick, the sun streaming across the land and onto your floors is the BEST accessory.

andoy12 The answer to this is: What gives the best visual flow in the space? Different directions will give a different effect.

PARADISE INTERIOR DESIGN Following the natural line of sight gives the best visual flow. If you stand at the point of entry you'll find it's usually a diagonal view. When your eyes are following through the main traffic areas comfortably and not stepping over the planks that's a good thing.

eileenzig Our wood floor on a diagonal is not the prefinished wood. Old fashioned birdeye maple 3 inches wide. It was put in two adjoining rooms one an addition, one an existing part of the kitchen and with the two rooms the joints ran opposite so they did the diagonal for a compromise and looks stunning.

2B Design Remember 22.5deg (very important!). Diagonal usually means 45deg. 45's are usually very dramatic and highlight that surface. 22.5's are much more subtle where in the lines tend to fade and appear more as an integral continuous texture.
2B Design

Oriye Jonah Very cute

Dana Beautiful room! I like the 22.5 idea (have used it with travertine). Do you plan on using area rugs? If so, you will likely interrupt sight lines created by flooring. You can't really go wrong esthetically! Have you thought about furniture placement to optimize flow but not block the view? I'm dealing with that issue now and am curious about your ideas. Good luck!