I will be installing Pergo with the attached pad to an existing floor that is smooth and has no apparent cupping of the individual pieces of flooring. The flooring is 15/16″x3-1/2″ douglas fir and is placed at right angles directly over the floor joists with only a vapor barrier between it and the joists (no sub-floor). Should I install the Pergo parallel to the flooring or to the floor joists? Does it make any difference? I could also split the difference and lay the Pergo at a 45 degree angle to both.
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I installed one like that about 3 years ago, and ran perpendicular to the floor planks, - parallel to the joist.
the existing planks were 6'' wide and had various imperfections in them, all running with the direction of the existing planks, so it seemed most logical to go perpendicular to them. There were a few valleys that I filled in with floor leveler, and a few high spots i sanded down with 40 grit.
That's the way I did it, and it's still holding together.
Given the thickness of the flooring you now have, I don't belive it will make much difference. If you had bounce in your existing floor or it were only 3/4" thickness, I would probably suggest going perpendicular to the joists. The Pergo has little strength of grain direction, unlike solid wood flooring with a grain. Pergo only has a surface simulated grain with no structural strength
One rule I follow with flooring is to lay the direction of the grain with the prevailing flow of light. For instance, if you have an 18' x 24' room, with the largest window at the 18' wall, run the flooring to point garain at the 18' wall, but if the light enters primarily from the 24' wall, point the flooring that way.
One reason is that the light running in at perpendicular lines to the joints will show them off - something you do not necessarily want to see.
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