Vent: visited a new construction house and the plank staggering was a mess

I was over at a friend's new build in Charlotte last week and saw the flooring in their living room. The guy who installed it put every seam in a straight line down the middle, it looked like a bad tile floor. I told the homeowner it should be staggered by at least 6 inches for strength, but the builder said it was fine. Has anyone else run into installers who skip the stagger rule to save time?

2 comments

2 Comments

tarajenkins18d ago

I used to think the stagger rule was just some aesthetic preference installers argue about, but then I saw a friend's floor buckle six months in because every seam lined up perfectly. It's basically a structural thing, not just for looks, and skipping it saves maybe ten minutes of work. Now I get annoyed whenever I see a straight line of seams, it just feels wrong.

graceprice18d ago

Right? I helped a buddy rip out a floor that did the same thing, total nightmare.