We see it happen a lot. Someone selects a wide plank for their hardwood floors, installs it, and hates the look almost immediately. Why does this happen?

In truth, a lot goes into deciding how wide your planks should be. As a professional installer, we look at a variety of things before making recommendations: the overall dimensions of your room, the width and the length of the room, what rooms the hardwood will be installed in, and how your rooms flow. 

So what is considered wide? How do you know what width is best for you? 

For traditional wood floors, most standard planks run between 2 ¼ to 3 inches in width. When you see a traditional oak wood floor, chances are it was installed using this width. It works well in any decor – from country to rustic, to modern. If you want clean, consistent lines, nothing can be more beautiful. 

But in the last several years, boards have been getting wider. Think 4 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches and beyond. 

When you increase the width, you’ll also have to make another decision: do you want all of your hardwood the same width? Or do you want to lay your floor using random widths? This is a personal choice; there is no right or wrong answer. All one width tends to have a more elegant look and feel, while mixing and matching widths tends to be more modern and contemporary. 

The wider you go, the fewer seams you’ll have on your flooring. If you move from a 3 inch to an 8 inch plank, you can reduce the number of seams in your room by as much as 80 percent!

Wider width creates drama throughout your room. It can turn an average room into Wow. 

Are you ready to update the hardwood flooring in your home?