Which way to lay laminate in an L-shaped room
Lay the boards the same way through both parts of the L. Turning the boards at the corner needs a joint there, and the change of direction shows. Choose the direction the way you would for a rectangle: along the longer part, towards the main window, or across old floorboards if your instructions ask for that. When the two parts point different ways, let the larger or more visible part decide, and lay the smaller part across.
Then compare the cuts. The rows in each part of the L have different lengths, and how those lengths fall against your board length decides how many boards are cut, how many offcuts a later row can reuse and how much is left over.
Worked example: the same L, two directions
Take the L-shape the planner opens with: 4.8 × 3.6 m, with a 2.85 × 2.3 m corner cut out, which leaves 10.73 m² of floor. With 1285 × 192 mm laminate in packs of 9 (2.22 m²), a 10 mm expansion gap and the planner's default rules (300 mm shortest end piece and stagger), the two directions give:
| Direction | Boards | Cuts | Wastage | Packs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lengthways | 45 | 23 | 4.9% | 5 (0 spare) |
| Widthways | 48 | 31 | 10.9% | 6 (6 spare) |
By area alone, 10.73 ÷ 2.22 rounds up to 5 packs, or 6 with 10% added. Laid lengthways, the plan needs exactly 5 packs and leaves no spare board, so consider one more pack in case a board is damaged. Laid widthways, the same room takes 3 more boards and 8 more cuts, and the wastage goes from 4.9% to 10.9%.
The difference is different for every room and board, which is why it pays to compare both directions with your own measurements rather than follow a rule of thumb.
Where the rows meet the inside corner
The inside corner is where an L-shaped floor goes wrong. The row that passes the corner is notched round it: part of the board runs on into the longer part, and part stops at the wall. If the row lines fall badly, that row can be only a sliver wide on one side of the corner.
Check the first and last rows in both parts, not just across the room as a whole. PlankBuddy plans the rows of both parts together and warns when a strip would be narrower than the minimum row width you enter. When it is, cutting the first row to a different width moves every row line, including the one at the corner. Read more about a last row that is too narrow.
Measure an L-shaped room
- Measure the full length and width of the room, wall to wall, through both parts of the L.
- Measure the corner that is cut out: how far it runs along the length and along the width.
- Check that the walls are square. Measure the diagonals of each part; if they differ, plan with the smallest figures and mark the cuts from the walls on site.
- Note which corner is cut out. In the planner you choose the corner, and the preview shows the shape.
One floor or two: expansion joints in an L
A floating floor needs room to move. Many manufacturers limit how long or wide a floor can be without an expansion joint, and some ask for one where a room narrows, such as the neck of an L or a doorway. If your instructions ask for a joint at the corner, plan each part as its own room with its own expansion gap, and cover the joint with a threshold strip. If they allow one continuous floor, lay through the corner and leave the expansion gap at every wall, including both walls of the inside corner.
Staggering the joints in both parts
The rows in the shorter part of the L are short, so there is less room to move an end joint along. Check the stagger where a long row and a short row sit side by side as well. Enter the minimum offset and shortest end piece from your instructions, and the plan keeps to them in every row; see how to stagger laminate flooring.
Packs for an L-shaped room
An area calculator works out the m² of an L the same way as a rectangle, but an L has more walls and so more cut boards. Count the packs from the plan instead: the boards it uses, divided by the boards in a pack, rounded up. See how many packs of laminate you need for more worked rooms.
What the plan can't do
PlankBuddy lays straight rows of one board length. It does not plan herringbone or random-length boards. A room with more than one corner cut out can be entered as a complex shape.
Questions about L-shaped rooms
Which way should laminate go in an L-shaped room?
In one direction through both parts, usually along the longer part of the L or towards the main window; the smaller part is then laid across. Compare both directions in PlankBuddy: in the example room, laying widthways took 3 more boards and 8 more cuts.
Do I need a threshold strip in an L-shaped room?
Only if your installation instructions ask for an expansion joint there, for example because the floor is too long without one or the room narrows at the corner. Otherwise lay one continuous floor through the corner, with the expansion gap at every wall.
How much extra laminate should I buy for an L-shaped room?
Usually more than for a rectangle of the same area, because an L has more walls and more cut rows. In the example room the plan's wastage was 4.9% one way and 10.9% the other. Count the packs from your own plan, then add the allowance your supplier recommends.
See also which way to lay laminate flooring in hallways and small rooms, or the laminate cutting plan.