Choosing the right hardwood flooring plank width

Published: February 2, 2017

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when buying hardwood flooring is the width of the planks. The plank width affects how the floor appears in the room. The size of the room, the number of seams desired, and the length of the planks should all influence your choice of hardwood flooring plank width.

Medium width hardwood floor updates the look of this living space

Hardwood plank width choices

Industry standard used to be planks of 2 1/4 inches but today those are considered narrow. Manufacturers tend to offer the most choices around 5 inch widths but you’ll find far more choices than that. While each manufacturer may differ slightly, there are basically four hardwood plank width options:

4-6 inch planks
6-10 inch planks
8 inch planks
10-12 inch planks

You can find hardwood planks wider than 12 inches but they can be hard to find and expensive. Plus it’s important to remember that the wider you go, the longer you should go. If you choose very wide planks in a shorter length floor (less than 7 feet) you’ll end up with a stunted look that is unattractive and makes the room look small.

One width vs random widths

This choice is really a personal preference. Both hardwood width styles result in beautiful floors and both work well in contemporary or traditional home designs. All one width offers a clean, consistent look – working well with a more elegant room. Random widths work well in any design but do tend to lend a more casual, comfortable feel to a room. Random width hardwood floors tend to be more affordable as well since there is less sorting involved.

Which hardwood plank width is right for you?

Ultimately this comes down to the size of the room and your personal preference. Bring your room measurements to Kermans hardwood flooring store in Indianapolis and let our flooring design experts help you narrow down the options.

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