# Finding a straight line in a crooked room?



## vindicate (Mar 12, 2015)

I'm going to be installing some snap together flooring and I know the walls are crooked. I watched some youtube videos and they said to drop a chalkline away from the wall. Whats the best way to get a straightline when the walls arent?

I'm trying to explain this right....but where would you measure from to get your start point and end point of your lines? If the walls are crooked it's not like you can just measure out from the wall 5" or w/e.


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## rusty baker (Feb 13, 2009)

Measure to the middle of your doorway. Use a square from there.


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## vindicate (Mar 12, 2015)

So measure from a parallel wall to the doorway? I guess I don't quite understand what you are saying.


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## vindicate (Mar 12, 2015)

I've attached a pic to make you better understand what I mean. The arrowing indicate what direction the flooring will be running.


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## nap (Dec 4, 2007)

vindicate said:


> I've attached a pic to make you better understand what I mean. The arrowing indicate what direction the flooring will be running.


is this because if you align the boards with the doorway they will be straight in the doorway which if the boards were not parallel to that line it would be very noticeable?


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## Yodaman (Mar 9, 2015)

the distance you measure from the wall depends on your flooring width. If you have 5" boards, measure out 4" from wall at each end of the room and
snap a straight line. Now you can follow the line with your factory edge and cut the wall side accordinly to match your crooked wall. If you have wide flooring measure across the floor, starting from the line, to determine where your last course will end. If you don't like it adjust your first line. Its better to find this now rather than after you run 90 percent of room.


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## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

Vindicate,

Just for the heck of it so we can get an idea how crooked the room is please just snap a line down the center both ways, then measure from the lines to the walls in at least 3 spots along each line. That would be 12 measurements. Then measure from corner to corner like this X. So now we'll have 14 measurements. 

Jaz


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## vindicate (Mar 12, 2015)

JazMan said:


> Vindicate,
> 
> Just for the heck of it so we can get an idea how crooked the room is please just snap a line down the center both ways, then measure from the lines to the walls in at least 3 spots along each line. That would be 12 measurements. Then measure from corner to corner like this X. So now we'll have 14 measurements.
> 
> Jaz


Maybe I am asking the question poorly. How do you know your line is straight? Forgive me if it's a stupid question. let me pose it this way.

You have a room, and on one end the wall is pushed 2" or so farther than one end. 

So I want to make a straight line in on the crooked wall 6". If I go 6" in on both ends one will be 2 inches farther out and the line won't be straight.....How do you ensure your line is straight is the basis of my question?


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## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

Using the word "straight" is the wrong term. You mean "parallel" to the wall or "square" to the room. To do so you have to supply the info I requested and then tweak the starting line to best compensate so the flooring will look its best. 

If you only worry about the starting wall, you'll end up badly at the opposite wall.

Jaz


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## vindicate (Mar 12, 2015)

Ok, I will do the measurements like you said...How do I ensure the lines are in the center of the room? Measure from one end of the wall to the opposite wall and divide by 2? And the on the other end of the wall do the same thing and put my string at those 2 marks and snap?


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## JazMan (Feb 17, 2007)

vindicate said:


> Ok, I will do the measurements like you said...How do I ensure the lines are in the center of the room? Measure from one end of the wall to the opposite wall and divide by 2? And the on the other end of the wall do the same thing and put my string at those 2 marks and snap?


Exactomundo! That will give us an idea what to do next. Don't forget the kiddy-corner X measurements. You said the boards are 5" wide or was that an example? 

Jaz


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