I am in a conundrum. I have a D style log home, so all of the exterior walls of the house are finished knotty pine. Additionally, the ceilings are knotty pine. I love both. The floor, however, is a mish-mash of light oak, beige tile and beige carpet. It feels like being in a cardboard box. So we have selected a wonderful dark wood flooring this will contrast with the walls and we are going to run it throughout the house. (one story)

Now to the conundrum - The wood on the ceiling, throughout the house, runs north to south. So do the floor joists. By the rules, I should run the floor east and west, but I am afraid it will be like a checker box - cris-crossing like that. There are additional beams between the joists adding extra support to the flooring and the wood we have down now is running with the joists and it does not squeak, pop or otherwise appear defective.

We will be using 3/4" solid birch and understand that the warranty will be void if we lay with the joists. We are not terribly concerned about the warranty. We are concerned about the appearance. One other thing, the hallway in the house runs east and west so running it with the ceiling means short boards on the hallway - looks ok on the ceiling.

I guess I am just looking for a little reassurance. Or strong warnings!

Thanks,
Kay.