How Much Flooring Do I Need?
A bit like asking “how long is a piece of string”, the burning question for every person buying a new floor is “how much flooring do I need to buy?”
As we help customers every day around the country, help figure this out, it makes sense that we help those shopping online find the answers they need too. As there are so many different ways to work out how many packs of wood or laminate flooring you will need for a job, let’s not get overwhelmed.
In this guide, before you even reach for a tape measure, we’re going to clue you in on learning how much flooring you need to save on laminate, LVT and engineered wood flooring.
Learning the basics
There are three elements which dictate how much flooring you need to buy:
- 1. Your room area (preferably in square metres) or the measurements of the room
- 2. The coverage in a box of your chosen floor. (this will be in square metres)
- 3. How much wastage you will encounter
These are all hard rules, which we’ll explain as we move through this guide.
Not all floors are equal or like-for-like
It is important to know that all wood and laminate floors come in different box sizes, typically ranging from 1 sqm to 4 sqm. If you have been told that you will need X number of packs to cover a room before even choosing your floor, you’re going to buy the wrong amount.
Just like any tradesperson who measures twice and cuts once, you need to know that the area of your room doesn’t directly correlate with the amount you get in a box.
It is also important to know that there is no standard pack size for laminate flooring; i.e., all boxes don’t contain X planks that cover X metres of a room.
Measuring Your Room for Wood / Laminate Flooring
To work out the area of a room, measure the length and width in metres. Multiplying these numbers together, e.g., 3.2 m × 2.3m, will give you the floor area of 7.36 m². (If you visit one of our categories or product pages, we have a calculator that can work this out for you.)
Wood / Laminate Flooring Pack Sizes
Each floor we sell comes in different widths/lengths/prints/manufacturer, etc. Any box/pack size will cover a different surface area. This makes it important to consider the area you are looking to buy for and the size of each box.
Calculating The Amount Of Packs
Time to get the calculator out. To measure how much flooring you need, divide the room area by the box size.
e.g. If a room is 15m² and a pack size is 2.3m², then 15/2.3 = 6.5 or 7 boxes.
Remember, while your room size is a “fixed” number, pack sizes will vary. We provide a laminate flooring price calculator on our website to help you see the total price for each floor for the area you require.
Every single product has one that works off the m² you have or the width and length of a room. It is also why all our floors are priced per m², not by box/pack size. We do this to account for wastage.
Pro tip: if you find yourself needing to replace a section of floor, double-check that the manufacturer’s product will be an exact match. For example, you may think that the ACME Laminate 123 you bought a few years ago will click right in with a new box, but manufacturers may make subtle changes to the grooves, click system or underlay, so always research first.
If you can, bring an existing plank or piece into a store and ask if it fits a replacement from the same brand.
You Always Allow For Wastage
Wastage is the allowance for cutting boards to fit your room, for imperfect floors (especially in rustic and real wood floors), and for installation mistakes. Wastage depends on the size and shape of the area where you are laying your laminate or wood floor.
There is a rough 5% rule, but you need to update the wastage rate under the following circumstances :
- - In narrow rooms or irregularly shaped rooms add 5%.
- - For Chevron, Parquet or Herringbone flooring add 5%
- - If the wood type is Distressed or Rustic Real Wood add 10%
- - When the floor type is reclaimed wood flooring add 20%
For example, if you wanted a real wood rustic herringbone installation in a hallway, consider 5% regular Waste + 5% for the narrow room, + 5% for herringbone, +10% for rustic = 25% total waste
Know that you need extra for irregular angles
Have a room with an odd corner? Does something jut out? When your room isn’t a simple square/rectangle, you might get in a tizzy trying to measure.
To avoid that, try dividing your room: don’t treat it as one big odd shape. Break it down into manageable squares and rectangles. If it’s an L-shaped room, that’s two rectangles to measure. If you have fireplaces or any obstructions where pieces will need to be cut down to fit, give yourself 10%-15% additional wastage.
Things to remember when working out how many packs to buy:
- Take note of the box/pack size when buying a floor and not the number of boards but the m² that it is going to cover.
- Use our on-site calculator to assist you with calculations so you don't have to work out the price for each floor
- Remember to allow for cutting and natural waste.
FAQs about measuring your floor
Here are some of the most common questions our customers ask us about measuring up a room:
What do I need to measure my floor?
It is as simple as having a notepad to sketch the room, a decent tape measure (ideally more than 8m long) and the calculator on your phone. We also recommend taking a few pictures of a room, as it helps shop staff get a better visual and give advice on where you would need wastage.
How do I measure around awkward shapes?
You don’t. Just include the likes of the fireplace or column in your floor space. If you were adamant about having your measurement as precise as possible, measure with a contour gauge if you know how.
How do I measure my stairs?
Assuming your stairs are all the same, do the following:
· Measure the tread (what you step on), the riser (the vertical part), dead on & the width (that’s side to side)-add them together
· Repeat this on your stairs to make sure they’re all the same size
· Multiply (tread+riser+width) by the number of stairs
· Add on 10%-15% to allow for wastage
What if I have some flooring left over?
Any reputable store will allow you to return unused flooring that is still sealed in the packaging. For example, our returns policy has a maximum value for stock returned for wastage of 15% of the total order value.