How Much Laminate Flooring Do I Need? Tips for Measuring and Calculating
Whether you're revamping a single room or transforming your entire living space, accurately determining how much laminate flooring you need is crucial. This guide will walk you through the steps of measuring your room and calculating the required square footage, ensuring you purchase the right amount and minimise waste.
Measure Your Room
- Length and Width: Measure the length and width of the room. Round up to the nearest foot or metre for simplicity.
- Unusual Shapes: If your room has irregular shapes, break it down into smaller, more manageable sections. Measure each section separately.
- Consider Doorways and Closets: Measure doorways and any nooks or closets within the room.
Calculate the Square Footage
For Rectangular or Square Rooms: Multiply the length by the width (Length x Width) to get the total square footage or square meters.
- Example: Room Length = 12 feet, Room Width = 10 feet
- Total Area = 12 ft x 10 ft = 120 ft²
For Irregular Shapes Rooms: Calculate the area of each section separately, then add them to get the total square footage.
- Example: Section 1 = 80 ft², Section 2 = 40 ft²
- Total Area = 80 ft² + 40 ft² = 120 ft²
Additional Considerations
Extra for Waste:
To accommodate cutting waste and unforeseen errors, add a 5-10% buffer to your total square footage. This ensures you have enough material to cover unexpected areas.
Laminate Plank Size:
Laminate flooring planks come in various sizes, typically ranging from 7 inches to 12 inches wide. The size of the planks you choose will influence the overall number of planks required. Divide the total square footage by the coverage of one box to figure out how many boxes you need.
Layout Pattern:
The layout pattern you choose, such as straight lay, diagonal lay, or herringbone lay, can also affect the number of planks needed. Diagonal and herringbone layouts may require more planks because of material wastage during cutting.
Example Calculation
Let's consider an example to illustrate the calculation process:
- Room dimensions: 12 feet long x 10 feet wide
- Square footage: 120 square feet
- Plank size: 8 inches wide
- Layout: Straight lay
- Waste factor: 10%
Calculate the number of planks per square foot:
Number of planks per square foot = 144 / (plank width x plank length)
Assuming the plank length is 48 inches, the calculation would be:
Number of planks per square foot = 144 / (8 inches x 48 inches) = 0.375 planks per square foot
Calculate the total number of planks required:
Total number of planks = Square footage x Planks per square foot
Total number of planks = 120 square feet x 0.375 planks per square foot = 45 planks
Apply the waste factor:
Total number of planks with waste factor = Total number of planks x (1 + Waste factor)
Total number of planks with waste factor = 45 planks x (1 + 10%) = 49.5 planks
Therefore, you would need approximately 50 planks of laminate flooring to cover a 120-square-foot room, considering the waste factor and straight lay pattern.
Seek Professional Advice
Many flooring suppliers are more than happy to help. Provide them with your room dimensions, and they can assist in determining the right amount of laminate flooring for your project. When purchasing laminate flooring, always buy a few extra planks to accommodate any unforeseen adjustments or repairs.
By following these steps, you'll confidently stride into your flooring project, armed with the knowledge of precisely how much laminate flooring you need.
