Measure the floor
Measure the longest length and width of each room in metres and multiply. For L-shaped rooms, split them into rectangles and add them up. Include bay windows, alcoves and the space under radiators, and measure into door openings to the centre of the door when the flooring runs through.
How much waste to allow
| Flooring and layout | Allow |
|---|---|
| Laminate, LVT or tiles, straight lay | 10% |
| Diagonal, herringbone or lots of cuts | 15% |
| Large-format tiles | 10 to 15% |
| Carpet (broadloom) | 15%, and plan around roll widths |
Keep a spare pack or two from the same batch for repairs later: colours vary between batches.
Worked examples
| Room | Area | With waste | Pack covers | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Living room, laminate | 4.5 × 3.2 = 14.40 m² | 15.84 m² (+10%) | 2.22 m² | 8 packs |
| Utility, floor tiles | 2.4 × 1.8 = 4.32 m² | 4.75 m² (+10%) | 1.44 m² | 4 boxes |
| Bedroom, carpet | 4.5 × 3.2 = 14.40 m² | 16.56 m² (+15%) | by the m² | 17 m² |
Carpet comes in fixed roll widths, usually 4 m or 5 m. For a 4.5 × 3.2 m room a 4 m wide roll cut 4.5 m long (18 m²) covers it in one piece with no seam, which is often better value than paying for joins.
Don't forget
- Underlay, by the m² (laminate and carpet), and a vapour barrier on concrete floors.
- Threshold strips for each doorway.
- Tile adhesive and grout, by the coverage on the bag.
- An expansion gap of about 10 mm round the edge for laminate, covered by skirting or beading.