Flooring Calculator

Area = length x width x the number of rooms. Add the waste allowance, divide by the coverage printed on the box, and round up, because half a box is not sold. The waste allowance covers cuts at the walls and the offcuts a staggered pattern throws away. A diagonal lay wastes more because every cut at the wall is an angle.

How much extra flooring should I buy?

Ten percent for a straight lay in an ordinary room, fifteen for diagonal, twenty for herringbone. Buy it in one order so the batch and dye lot match - a box bought later often will not.

How many boxes for a 12x16 room?

192 square feet, about 212 with ten percent waste, which is 10 boxes at 22.5 square feet a box. The exact figure depends on your box, so check the label.

Do I need underlayment?

For floating laminate and vinyl, yes, unless the planks have it attached - check the box. Glue-down and nail-down floors usually do not. Concrete subfloors also need a vapor barrier.

Should I leave an expansion gap?

Yes, about a quarter inch around the whole perimeter for floating floors. Wood and laminate move with humidity, and a floor laid tight to the walls will buckle. The baseboard hides the gap.

Should I subtract cabinets and islands?

Do not floor under permanent cabinets, so subtract them. Do floor under a refrigerator and a freestanding range, since they have to be pulled out.