How much flooring is required for my space?
When you’re about to install new flooring, there are certain things you need to think about before you head to the shops. This includes measuring the surface area of your space, to find out how many square meters of flooring you need to buy.
How much flooring is required for my space?
It is very rare for one space to be identical to another. The shape, walls, number of doorways, angles and corners vary. The more angles, the more difficult it is calculate how much flooring is required.
Remember to measure the floor, rather than the walls, to get the correct measurements. Measure the length and the width of the room and plan how you wish the floor to be installed. The floor is usually laid parallel to the length of the room. You should always leave a gap of 10 mm adjacent to walls, thresholds, steps, pipes, etc. This will allow the floor to expand without the risk of open joints and a creaking floor. Floors expand and shrink due to humidity and need space to move.
Plan for wastage when you calculate the surface area of your floor
Once you have a clear idea of how many square meters of flooring are required, you also need to plan for an element of wastage. These are simply offcuts, which cannot be used anywhere else. In a standard-sized room an 5 % flooring is sufficient. A small room with a number of tricky areas could require an extra 10 %.
Find out more:
- More about laminate flooring
- How to lay a laminate floor