Calculator
Flooring Calculator
Enter the room dimensions to get the square metres including waste and the number of packs required. It also works out the underlay and the skirting run.
Room dimensions
Allowance for cuts and pattern loss. Choosing a direction sets a suggested value that you can override.
Result
Door openings are deducted from the skirting run; underlay carries a lower allowance because it is lapped at the joints.
Assumptions behind the calculation
- The pack count is derived from the area including waste and rounded up.
- Underlay is allowed 5% — it is rolled out and lapped at the joints.
- The skirting run is the room perimeter less 0.90 m for each door.
- Skirting lengths default to 2.4 m; change it if your product differs.
Three decisions before laying a floor
The costliest mistake is buying too little: if the batch is gone, the shade difference shows in the middle of the room.
Direction sets the waste
Straight laying needs 5%. Staggered needs 8%, and herringbone or diagonal rises to 15% because every row is cut at both ends. Working out quantities before deciding the pattern is misleading.
Underlay and moisture barrier are separate items
Laminate is never laid straight onto screed. It needs an acoustic underlay beneath it, plus a moisture barrier where the substrate is damp. Both are routinely left out of the budget.
Skirting does not run past doorways
Deduct the door openings from the perimeter, then divide by the skirting length. Rounding up by one length is wise — mitred corners lose material.
AREA WITH WASTE = WIDTH × LENGTH × (1 + WASTE)
PACKS = AREA WITH WASTE ÷ COVERAGE PER PACK (rounded up)
SKIRTING = (PERIMETER − DOOR OPENINGS) ÷ SKIRTING LENGTH
How much waste allowance does flooring need?
It depends on the laying direction. Straight laying needs 5%, staggered 8%, and herringbone or diagonal patterns 15%. The more corners, recesses and columns the room has, the higher the allowance. Long corridors need little cutting and the lower figure is enough; L-shaped living rooms need the upper figure.
How many packs of laminate do I need?
Divide the area including waste by the square metres per pack and round up. Coverage per pack is printed on the product and is typically 2.2–2.5 m² for laminate. Rounding up is unavoidable because packs are not split, and the surplus should be kept for replacing damaged boards later.
What goes underneath the flooring?
Laminate is never laid straight onto screed. An underlay providing acoustic and impact insulation goes beneath it, and where the room is at ground level or there is any damp risk a moisture barrier is needed as well. Underlay covers the same area as the floor but carries a lower waste allowance (5%), because it comes in rolls and is lapped at the joints.
How is the skirting run calculated?
Take the room perimeter, deduct the door openings, then divide by the length of one skirting piece. This tool deducts 0.90 m per door and defaults to 2.4 m lengths. Rounding up by one piece is safe because mitred corners lose material. Skirting that does not come from the same range as the floor may not match in colour.
Is an expansion gap left when laying flooring?
Yes, and it is mandatory. Timber-based material moves with humidity and temperature, so an 8–10 mm gap is left at the walls and covered by the skirting. Flooring laid without an expansion gap will buckle over time. The gap does not meaningfully change the area calculation, but it explains why skirting is essential.
This tool gives an initial estimate and does not replace a site survey. Room geometry, columns and recesses, laying direction and the fitter's technique all change real consumption.
Let us lay the floor
Substrate flatness, the expansion gap and the skirting detail decide the quality. We quote flooring in Ankara after a site survey.
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