Installing new flooring can transform the look and feel of a room. However, it’s important to purchase enough flooring to complete the project. Buying too little can lead to problems finding matching materials while buying too much leads to wasted money. So how much extra flooring should you get? Here are some tips to determine the right amount of extra flooring to buy for your project.
Measure Carefully
The starting point for calculating how much flooring you need is to carefully measure the space. Don’t estimate or guess at the room sizes. Take precise measurements for the length and width of each room getting new flooring. Also measure any separate or irregular areas like alcoves, offsets, bay windows, accent walls, and niches. Round all measurements up to the nearest whole number. This provides a little buffer if your measurements are slightly off. Also account for any waste that will occur in these irregular areas by adding a few extra square feet.
Carefully measuring ensures you know the exact floor space of the project. This allows you to calculate the base amount of flooring needed. Then you only need to add a small percentage for waste, miscuts, and defects. Measuring precisely also means you don’t purchase excess materials unnecessarily raising the project budget.
Calculate the Square Footage
The next step is calculating the total square footage for the entire flooring project. To do this:
- Measure the length and width of each room or area getting new flooring
- Multiply the length by the width for each space to get the square footage
- Add together the total square footage of all rooms and areas
For example, if you are installing new floors in a 10 foot by 12 foot bedroom (120 square feet) and a 8 foot by 8 foot closet (64 square feet), the total project square footage would be 184.
Once you know the total square footage, you can determine how much flooring to purchase.
Factor in Waste
After calculating the basic square footage, it’s essential to add in extra material to account for waste. Cutting flooring to fit leaves leftover scraps that cannot be used. There is also potential for defects, damage, improper cuts, and errors. This waste factor ensures you have enough extra flooring to complete the project even with these issues.
The waste factor depends on the type of flooring:
- Carpet: Add 10-15% for waste
- Hardwood: Add 10-15% waste
- Laminate: Add 10-15% waste
- Tile: Add 15-20% for waste
- Vinyl: Add 15-20% waste
For example, if your project is 1,000 square feet of laminate flooring, purchase 1,100 to 1,150 square feet including a 10-15% waste factor.
Always round up to account for these waste factors on top of your square footage calculations. Having extras left over is better than running short halfway through installation.
Purchase Extras for the Future
In addition to waste, also consider purchasing extra flooring to hold in reserve. Leftover planks or tiles allow for easy repairs, replacements, and expansions down the road. Setting aside an extra 5-10% of flooring can prevent headaches later.
Stash away spare flooring to:
- Patch or replace damaged planks or tiles
- Make repairs after removing furniture or renovations
- Extend flooring into new areas like renovated closets
- Replace worn high-traffic areas in the future
Having spare tiles or planks makes fixing issues simple without struggling to find matching flooring. Purchase a few boxes extra to avoid problems in the years ahead.
Order All Materials at Once
When purchasing the flooring, make sure to order all required installation materials at the same time. This includes additional products like:
- Underlayment: foam, cork, rubber, or plastic sheets to install under the flooring
- Adhesives: glues, thin-set mortars, or mastic for installing flooring
- Trims: transitions, reducers, end caps, stair nosings, etc.
- Underlayment: foam, cork, rubber, or plastic sheets to install under the flooring
- Vapor barrier: plastic sheeting installed under floors to prevent moisture issues
Getting all products together avoids problems with availability, varying dye lots, and sequential production runs. Ordering underlayment, trim, or adhesive after the fact risks getting non-matching materials. Plan ahead and purchase all necessary installation products with the flooring.
Inspect All Materials Before Installation
Be sure to fully inspect the flooring materials before beginning installation. Check for defects, damage, or incorrect colors or designs. Identify any issues with the flooring while you can still return and exchange the materials if needed.
Carefully look over all flooring for:
- Cracks, chips, dents, or scratches
- Fading, discoloration, or color inaccuracies
- Defective locking or clicking systems in laminate or vinyl plank flooring
- Errors in style, color, or pattern
Also inspect trim pieces, underlayment, vapor barriers, and adhesives for any damage or flaws. Catch these early to prevent problems down the line.
Hire Experienced Installers
Consider hiring experienced flooring installers, especially for complicated projects. Professional installers can efficiently handle difficult floor plans, intricate designs, and specialty techniques. Their expertise also helps minimize waste and issues.
Well-trained installers also know tricks to optimize materials usage and reduce scraps. Professionals have the skills to:
- Properly acclimate and prepare flooring
- Precisely cut intricate patterns and angles
- Seamlessly install tricky products like natural stone or bamboo
- Correct unforeseen problems effectively
While DIY installation may seem cheaper up front, hiring professionals can save significant money on wasted flooring. Their skills lead to an efficient process reducing excess materials.
Stagger Boxes if Installing Yourself
When tackling DIY installation, open several boxes of flooring at once. Don’t install one box at a time in sequence. Stagger planks from several different boxes during the installation process.
Staggering boxes and mixing planks helps disguise any slight color variances between different batches of flooring. It also prevents obvious demarcations between boxes. This leads to a more uniform, natural looking floor.
If installing one box at a time, even slight differences between batches are glaringly obvious. Staggering materials hides any variances.
Acclimate Flooring Per Manufacturer Guidelines
It’s vital to properly acclimate the flooring to the environment where it will be installed. Letting flooring adjust to indoor temperature and humidity prevents later expansion or contraction issues. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for acclimation times.
General acclimation guidelines include:
- Hardwood: Acclimate for 5-14 days
- Laminate: Acclimate for at least 48 hours
- Tile: No acclimation needed
- Vinyl: No acclimation required
- Carpet: No acclimation needed
Improper acclimation can ruin flooring, especially solid hardwood prone to major expansion and contraction. Don’t ignore this important step.
Check Color Match Across Dye Lots
Closely inspect flooring color across multiple cartons and dye lots. Manufacturers often have very slight color variations between different production batches. Make sure multiple dye lots have consistent coloring if ordering extra materials.
Inconsistent dye lots become obvious once installed. Always verify consistent coloring across all products before installing. Mixing visibly different batches leads to a splotchy, disjointed appearance.
Carefully check color match under both natural and artificial light. Subtle differences hide under some lighting conditions. Thoroughly examine all materials before installation.
Plan Layout to Minimize Cuts
Effective planning of the flooring layout can reduce waste from cutting. Position full boards to avoid edges or short pieces in highly visible areas. Strategic layout minimizes trimming scrap pieces.
Tips for efficient layout planning:
- Start installation from the straightest wall with full boards
- Ensure equal plank widths on opposite sides of rooms
- Adjust layout to use full boards around vents or openings
- Align planks with natural light sources like windows and doors
Avoid small, irregular leftover materials in high traffic zones. Strategic layout and planning reduces miscut pieces.
Save All Scraps after Cutting
Keep all flooring scraps after cutting and trimming during installation. While small, leftover pieces can often be used:
- As spacers between walls and flooring
- For repairs or replacements in closets, corners, and edges
- For accent walls or small niche areas
- Joined together for a unique design element
Rather than discarding scraps, set aside all cut pieces. Get creative with ways to incorporate remnants to reduce waste.
Install Baseboards Last
Leave baseboard trim and moldings until the very end of the installation process. Installing flooring under trim leaves gaps if the materials shift or contract. Finishing baseboards last provides flexibility.
Postponing baseboards also allows:
- Adjusting or tapping planks into final position
- Ensuring optimal floor alignment before anchoring trim
- Scribing baseboard to match floor imperfections for a tighter fit
Wait until the flooring is completely finished before installing trim and moldings. This prevents locking the flooring beneath unfinished baseboards.
Address Moisture Issues Before Installation
Excessive moisture under or above floors ruins many installations. Prevent moisture related failures by addressing any problems before installing flooring:
- Use moisture meters to test humidity in the slab and walls
- Install vapor barrier under concrete floors
- Repair leaks and eliminate sources of moisture
- Install dehumidifier and fans to dry the space before installation
- Wait until renovations like painting and drywall are completed
Ignoring moisture leads to cupping, crowning, warping, discoloration, and fungal damage. Flooring failures from moisture are difficult fixes. Deal with it beforehand.
Budget for an Extra Box or Two
Finally, factor in a couple extra boxes above your square footage calculations and waste factor. Having an extra box or two of flooring costs a bit more up front. However, it can prevent major headaches if you come up just short after installation.
A few extra boxes:
- Provide insurance if measurements or waste calculations are slightly off
- Enable easy repairs and replacements in the future
- Allow expanding flooring into new areas later on
Build in flexibility by budgeting for one or two surplus boxes. Consider it inexpensive insurance against issues during and after installation.
Key Takeaways
- Carefully measure all floor spaces and irregular areas
- Calculate total square footage and add appropriate waste factor
- Buy 5-10% extra for repairs down the road
- Order all installation materials like underlayment at the same time
- Inspect flooring thoroughly before installing
- Hire professionals to optimize material usage
- Stagger boxes and mix dye lots
- Acclimate flooring according to manufacturer guidelines
- Plan layout to reduce cuts
- Save and reuse scraps when possible
- Install baseboards last for flexibility
- Address moisture issues before installation
- Budget for an extra box or two just in case
Carefully calculating how much extra flooring to buy ensures the project finishes successfully. Provide a buffer for waste, defects, and issues without purchasing excess materials unnecessarily. Follow these tips to buy the right amount of extra flooring for a smooth installation process.
FAQ About How Much Extra Flooring to Buy
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about how much extra flooring to purchase:
How much extra laminate flooring should I get?
For laminate flooring, order 10-15% more flooring than the room’s measurements to account for waste and defects. Also buy a few extra boxes for future repairs and replacements down the road.
How much extra hardwood flooring do I need?
With solid hardwood flooring, order 10-15% above the total square footage needed. Hardwood has higher waste due to intricate patterns and wood defects. Purchasing a small surplus ensures you don’t run short.
Is it OK to install flooring from different dye lots?
It’s best to avoid mixing visibly different dye lots which leads to noticeable inconsistencies. Carefully inspect flooring from different lots prior to installing. Stick to one dye lot if possible or blend planks subtly.
Should you mix flooring boxes during installation?
Yes, mix planks from several different boxes while installing. This prevents demarcations between cartons with slight variances. Staggering boxes creates a more uniform appearance.
How long should I acclimate hardwood flooring?
Follow the hardwood manufacturer’s recommendations, usually 5-14 days. Hardwood needs time adjusting to the environment to prevent major expansion or contraction issues after installing.
Can carpet be installed in high moisture rooms?
No. Carpet traps moisture leading to mold, mildew, and fungal growth. Use water-resistant vinyl, ceramic tile or laminate in basements, bathrooms, or laundry rooms prone to dampness.
Should I hire professionals to install my new flooring?
For tricky projects, professionals can optimize material usage and proper installation. Their experience saves money on waste. For straightforward jobs, DIY home installation may work well.
Can I save and reuse cut flooring scraps later on?
Keep all leftover trimmed pieces. Scraps can fill in gaps along walls or patch damaged areas later on. Get creative reusing remnants to reduce waste.
How can I reduce my leftover materials after installing?
Strategic layout planning reduces waste from cutting by optimizing full plank placement. Avoid small leftover pieces in high visibility areas. Using an experienced installer also minimizes waste.
Buying the optimal amount of extra flooring takes careful calculations. Measure precisely, factor in appropriate waste, and budget for a few surplus boxes. Follow these tips to purchase the right amount of extra flooring for a smooth installation.