Flooring Calculator
Laminate, LVT and engineered wood are sold in packs covering a fixed area — typically around 2–2.5 m² (20–25 ft²). This flooring calculator converts your room dimensions into the exact number of packs.
Enter length and width, the coverage printed on your pack, and a waste allowance for cuts along walls and doorways.
Enter valid values to see the results.
Formula
Pack coverage is printed on every pack (e.g. 2.13 m² or 22.9 ft²). Packs are rounded up because flooring is never sold by the plank. Waste covers end cuts, which can rarely be reused on the next row if shorter than 30 cm.
How to measure
- Measure the longest length and width of the room, including alcoves and bay windows — measure those separately and add them.
- Measure into doorways: flooring usually continues under the door leaf to the middle of the wall.
- For L-shaped rooms, split into two rectangles and add the areas.
Worked example
Practical tips
- Let packs acclimatise in the room for 48 hours before installation — laminate expands and shrinks with humidity.
- Leave an 8–10 mm expansion gap at all walls; skirting or beading covers it.
- Check the direction of daylight: planks laid parallel to the main window make joints less visible.
- Keep one spare plank from each batch for future repairs.
Waste allowance
Use 5% for rectangular rooms with planks laid straight, 7–10% for rooms with alcoves or many doorways, and up to 15% for diagonal layouts.
Typical pack coverage by flooring type
| Flooring type | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Laminate 8 mm | 2.1–2.4 m² | 22–26 ft² |
| Laminate 12 mm | 1.8–2.2 m² | 19–24 ft² |
| Luxury vinyl (LVT/SPC) | 2.5–3.3 m² | 27–36 ft² |
| Engineered wood | 1.8–2.8 m² | 19–30 ft² |
| Solid hardwood | 1.5–2.5 m² | 16–27 ft² |
Common mistakes
- 1 Forgetting alcoves, bay windows and doorway areas — they add 3–8% to the real floor area.
- 2 Using the room area without waste: end cuts under 30 cm usually cannot start the next row.
- 3 Mixing packs from different batches — slight shade and locking-profile differences occur.
- 4 Not checking pack coverage: two similar-looking products can differ by 20% per pack.
Frequently asked questions
How many packs of laminate do I need for 20 m²?
With a typical pack of 2.13 m² and 7% waste: 20 × 1.07 ÷ 2.13 ≈ 10.05, so buy 11 packs.
How much waste for laminate flooring?
5% for simple rectangular rooms, 7–10% for rooms with alcoves or several doorways, 15% for diagonal installation.
Does the calculator include underlay?
No. Underlay is sold by area — buy the same square metres as your floor area plus 5%, with no pack rounding needed.
Can I use leftover planks from one room in another?
Yes, if it is the same product and batch. Keep the batch number from the pack label in case you need to buy more later.
How do I measure an L-shaped room?
Split it into two rectangles, calculate each area (length × width), and add them together before applying waste.