First you need to decide on the styling method. There are two styling options:
Everything else is the gradation of these options relative to the light source:
or the location of the strips relative to each other:
- Simple (10-20 cm spacing).
- Chess (spacing 50% of the length of the bar).
You can also bring as a separate option the patterned appearance of the styling. In this case, any pattern is laid out from the laminate strips of different colors on the floor. But this option is the most costly, and to lay a laminate in your own way in this way, without experience it will not work. And a very important point - without spacing, it is impossible to lay the laminate.
Do you make repairs in your apartment or house yourself? The article “Laying a laminate with your own hands from a Video” will be more useful to you than ever.
Lath dimensions and material consumption
The most common sizes of laminate planks are 128 - 139 cm in length and 18.5 - 19.6 cm in width, and we will include them in our calculation. There is no single standard for all manufacturers. There is a laminate with a length of 0.5 to 2.1 m and a width of 1.8 to 60 cm. Therefore, it is clearly impossible to say how many m 2 of laminate in the package. On each laminate packaging, in addition to dimensions, there is the total area of all the planks in the package.
The total area of the required laminate will always be greater than the total area of the room. The amount of waste depends on the installation method and the experience of the finisher:
- Patterned - waste up to 33%.
- Diagonal - waste 11-14%.
- Direct - waste 5%.
The calculations are presented on the example of a laminate of class 33, because he is the most common option.
Required Information
The laminate is laid on the floor of the room, and to find out how much it needs, you need a laying area. That is, before calculating the laminate, calculate the floor area. If the laying of the coating will be in only one room, this can be limited. If the installation is planned in several rooms, it makes sense to calculate the total area and purchase immediately on two premises or an entire apartment.
The amount of laminate is usually calculated by area
When determining the area you will need to measure the width and length of the premises. This data should be recorded. They will be needed when choosing the board parameters - it will be necessary to choose so that there are not too small pieces at the end of the row and that the last row is not too narrow.
Before making the calculation of the laminate, you need to decide:
- with the dimensions of the laminated board,
- with the type of styling.
Both of these parameters are needed. The type of laying affects the calculation of the laminate directly - the supply of the laminate, which will be needed for cutting and go to waste, depends on the method. The difference can be significant. For example, 5% -10% for straight deck laying and 30-35% for diagonal with a certain offset.
The calculation of the laminate depends on how it is laid. Different amounts are required for the same room - due to different cutting costs
But how does the size of the laminate affect its calculation? And so, at certain sizes, pieces that are slightly less than half the board can go into unnecessary segments. In another case, you can choose everything so that with a margin of 5% you will have enough of the whole boards left - just in case.
Methods for laying laminate flooring
In residential premises, a laminate is usually laid either directly (from the light) or diagonally. Less waste with the direct method of laying (up to 10%), more with the diagonal (up to 30%). But diagonal allows you to hide the imperfect geometry in the room. Rarely does anyone have the same distance between walls everywhere. Often, in terms of the room, it looks like a trapezoid, not a rectangle. Oblique styling allows this to be leveled. Planks still located diagonally visually increase the width of the room. This is for those cases when you need to make something more acceptable from a long and narrow room, at least outwardly.
In each type of laminate laying, there are three ways to shift the boards relative to each other:
- Simple deck. This is when a piece of laminate left over from the previous row becomes the beginning of the next row. A very economical layout option, very little waste remains. It just looks "not very" and hard to predict the location of the joints.
- Offset by 1/2 board. This is when every first row begins with a whole board, every second - with a half. Or vice versa. This method is considered the most reliable, since the joints of the boards are always spaced a certain distance. Consumption here can be large (with diagonal laying), or maybe not very if the length is correctly selected in relation to the length of the room (we will tell you more below).
To calculate the amount of laminate, you need to choose the type of laying
In general, these are the most popular schemes. There are others, but the work is more complicated there, and the expense is even greater. So, we decided on the type of laying, now we need to deal with the size of the board. And then do the calculation of the laminate.
Laminate board size selection
In any design, the amount of laminate waste can be minimized. The fact is that there are no standards regarding the size of this coating. There are very short ones - 30-40 cm long, there are very long ones - 100 cm or more. Also in width. The narrowest laminate is 8 cm wide, the widest is 30-40 cm. The run-up is really big. What does this give us? We can choose the length / width of the board so that very little material goes into waste.
With 1/2 offset
It’s easier to explain with direct stacking schemes. Take a look. With a shift of 1/2 the length of the waste board will not be at all if you have to lay down a whole number of boards along the length of the room. Or a whole plus half. Just remember that at least 1 cm must be retreated from the walls. This is a technological gap that allows the laminate to increase or decrease depending on temperature and humidity.
If an integer number of boards or an integer plus a half fits in length, there will be almost no waste
For example, there is a room with a length of 380 cm. We take 2 cm to the technological gap, there remains 378 cm. Boards will lie down without a trace in such a room:
- 378 cm / 3 pcs = 126 cm,
- 378 cm / 3.5 pcs = 108 cm,
- 378 cm / 4 pcs = 94.5 cm
- 378 cm / 4.5 pcs = 84 cm
- 378 cm / 5 pcs = 75.6 cm,
- 378 cm / 5.5 pcs = 68.7 cm,
- 378 cm / 6 pcs = 63 cm.
With exactly the same length of the board, as calculated, there will be no extra pieces. If the actual length is a little longer - there will be small segments. What kind? Count every time. Keep in mind that all pieces that are shorter than 20 cm are better not to stack - they will fly out. This is proven by operating experience. They can, of course, be laid somewhere where they will be pressed by a furniture leg. But there is no guarantee that the furniture will not move.
With a shift of 1/3
When laying with an offset of 1/3, you will have to count whole, whole +1/3 lengths and integer + 2/3 lengths. To make it a little clearer, just a couple of examples. In the same room, 3 whole boards 126 cm long will fall down, as already calculated above. 378 pcs / 3.33 pcs = 113.5 cm or 378 cm / 3.66 pcs = 103.3 cm will fit into it without a rest. Well, then in the same spirit.
If you do not choose the length, there will be small pieces that are only "to throw"
With the width of the board the same story. But here you need to select the width. And see that the last row is not too narrow - at least 10 cm. And better - more.
How to calculate the amount of laminate by area
Once you have decided on the size of the laminated boards, you can do the calculation of the laminate. If the laminate is sold per square meter, it is more convenient to count by the area of the room. You know / found / calculated the area of the floor on which you will put the coating. In this figure, you need to add a margin - for trimming - this will be the required amount. But how much laminate to take "in reserve" depends on the type of laying and the size of the boards. Here's how to calculate this same stock:
- Direct laying
- the selected board size is 5%,
- custom size - 10%,
- Diagonal styling
- the selected size is 15-20%,
- arbitrary - 25-30%.
If there are ledges or columns, subtract them from the installation area.For example, you need to calculate the amount of laminate flooring per room with an area of 16 square meters. With different types of styling, you will need this amount:
- Direct with selection of boards - 16 m² * 1.05 = 16.8 m².
- Direct without selection - 16 m² * 1.1 = 17.6 m².
- Diagonal with selection of board size - from 18.4 m² to 19.2 m².
- Diagonal without selection - 20 m² to 20.8 m².
As you can see, the difference is substantial. Especially if the material is expensive. Why with accurate selection not to take an end to end? Because anyway, the size of the room is walking. Yes, and you need a few pieces in case something happens during operation. Not the fact that after a while the same collection will be released. And if it does, the color may not match.
Laminate quantity calculation by piece
If you need to calculate the amount of laminate in pieces, the calculation is slightly different, but also nothing complicated. It is necessary to calculate the area of one board, then divide the total laying area by this number. And finally, add the very “reserve".
Consider an example, The room is the same - 16 squares, only you need to calculate how many pieces of a laminate 108 * 220 mm in size it will take.
When calculating the laminate, you should take into account the size of the room and the layout
- First, translate millimeters to meters (you need to divide by 100). We get the dimensions of the laminated board 1,08 * 0,22 meters.
- To find the area of the board, its dimensions must be multiplied: 1.08 * 0.22 = 0.2376 m². It’s better not to round the number, but leave 4 decimal places. Otherwise there will be too much error.
- Now we divide the area of the room by the area of the board: 16 / 0.2376 = 67.3 pieces. That is, if you take without stock, you will need 68 laminated boards of this size. The stock is calculated according to the same principle - depending on the chosen stacking.
A piece of laminate is now almost not sold, but you never know.
Calculation of the number of packs of laminate per room
Sometimes - in some chain stores - laminate floors are sold in bundles and do not want to share them. You can, of course, look elsewhere, but if the price is attractive, the surplus will go just to the “reserve”. With this form of sale - in batches - the area of the laminate in the bundle is indicated. The calculation of the laminate in this case is to divide the area of the room by the area of the laminate in the pack, and then see how much “excess” there will be with this approach.
It is easy to calculate the number of laminate packets per room
Let's take an example. It is supposed to buy laminate in packs in the same room with an area of 16 square meters. In one pack 1.68 m².
- Find the number of packs. Divide the area of the room by the area of the laminate in a pack. 16 m² / 1.68 m² = 9.52 packs.
- You have to take a whole number of packs, that is 10 pieces.
- A little less than half the pack will go into the reserve. That is, it is about 5%. Such a supply will be sufficient for direct styling. For the diagonal will have to take an extra pack.
How many laminate to buy you now know for sure. There are ways to determine the quantity for any occasion.
First option
The simplest example of how to calculate the amount of laminate per room. First you need to calculate the area: multiply the length by the width.
- For example, the length of the room is 6.5 m and the width is 3.25 m. It turns out 6.5 ∗ 3.25 = 21.125 m 2.
- To this area, you also need to add the sections that go into the corridor - if there are any (we assume that there are: 1.17 m by 0.4 m). 1.17 * 0.4 = 0.468 m 2. Now we add both areas: 21.125 + 0.468 = 21.593 m 2.
- For calculations, we take a laminate tile 0.185 x 1.26 m in size and find out its area: 0.185 * 1.26 = 0.2331 m 2.
- In order to calculate the number of tiles per room, divide the total area by the area of one tile: 21.593 / 0.2331 = 92.63 pieces.
- The number of packages is calculated as follows: divide the number of planks by 8 - the standard number of planks in a package. Thus, 93/8 = 11, 6 packs.
Second option
And this option is useful to those who do not know how to calculate the laminate flooring on a room with columns or niches. To make it clear, we take the dimensions of the room from the first example.
- First, we calculate the number of laminate planks per room length. For this, the length - 6.5 m is divided by the length of the strap - 1.26 m: 6.5 / 1.26 = 5.158 straps.
- Now we also calculate the width - divide the width of the room (3.25 m) by the width of the plank (0.185 m). 3.25 / 0.185 = 17.5 bars.
- We round the values and multiply them: 5.5 ∗ 18 = 99 bars.
- But we still have a plot that goes into the corridor, remember? We calculate the width: 0.4 / 0.185 = 2.16 trims. Thus, 2 more need to be added to 99 bars - in total, we will need 101 bars.
- Now it remains to count only the number of laminate packages: 101/8 = 12.625 packages.
As you can see, in the second version of the calculations, we got one more package - all this goes to waste when laying the laminate and cutting it.
How to calculate the amount of laminate flooring
There are two ways to calculate the amount of laminate. For example, consider a standard room 4 by 5 m. A laminate is 1.285 x 0.186 m in size. The area of one plank is: 1.285x0.186 = 0.239 m2. The package has 8 slats, the total area of 1.912 m 2. How many squares in a pack of laminate need to be specified directly in the store, because different manufacturers make them at different rates.
Easy way
Use our online calculator to calculate the area of a room:
The area of the room is 4x5 = 20 m 2, divide it by the area of the planks in the package 20 / 1.912 = 10.46 (≈10.5) packages. Or 10.5x8 = 84 slats.
Check 20 / 0.239 = 83.6 (≈ 84) planks.
Add 5%, (84/100) x5 = 4.2 (≈4 bars).
So, 11 packs are required. The total area of the purchased laminate is 11x1.912 = 21.032m 2. Given the mandatory indent from the wall 1 cm, this amount should be enough for accurate installation. Calculating how many pieces you need to buy is quite simple, the main thing is to determine the size of the rooms and packaging.
Scrupulous way
This method of calculating the laminate per room is suitable for pedantic householders. But the result will not be approximate, but accurate. And so, direct styling is planned, parallel to the light source (window). Room 5x4 m.
Along the length of the wall, fits 5 / 1.28 = 3.9 slats. Those. 3 whole strips, and one will have to be cut off 1 /10 or 12.8 cm (13 cm). A total score of 4 trims. Covered room width - 0.186 (≈0.185) m.
The second row, you can put with an run in half of the bar, i.e. cut one bar in half, and start with this half. At the end, lay the remaining half, having previously sawed off 13 cm.
The third row is similar to the first. In other words, the even rows start from the whole bar, the odd ones from the halves. In total, the room will have 4 / 0.186 = 21.5 rows of laminate. Those. The 21 row will consist of whole strips, and the 22nd of the halves. So, it will take 22x4 = 88 slats, or 11 packs of laminate. One row, it is necessary to saw along in half. You don’t have to worry about the cut, it will be hidden under the baseboard.
Total
Comparing the calculation methods, it can be seen that the second is more visual and accurate, but the result is the same. Nevertheless, it is always recommended to take a laminate with a "margin". In case of damage to the coating during operation, it will be possible to replace the bar with a defect. Using an online calculator, you can roughly calculate the required amount, in principle, such calculations are quite enough. The truth is to check in the store how many squares in a pack the manufacturer fit.
Also, you will probably be interested in an article about choosing the right substrate for a laminate.
The above calculations of the laminate are maximally simplified to show the general principles. Rooms can be with niches, ledges, appendixes, but knowing the sequence of calculations, you will not be mistaken.
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Laminate Panel Sizes
The market for laminate flooring has a very large assortment of colors, textures and brands. Unfortunately, there is no single standard for the size of laminate panels. There are models with a length of 50 to 210 cm and a width of 2 to 60 cm. The most common sizes are 128 - 139 cm in length and 18.5 - 19.6 cm in width. They occupy up to 80% of the entire market for laminate flooring.Therefore, in the calculation we will rely on the most popular sizes in order to approximately estimate the material consumption.
To say how many square meters of material in the package definitely will not work, since the sizes of different models differ, even from one manufacturer. Therefore, when choosing a material, pay attention to the dimensions of the panels and the coating area in one box indicated on the pack.
Area Calculation Method
Calculation of the amount of laminate by floor area is the easiest to understand and universal method to use. It is suitable for any paving scheme. The calculation is as follows:
- Determine the floor area of the room in square meters. To do this, multiply the width of the room in meters by the length of the room. If the room has an irregular shape (as in the picture), then we divide it into rectangles and consider the area of each of them, and then add up all the areas.
- We determine the area of each laminate board in square meters. meters also by multiplying the length by width in meters.
- Divide the value obtained in paragraph 1 by the value from paragraph 2.
- The resulting number is multiplied by the loss factor, depending on the selected stacking scheme, and rounded to the nearest larger integer. Thus, the correct number of laminate boards was obtained, which will be required for laying in the room.
- To get the number of packs of material, divide the value from paragraph 4 by the number of boards in one pack of the selected material and round to the nearest larger integer.
Example: Let's say that we need to put the flooring in a normal room without protrusions measuring 3 by 6 meters. The model of the laminate that we will be laying has the size of the panels: 1.38 meters in length and 0.193 meters in width. The number of panels in a pack of 9 pieces. Laying pattern - simple classic with offset.
1. Determine the floor area of the room: 3 * 6 = 18 square meters,
2. Determine the area of one lamella: 1.38 * 0.193 = 0.2663 square meters. m.,
3. Determine the preliminary number of required boards: 18 / 0.2663 = 67.59 pieces,
4. We determine the exact number of panels: 67.59 * 1.05 = 70.97 pieces. Round to the nearest larger integer ≈ 71 pcs.,
5. Determine the number of packs: 71/9 = 7.89 pcs. Round to the nearest larger integer and get 8 packs. That is how much we will need to buy in the store for the selected room.
Usually laminate flooring is sold in bundles. But recently, sellers have increasingly begun to meet buyers and sell laminate by the piece - one board at a time. If in your city you can buy the piece by piece, then perform the 5th paragraph is optional. This will save you a little repair budget. And if for some reason the laminate flooring was not enough, then you can always buy the required amount.
Calculation by this method can be slightly simplified. Manufacturers of laminated boards often indicate on packs the surface area that will be covered with panels from this box. Therefore, to determine the number of packs of laminate flooring, you just need to divide the room area by the area of one pack.
Example: the calculation condition is the same as in the example above.
1. We determine the floor area of the room: 3 * 6 = 18 sq.m.,
2. The area covered by the panels of one pack is 2.397 sq.m. (indicated on the pack)
3. Determine the preliminary number of packs: 18 / 2.397 = 7.51 pieces.
4. Determine the exact number of packs: 7.51 * 1.05 = 7.88. Round to the nearest larger integer - we get 8 packs.
Lamella calculation method
When calculating the laminate flooring, you can use another method - lamella calculation. This approach is based on the calculation of lamellas in square meters of a room. The calculation is as follows:
- The length of the room must be divided by the length of one lamella and rounded to the nearest larger whole.
- The width of the room is also divided by the width of the lamella and rounded to the nearest larger integer.
- We multiply the obtained values and obtain the number of required laminate boards.
- Divide this value by the number of boards in the pack and get the required number of packs of material.
Example: the calculation conditions are the same as in the example above.
1. The length of the room is divided by the length of the lamella and rounded to a larger whole: 6 / 1.38 = 5 pcs.,
2. The width of the room is divided by the width of the lamella and rounded to a larger whole: 3 / 0.193 = 16 pcs.
3. Multiply the obtained values: 5 * 16 = 80 pcs.
4. Divide the obtained value by the number of boards in a pack and round to a larger integer: 80/9 = 9 packs.
As can be seen from this example, the estimated amount of material was one pack more than in the method of calculating the area of the room. Where does the difference come from? But where it comes from: the method does not take into account the fact that the scraps of material obtained when laying on one side of the room can be used to start a row on the other side, creating an offset of the panels relative to each other.
In addition, the calculation by this method will be difficult if the room has an irregular shape or many niches and ledges.
Another drawback - this method is suitable for calculation only with a direct laying pattern. For diagonal and herringbone patterns, it is better to use the area calculation method.
There are pluses to this method: the calculated amount of material should be enough with a margin for the selected room, even if you damage several panels during installation. Consequently, you don’t have to run to the store to buy the missing lamellas.
What should be considered when calculating
The rooms in our apartments do not always have the shape of a perfect rectangle. Often in them there may be a small ledge, a recess or niche, which, for example, leads into the corridor. They must be taken into account in the calculation. If there is a protrusion, the area of the room must be reduced by its area, and the area of the niche must be added to the area of the room.
For example, if we have a niche leading to a corridor measuring 0.7 by 0.4 meters, then the area of the room is 18 sq.m. we add 0.28 sq.m. and we get 18.28 sq.m., which in the future will participate in the calculation of the material.
Also, do not forget that the laying of the laminate flooring is made with indents from the walls of about 10 mm. This nuance affects the calculation of the amount of material, but not significantly.
Laminate calculators
Recently, a lot of online calculators for calculating the laminate with styling schemes have divorced on the Internet. However, we do not recommend 100% trust them. Yes, with their help it is very convenient and quick to calculate the amount of laminate flooring per room, and you can even virtually lay the laminate flooring online to see how it will look. But what if the programmer who wrote this calculator made a mistake? You will have to pay for it.
Therefore, it is better to carry out the calculation according to the methods described above and only after that do the calculation on the online calculator to confirm the accuracy of your calculations or adjust them a little.
Memo on the number of laminate flooring on popular room sizes
Very often home masters search the Internet for a ready answer to the question “How much does a laminate need for 18 squares?”, “How much does a laminate need for 20 sq.m. ? " etc. Therefore, we collected popular requests in a small memo, depending on the area of the premises, the laying pattern and the most popular sizes of laminated flooring boards.
With the classic styling scheme:
- Room space, 10 sq.m. - you need 5 packs (40-42 lamels),
- Room space, 12 sq.m. - you need 6 packs (48-50 lamels),
- Room space, 15 sq.m. - you need 8 packs (62-64 lamels),
- Room space, 18 sq.m. - you need 9 packs (73-75 lamels),
- Room space, 20 sq.m. - you need 10 packs (80-83 lamels),
- Room space, 24 sq.m. - you need 12 packs (96-100 lamels).
When laying diagonally:
- Room space, 10 sq.m. - you need 6 packs (46-48 lamels),
- Room space, 12 sq.m. - you need 7 packs (54-56 lamels),
- Room space, 15 sq.m. - you need 9 packs (70-73 lamels),
- Room space, 18 sq.m. - you need 10 packs (78-80 lamels),
- Room space, 20 sq.m. - you need 11 packs (86-88 lamels),
- Room space, 24 sq.m. - you need 14 packs (108-110 lamels),
The data given are recommendatory in nature, based on the most popular sizes of lamellas. We remind you that the exact number of packs and boards of a laminate is best calculated according to the methods presented in this article above.
