Allowing For Wastage When Placing A Wood Floor Order

When embarking on a new flooring project you may wonder how to calculate wastage. In the case of wooden floors, there can be wastage due to a number of factors. Those include the installation process, the condition of the materials well as the experience of the fitter. In general, we assume that the amount of wastage you should allow when placing a wood flooring order is somewhere around 8%. If you want to precisely calculate the amount of extra wood flooring (in sqm) you need to order to allow for wastage, you will first need to measure the given interior.

Measuring a room involves three very basic tools everyone should have around their home. Those are: a tape measure (10 or 20 metres long), a pen or a pencil and a piece of paper. Bear in mind that two people will do it much faster and more accurately, so, if you only can, involve a friend or a family member to assist you in making the measurements.

In the case of square or rectangular rooms, it’s a child’s play to calculate the amount of flooring you need to order. Simply measure both the length and width of the room, and then multiply those numbers. Having done that, add ca. 8% to the total number, to allow for wastage.

In the case of odd-shaped rooms, the easiest way to measure the total floor area is to divide the room into square or rectangular bits, which you will then measure, adding them together at the end. Finally, to allow for wastage, you will need to add 8%, as mentioned, in the example above.

When making all the measurements, you need to take into account any cupboards, alcoves, door frames or small recesses – they will all need to be included in the overall flooring project. Leaving them out can mean that you’ll end up having too little wood flooring to cover the entire area. Having measured those areas, you will need to include them in the calculation of wastage which you should allow when placing a wood flooring order.

Usually, wood flooring is sold and priced in sqm. Therefore, you should stick to measurements in sqm. The prices are in this case calculated as the cost of a square of wood flooring (one metre by one metre). However, you may come across solid or engineered wood flooring sold by the pack. The pack may or may not be exactly one square metre. In such a case, the number of sqm in each pack will be listed on the packaging by the flooring provider, which will enable you to make precise calculations.

Regardless of the shape or size of the room, you always need to allow 8% for wastage when ordering wood flooring. By doing so, you will be able to rest assured without the need to worry that you don’t have enough wood flooring to complete the project.