How Much Hardwood Flooring To Buy

There are some standard percentages of extra flooring you should buy depending on the material. For solid hardwood, 20% extra is the norm. For wall-to-wall carpeting, 10% extra should suffice. Depending on the size, an extra 5 to 15% of ceramic tile should be purchased. For vinyl and laminate flooring, 5 to 10% extra is recommended.

how much hardwood flooring to buy

Always add about 2 inches for doorways so the carpet meets the floor covering in the next room. Add as much as 10% to the total square footage needed when installing Berber or patterned carpets to allow for pattern matching where a seam will be necessary. Your Project: Partner can help you with figuring just the right amount for your room.

Hardwood flooring is sold by the carton, generally 20 square feet, but check with a Project: Partner or scan the product QR code in the store to verify the number for the hardwood you have selected. All hardwood flooring requires a percentage of waste to be added for installation. The percentage varies depending on grade of the hardwood, variance in color and grain, and how much material you are installing. The general rule is to add 10% for installations with less than 1,000 square feet of material and 7% for installations requiring more than 1,000 square feet. The recommend allowance for waste can go as high as 15% for products installed on a diagonal or lower grade hardwood products. Using an example of 210 square feet in our room and closet, we can figure our allowance for 10% waste by multiplying 210 x 10% to get 21, so we will need to purchase 231 square feet of hardwood. If the product we selected has 20 square feet per carton, then divide 231 by 20. We get 11.55, so we will want to round up and purchase 12 cartons.

Eddie,Can you return it if you get too much? I even think 10% is too much. I've done less than 10 flooring jobs, tile, wood and pavers, but have always had way too much left over when allowing 10%, but it's no big deal when you can return it.Mikey

Probably can't return it because of lot numbers. But as Calvin points out, wider boards will probably have a higher waste factor. For prefinished flooring, I think I was buying it in 22 sf boxes, so if he needs 585 sf div by 22 = 26.5 boxes, so i would order at least 28 boxes, probably 29."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson

If you've never done it b/4, maybe 10% is a bit thin. BUT, I've never (and I'm no floor guy) come close in strip flooring to needing 10%. Wider engineered boards and long halls/walls maybe. 2 to 3-1/4 I don't think so.

My HW flooring vendor wants to always add 10%. I'm real slow so I'm constantly looking at the pieces and where the joints are. I usually have very little waste. You will end up with a few geeked ones that you can't use, but I never need 10% additional.

I will say that prefinished floors seem to me to have more bad peices in them. I remeber some brazilian cherry a customer got from lumber liquidators had a lot of junk in it, four or more boards in a box sometimes. It wasnt cherry or brazilian, looked like a hodgepodge of hardwoods all finished the same color but definatly not the same species. Two boxes would be like 8% so maybe two to be safe, could depend on the availabality too.

Since tiles and hardwood planks are most commonly sold by the box, first determine how many square feet are included per unit. Note that some tiles may also be sold individually, while smaller mosaic and patterned tiles are mounted on mesh. If the box covers 15 square feet, divide this into your total square footage for the room (with the added overage) and purchase accordingly. While these measuring techniques work best for general calculations there are some details specific to each flooring material that should be taken into consideration.

Wood planks most often come in boxes that will cover 20 square feet of space. So taking your overall square footage and dividing it by 20 will get you the amount of boxes needed. If you find yourself needing only half a box, buy a little extra and round up. This will ensure you will have spare planks for future repairs. Generally, a higher quality of flooring will need only 5% extra overage, while a more affordable option might be better with 15%.

Because laminate is engineered, it usually has a consistent coloring, pattern, grain, and is free of inclusions. Only a 5% overage is usually recommended. Calculate the total amount needed the same way you would for hardwood.

When your project is finally complete, you may find yourself looking to use up extra tile, laminate or hardwood. A great way to do this is with accent projects. Add a backsplash to your powder room; install a hardwood accent wall in your office. Wood planks can easily be repurposed into photo frames or shelving. Use excess laminate to line closets or boot trays, anywhere that might benefit from moisture protection. Tiles can become drink coasters, add a fireplace boarder to your mantle, or even DIY yourself a plant stand, stool or mosaic table. With these tips, you will be sure to have enough materials for your project with a little extra left over for the future.

Hardwood flooring cost varies based on the price of the material and the labor involved in installation. Traditional solid hardwood flooring consists of real wood planks cut from trees, which are installed end-to-end. Engineered wood flooring, which has a real wood veneer attached to a plywood base, may be slightly less expensive. Parquet flooring uses smaller pieces of real wood to create geometric designs, such as a herringbone pattern, making it the most expensive to install. Prefabricated, parquet-like tiles are a lower-cost alternative that give the appearance of parquet but are easier to install.

Tree species greatly influences the cost of traditional hardwood. There are several types of wood to choose from that vary in appearance and performance. Some tree species are more durable than others or better suited to certain types of climates. Generally, the harder and more durable the wood is, the more expensive it is.

If you love the look of solid wood flooring but traditional or engineered hardwood is beyond your budget, there are alternative flooring options that mimic the appearance of wood. Vinyl or laminate flooring and porcelain tiles can be manufactured to look like wood for a fraction of the cost. Alternative real wood options, such as floating floors and click-and-lock paneling, can help you save money on installation.

When installing new hardwood floors, you have two choices: boards that have been prefinished at the factory or unfinished boards that are finished with sealant following installation. Unfinished boards are less expensive but come with higher labor costs, since the finishing must be done on-site. Additionally, different types of finish have different costs, with polyurethane on the low end and penetrating resin finish on the high end.

Hard and exotic woods have higher material and installation costs, while softwoods like pine are easier to work with and cheaper to install. Parquet and small wood tiles with intricate patterns are pricier to install, as is flooring in rooms with unusual layouts or staircases.

Installation and labor are two of the most expensive aspects of installing hardwood flooring. To cut down on costs, homeowners may be tempted to take on the project themselves. There are some types of wood flooring, like click-and-lock wood tiles and floating flooring, that experienced DIYers may be able to install themselves. When it comes to traditional hardwood plank flooring, however, the job is best left to the professionals.

If you already have hardwood floors, refinishing the old flooring will cost much less than installing new wood. Unless there are deep gouges or the floors have significant moisture damage, refinishing is usually the way to go.

Hardwood flooring costs are substantial, and no flooring material is perfect. Still, hardwood floors have a lot of benefits, including a high return on investment. You also have more options than just installing wide planks in the traditional manner. Take some time to explore your wood flooring options and how they fit into your budget to determine whether hardwood floors are the right choice for your home.

Up to 5 separate rooms or areas can be calculated. If you know the cost per square foot of your flooring, the total cost can also be estimated. Please keep in mind that the calculation below will give you exact square footage and may not match how the flooring comes per bundle.

If you are moving into a new home and decide to change the flooring and install hardwood floors, you will need to order a certain amount of those beautiful planks. But how do you know exactly how much hardwood to order for flooring?

As with any intervention, it is nearly impossible to order the exact amount of flooring which will be used, so be prepared for some waste material. The process of installing hardwood includes cutting so the boards can fit well in every corner of your room. Once cut, the board cannot be attached to another board because its tongue and groove have been removed. Therefore, it is a must that you order some amount of extra hardwood material.

If you prefer a diagonal hardwood floor across the room, keep in mind that it will produce more waste cut-offs than the conventional installation, so you should be comfortable with approximately 12-15% more than the total area.

I like your suggestions for putting hardwood floors in a home with pets. I think that using a lighter color to show fewer scratches would be a great idea for us. We have three puppies who love to play and wrestle. I think that their paws could definitely scratch a nice hardwood floor. I will have to look into which types of woods will be best for our situation.

My fiancé and I are trying to determine if price increase is worth nail down. We both like look better of nail down. We can cover some of upstairs for a cheaper price with engineered than just doing downstairs with nail down. Should we be concerned with buckling of hardwood? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you. 041b061a72