With a few simple measurements and calculations, you can determine the number of tiles you need for your flooring project. If you’re buying tiles, this will help you keep track of how much the materials will cost you. If you’re hiring an installer to do the project for you, you can also provide the measurements of the room to get a price quote for the installation, although the installer usually takes his own measurements.
Supplies:
paper
pen or pencil
Measuring tape
Calculator (optional)
Step 1
Measure the length of the room or area of the floor where you will be laying the tiles.
Step 2
Measure the width of the room or area of the floor where you will be laying the tiles.
Step 3
Multiply the length of the floor by the width of the floor to determine the square footage of the room. For example, if the room is 12 feet wide by 12 feet long, then you would multiply 12 by 12 to get 144 square feet.
Stage 4
Add 15% to square footage. You should also add 15% to the number of tiles you need to accommodate cutting, scrap, and breakage during installation. Also, you want to have extra tiles after the project is done in case you have problems in the future, such as cracks or broken tiles. Also, tiles may run out, so if you don’t have extra tiles, you may not be able to replace broken or cracked tiles.
step 5
Calculate how many boxes of tiles you need. Divide the square footage of the room by the total square footage of the tile in the box. For example, if the box has 10 square feet of tile, you will need 15 boxes of tile.
Tips
A good rule of thumb: if you don’t have at least one box of tile left when your floor is ready, then buy an extra box to store it.
If you are installing a diagonal or diamond pattern, you should purchase at least 20% more tile than if you are installing a square or straight tile pattern.
