Laminate and engineered-wood flooring are sold by the pack, each covering a fixed number of square metres. This calculator adds a cutting-waste allowance to your floor area and rounds up to whole packs.
How it works
floor area = length × width
with waste = floor area × (1 + waste%)
packs = ceil(with waste / pack coverage)The waste allowance covers the planks you cut to fit at the edges of the room and around door frames — the offcuts are usually too short to reuse.
Worked example
A 5 m × 4 m room with packs covering 2.22 m² and a 10 percent waste allowance:
- Floor area = 20 m²
- With waste = 20 × 1.10 = 22 m²
- Packs = ceil(22 / 2.22) = 10 packs
What to watch
Layout affects waste. A straight lay along the longest wall wastes least; a diagonal lay needs noticeably more, so raise the allowance.
Acclimatise the boards. Most laminate needs a day or two lying flat in the room before fitting, so it reaches the room temperature and humidity and does not move after laying.