How to use
- Enter the floor area. Closets you will plank belong in that number.
- Enter the square feet on the box, not the plank count, unless you have already turned the plank count into square feet.
- Set waste. Ten percent is a starting value for straight lays. A diagonal lay often needs more. Type the percent you intend.
- Press Calculate. The hero is boxes.
How it's calculated
Square feet to cover = area × (1 + waste ÷ 100). Boxes = that area ÷ square feet per box, rounded up.
The page does not convert plank length and width into box coverage. Use the number the carton already computed.
Worked example
Four hundred square feet plus 10 percent is 440 square feet. A box of 20 square feet means 22 boxes. At 24 square feet per box the same 440 needs 19 boxes, because 440 ÷ 24 rounds up from 18.33.
Assumptions
Every box has the coverage you typed. Dye lots and a spare box for later repairs are included only if your waste percent covers them. Stairs are not converted into extra boxes.
FAQ
Why boxes instead of square feet?
The store sells boxes. The flooring page is where the square-foot order is estimated. Bring that number here if you want cartons.
Do I include waste twice?
No. If the area you type already includes waste, set this waste box to zero.
What about the underlayment?
That is the underlayment calculator, in rolls, from a different coverage.
Can different rooms use different waste?
Add the rooms first, or run the page per room and add the boxes. A single waste percent applies to the whole area you type.