How to Calculate Square Meters of Flooring
The process of calculating square meters of flooring won't significantly differ from what we learned in elementary school math lessons. The simplest situation occurs when the floor – our room – is square or rectangular. In this case, we multiply the length by the width, which gives us the result we're looking for. For example, if the room is 5 meters long and 4 meters wide, the total area will be 20 square meters. Simple, right?
However, the calculation of square meters of flooring becomes slightly more complicated if the room is not square or rectangular, but has many varying lengths and widths depending on the area. In this case, you need to divide the space into smaller sections to create several squares or rectangles. Each section of the floor will have its own square meter calculation, and after summing them all up, you will get the total square meters of the floor.
How to Calculate the Number of Panels for the Floor
Now that we know the room has 20 square meters, we can decide how many packages of panels we need. We’ll use panels from the Expert collection for this calculation. One package contains 7 panels, and the area covered by the panels is 1.548 m². Therefore, the exact calculation shows we would need 12.19 packages, which, after rounding up, equals 13 packages. Laminate flooring is sold in full packages, so we need to round up to the nearest whole number.
However, this calculation won't give us the exact number of panels we will actually need. Experts remind us that when laying the panels, they must be cut. As a result, instead of using a small leftover piece (e.g., 40 cm), we will prefer to start with a full board. Especially in rooms with varying lengths and widths, some of the leftover panels won't be suitable for further use or installation.
Therefore, it’s recommended to purchase more square meters of panels than the calculated value. For a 20 square meter room, you should add about 10% more, which would be around 22 square meters. From the previously calculated 13 packages, this gives us 15 packages (because we always round up to full packages). Also, remember that the manufacturer recommends leaving at least one full panel in its original size – details are provided in the product warranty card.
