How Much Flooring for a 12x16 Room?
Boxes to order
10 boxes
192 square feet of floor, ten percent waste, boxes of 22.5 square feet.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Floor area192 sq ft
- Coverage per box or carton22.5 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Boxes to order10 boxes
| Floor area | 192 sq ft |
|---|---|
| With 10% waste | 211.2 sq ft |
| Boxes at 22.5 sq ft | 10 |
| Coverage bought | 225 sq ft |
| Left over | 33 sq ftkeep it for repairs |
The material list this produces
| Flooring, boxes | 10 |
|---|---|
| Underlayment, sq ft | 192 |
| Transition strips, each | 2 |
Waste allowance compared
Waste is set by how you lay it, not by how careful you are. Straight lay to herringbone, same room.
| Waste allowance | Boxes to order | With 10% waste | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 9 boxes | 201.6 sq ft | 10.5 sq ft |
| 10% | 10 boxes | 211.2 sq ft | 33 sq ft |
| 15% | 10 boxes | 220.8 sq ft | 33 sq ft |
| 20% | 11 boxes | 230.4 sq ft | 55.5 sq ft |
What else matters here
A hundred and ninety two square feet is ten boxes at the common carton size, giving 225 square feet bought and about 33 spare. In a rectangular room, run the planks along the long dimension and the room reads longer still; run them across and it reads wider.
The practical argument usually wins over the aesthetic one. Planks running perpendicular to the floor joists is the traditional rule for solid wood over a wood subfloor, because it spreads the load across several joists instead of following the gap between two.
Leave the expansion gap. Every floating floor needs a quarter inch or so clear of every wall, pipe and door casing, hidden under the baseboard. A floor laid tight has nowhere to go when it expands in summer, and it goes up in the middle.
What this calculator assumes
- 10 percent waste covers a straight lay in a simple rectangle. Go to 15 for a diagonal or herringbone lay, and 20 if the room is cut up with closets and angles.
- Buy the whole job in one delivery. Dye lot and batch shade move between production runs, and a single replacement box six months later will not match.
Questions people ask
How many boxes of flooring for a 12x16 room?
About 10 boxes at 22.5 square feet each, covering 192 square feet with ten percent waste.
Which way should flooring run?
Perpendicular to the joists for solid wood on a wood subfloor. For floating floors over concrete it is a free choice, so run it with the length of the room or toward the main light.
How big should the expansion gap be?
Usually a quarter of an inch around the entire perimeter, including around pipes and door casings. Check the manufacturer's instruction, because it varies with product and room size.
The flooring calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.