How Much Flooring for a 16x16 Room?
Boxes to order
13 boxes
256 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 area256 sq ft
- Coverage per box or carton22.5 sq ft
- Waste allowance10 %
Boxes to order13 boxes
| Floor area | 256 sq ft |
|---|---|
| With 10% waste | 281.6 sq ft |
| Boxes at 22.5 sq ft | 13 |
| Coverage bought | 292.5 sq ft |
| Left over | 36.5 sq ftkeep it for repairs |
The material list this produces
| Flooring, boxes | 13 |
|---|---|
| Underlayment, sq ft | 256 |
| 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% | 12 boxes | 268.8 sq ft | 14 sq ft |
| 10% | 13 boxes | 281.6 sq ft | 36.5 sq ft |
| 15% | 14 boxes | 294.4 sq ft | 59 sq ft |
| 20% | 14 boxes | 307.2 sq ft | 59 sq ft |
What else matters here
Two hundred and fifty six square feet with ten percent is 281.6, thirteen cartons, 292.5 bought.
Over a concrete slab, this floor needs a vapor barrier under it even if the slab passed a moisture test, because a slab that is dry in October is not necessarily dry in April. Six mil polyethylene is the usual material, and the details are what make it work.
Run it up the wall a couple of inches behind where the baseboard will sit, overlap the seams by six to eight inches, and tape every seam and every penetration. An unsealed overlap is not a barrier, it is two sheets of plastic. Where the flooring has a film already attached to its pad, that counts, and adding another under it is the doubling mistake rather than extra insurance.
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 16x16 room?
About 13 boxes at 22.5 square feet each, covering 256 square feet with ten percent waste.
Do I need a vapor barrier over concrete?
Yes, for almost every floating floor, even over a slab that passed a moisture test. Six mil polyethylene is the standard, run up the wall behind the baseboard.
How do I install a vapor barrier?
Overlap the sheets six to eight inches, tape every seam and every penetration, and turn it up the wall. An untaped overlap does not stop vapor.
The flooring calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.