Packs, not square metres
Flooring is sold by the pack and pack coverage varies more than people expect: 1.6, 2.2 and 2.5 square metres are all common, and two ranges at the same price per square metre can need a different number of packs for the same room.
So the number that matters is packs, rounded up. Twenty two square metres at 2.2 a pack is exactly ten. At 1.996 a pack it is 11.02, which means twelve packs and a very annoying amount left over. Check the coverage on the range you are actually buying.
Wastage, and why herringbone is different
Ten per cent covers a normal straight lay: the cuts at each end of a row, the board that splits wrong, the bit round a door frame.
Twenty per cent for diagonal or herringbone. This is not padding. Every cut in a herringbone floor is an angle, the offcut is the opposite angle, and only some of those are usable at the other end of the room. Order ten per cent for a herringbone floor and you will be going back for more.
If the boards have a strong repeating pattern or a wide plank grain that has to be sequenced, add five per cent on top of whatever you were going to use.
Underlay, and the layer people forget to order
Separate purchase and usually sold in bigger rolls, so work it out on area rather than packs. On a concrete floor you need a damp proof membrane underneath, or a combined underlay that includes one. On timber you do not, and putting one there can trap moisture in the joists.
Before you order, check which way the boards have to run
It changes the count. On a suspended timber floor the boards have to run acrossthe joists, which may not be the direction you would have picked, and in a long narrow room the two options waste noticeably different amounts.
That, the expansion gap, acclimatising the packs before you start and the rest of the sequence are on how to lay laminate flooring.
Keep a pack back
Not offcuts, a whole spare pack if the budget takes it. Ranges get discontinued fast, and a washing machine leak or a dropped chisel means lifting a few boards and replacing them. Boards from a different batch, or a different range entirely, will never quite match.
Common questions
How many packs of laminate or vinyl flooring do I need?
Measure the floor area, add wastage for cuts, then divide by the pack coverage and round up. A 20 square metre room with 10 per cent wastage needs 22 square metres, which at 2.2 a pack is 10 packs.
How much wastage should I allow for flooring?
Ten per cent for a straight lay in a simple room. Fifteen if the room is awkward or the boards have a pattern to match. Twenty for a diagonal or herringbone lay, where every cut is an angle and the offcuts are unusable.
Which direction should floorboards run?
Along the longest wall usually looks best and means fewer cuts. Running towards the main light source hides the joints. On a suspended timber floor the boards must run across the joists, not along them, and that rule wins over the other two.
Do I need an expansion gap?
Yes, on any floating floor. Laminate and engineered wood move with temperature and humidity, and 10 to 12mm round every edge is standard. Skip it and the floor lifts and peaks in the middle within a year.
How long should flooring acclimatise before laying?
Usually 48 hours flat in the room it is going in, still boxed, with the heating at its normal setting. It is on the manufacturer instructions and skipping it is the most common cause of gaps opening up later.