Make sure you have enough materials for your upcoming tile project by following these simple steps.
My kitchen backsplash and foyer floor will both have tile installed. In each scenario, how much tile do I need to purchase?
It’s a good idea to consider your tile needs before you go material shopping. The first step in installing tile, whether it be on the floor of your entryway or the walls of your kitchen or bathroom, is to calculate how much tile you need. You may assure enough tile coverage with the aid of this calculator, plan your project’s budget appropriately, and forgo additional journeys to your neighbourhood home centre. The process for figuring out how much tile you need is convenient the same for any surface, so grab a measuring tape and a calculator and get started! or also you can hire professional tiler in dublin to done the job for you professionally, visit https://rd-tilingdecor.ie/ for more informations.
1. Determine the size of the tiled area.
Using the area’s shape as a guide, measure:
- To calculate the area in square feet for square or rectangular spaces, such as a wall or floor, multiply the length by the width. If the dimensions aren’t a whole number (i.e., the measurement consists of both feet and inches), convert the inches to feet by dividing by 12, then add that decimal to the number of feet, and then proceed with the rest of the computation as explained above to determine the area in square feet. The area should always be rounded up to the closest foot when there is a decimal in the area.
- A 10-by-10-foot wall would have a surface area of 100 square feet (10 x 10).
- A floor measuring 6 feet 9 inches by 11 feet would have a surface area of 74.25 square feet (6.75 x 11), which adds out to 75 square feet.
- For rounded areas like a floor, multiply the radius—which is equal to half the space’s diameter—by 3.14.
- A circular floor with a 20-foot diameter would have a 314 square foot surface area (3.14 x 10 x 10).
- Consider and handle regions with odd shapes as two sections, such as an L-shaped floor. Add the regions of each component after calculating their separate sizes.
- Consider splitting your L-shaped floor into two rectangles that are each 6 by 3 feet in size. The floor would be 36 feet square (6 x 3 x 2).
2. Based on the size of the room, determine how many tile boxes or individual tiles you require.
Determine how much tile you will need to purchase to cover the area you now know the tile should cover. The calculation will vary depending on whether you intend to purchase multiple-tile boxes (more typical for standard-sized walls or floors) or individual tiles (for small floors or walls, such as those in a half bath).
- Divide the area’s square footage by the box’s stated square footage before purchasing tile. The square footage that all of the tiles in the box will cover will be specified in the box. The size of the tiles doesn’t need to be taken into account. If the amount is a decimal, round it up to the next whole number.
Eight boxes of tile are required if the area is 100 square feet in size and each box has 12.5 square feet of tile (100/12.5).- You must be aware of the square footage (or percentage of it) that each tile covers before purchasing individual tiles. For tiles that are sold separately, the packaging will specify the tile’s measurements in inches. To calculate the area that one tile will cover in square inches, multiply the tile length by the tile width. To convert the value to square feet, multiply the result by 144. The number of tiles you’ll need will then be determined by multiplying the area you’re tiling by the square footage of one tile. Once more, round to the next entire number.
- The area that each tile would cover if you used six-by-six-inch tiles is 0.25 square feet (36/144). You would need 200 tiles, at the very least, to cover a 50 square foot wall or floor (50/0.25).
3. Lastly, factor in an excess of 10% to 20%.
The bare minimal amount of tile required to cover the wall or floor cannot be purchased, not even by a tile installation specialist. Many circumstances call for a bit extra:
- If a full tile won’t fit in the corner of the wall or floor, you may need more tiles to make tile fragments to fill the space.
- When they arrive, some of the tiles you buy might already be damaged. Two to three percent of tiles purchased in cartons are frequently cracked or damaged.
- When cutting, laying, or fixing a cracked tile, you run the risk of breaking it.
- To replace a tile that comes loose after installation, you might need a new one.
- A future discontinuation of your tile is possible. Without them, you could have to retile the entire floor or wall or replace damaged tiles with tiles that don’t match those already put. If the tile of the precise colour or style you chose is subsequently discontinued, you’ll be relieved to have some matching tiles on hand to use as replacements.
You should be able to get by with buying at least 10% more tile than you anticipated.
Divide the tile amount you estimated in the previous step by 1.1, then round up if necessary. Therefore, purchase nine boxes of tile rather than eight if you anticipated using them (8 x 1.1). Buy 220 tiles if you determined that 200 are needed (200 x 1.1).
If you’re attempting a more unusual pattern like herringbone or a diagonal offset, budget up to 20% of a buffer. You typically end up with more broken pieces of tile when you install tile diagonally (at a 45-degree angle from the base of the wall or floor) rather than horizontally (where the edge of the tile meets the edge of the floor or wall).
