Flooring
Flooring
A floor that looks right the first time comes down to layout maths: tile count, spacing, adhesive and grout - with the right waste allowance for your pattern.
Tools
Calculators for This Category
Field guides
Practical Guides
- How Much Tile Do I Need? Square footage, boxes, and the waste allowance that depends on your pattern.
- Tile Layout Patterns Compared Grid, running bond, diagonal and herringbone — waste and difficulty compared.
- Tile Spacing & Grout Joint Widths Why the gap between tiles decides how much grout you buy.
- How Much Grout Do I Need? Pounds of grout from tile size, spacing and area — worked examples included.
Waste Allowance by Layout Pattern
Cuts, broken tiles and pattern repeats all cost material. These are the allowances the trade uses when ordering.
| Pattern | Order extra | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Straight grid | 10% | Edge cuts and breakage |
| Running bond | 10–15% | Staggered cuts at edges |
| Diagonal | 15% | Every perimeter tile is a cut |
| Herringbone | 15–20% | Many small cuts, more breakage |
| Large-format (>16 in.) | 15% | Fewer tiles, each cut costs more |
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