Parquet Calculator
Plan a parquet floor purchase: the calculator returns the required area, individual plank count and whole packs to order.
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Formula and method
Floor area is derived from the room dimensions, increased by the waste percentage, then divided by the coverage of one pack for the pack count and by the area of one plank for the piece count.
The laying pattern sets the waste
A straight plank run wastes 3 to 5 % because most offcuts feed the next row. Herringbone and chevron waste 5 to 7 % because the edge cuts are angled and cannot be reused. Diagonal laying starts at 10 % and reaches 15 %, and a bordered or panelled design is 15 to 20 %.
Pattern also changes the pack count through pack size, not just through waste: a 2.5 m² pack and a 1.8 m² pack give different remainders for the same area, and rounding up happens after the waste is added.
Subfloor, underlay and the height budget
Solid and engineered parquet needs a flat subfloor — typically 2 to 3 mm over 2 m. That flatness often comes from a self-levelling compound whose thickness eats into the height budget under doors, so measure the threshold before choosing the build-up.
Underlay for a floating floor and adhesive for a glued one are different products with different quantities: adhesive is about 1 kg/m² for a full-bed trowel, and the coverage is stated per bag rather than per litre.
Acclimatisation and the spare box
Wood moves. Boards should sit in the room at normal humidity for several days before laying, and the floor needs an expansion gap at every wall and threshold. A floor laid tight in winter opens joints in summer.
Keep one box and one tin of finish from the same batch. Parquet is a natural product: the next batch will differ in tone, and the board that gets damaged in five years will be replaced from the box you kept.
How to measure the inputs
- Record the room dimensions and note any doorways where the pattern must continue.
- Measure the usable width of a plank rather than the overall width including the tongue.
- For patterned laying, sketch the layout first: it changes the number of cut pieces.
Worked example
Room length 16.4 ft; Room width 13.12 ft; Board length 3.28 ft; Board width 7.87 in; Coverage per package 43.06 ft²; Waste 8 % → Parquet packages: 6
Reference data
| Pattern | Waste, % | Packs per 20 m² |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | 5 | 12 |
| Herringbone | 10 | 13 |
| Diagonal | 15 | 13 |
| With border, 20 % | 20 | 14 |
Pack counts assume 1.8 m² per pack; check the figure on the box.
Practical tips
- Acclimatise solid parquet in the room for several days before laying.
- Keep a few planks aside in case a sanding or finishing pass needs a repair later.
- Order from one batch so the grain and tone match.
Sources
- EN 13489 — Multi-layer parquet
Checked and updated October 22, 2026