A successful tiling project requires careful planning. Whether it is a professional or DIY job, the question of ‘how many tiles do I need?’ must be calculated as soon as possible. Luckily for you, the process of determining how many quality tiles you need is pretty simple!
Ready to get started? All you need is a pen and paper, a measuring tape, (and a calculator if you need some maths-based backup), and you’re ready to start your tiling journey.
Calculating how many tiles you need for your space
Whether you are tiling a large floor space or covering a bathroom head-to-toe in unique tiles, the process remains the same – measure the wall or floor space and calculate the square metres for tiling.
The first step is choosing the rooms you want to tile and clarifying the size and scale of each surface area to be tiled. Drawing out the room can be a helpful starting point, clarifying how much surface area is to be covered and the chosen tiling pattern (herringbone, basket weave, straight, diagonal, etc). Now you’re probably wondering ‘how much tile do I need’?
Taking measurements
Grab your measuring tape and take the area measurements of the length and width of the floor or wall you’re tiling, noting down the results. For example, a wall project requires the height of the wall up and down, and the length of the wall from left to right.
Next, multiply the two measurements together to find out ‘how many tiles do I need?’ – for example, if the wall height is 4m and the length is 6m, the calculation is 24 square metres.
Calculating total area
If you are covering multiple spaces in the same tile, the next step is to add together each square metre coverage calculated. For example, if two walls and a floor of one room are being tiled, measure each area, calculate the square metre footage, and add the 3 results together.
The crucial next step to find ‘how much tile do I need?’ involves taking into account extra tiles, factoring in damaged, wasted, or cut tiles, as well as preparing for the risk of the supplier running out of stock before the project is completed.
The best way to do this is by multiplying the square meterage calculated by 10 or 15%.
Metres Squared to Feet Squared
Different suppliers may require different measurement units.
● To convert metres squared (m²) to feet squared (ft²), multiply the number by 10.76391041671
● To convert ft² to m², multiple the number by 0.0929
Calculate how many tiles you need
Typically an entire box of tiles must be purchased (as opposed to individual tiles), but this makes figuring out ‘how many tiles do I need?’ a straightforward calculation.
Divide the TOTAL square footage by the square meterage of your chosen tiles as detailed on the box. For example, the box has 10 square metres of tiles and you need 140 square metres – 140 divided by 10 = 14 boxes of tiles.
Voilà, you’re ready to get tiling!
Explore tiles at Ceramics International
Ceramics International tile supplies a unique range of premium Italian-made tiles unlike anything else in Perth. Top-quality porcelain and ceramic tiles are provided in the latest creative design trends, along with helpful and personable customer service.
Browse the extensive range of stunning tiles online now, or visit a store near you today.