This tile calculator is a handy tool you can use for when you need to install tiles in your home or office. After choosing the right style, size, and color of tiles for your flooring, the next step is to find out how many you need to cover the whole area. Using a square foot calculator for tile makes the job easier, all you have to do is measure the space.
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How to use the tile calculator?
This tile calculator does require several values but it remains to be a simple and easy to understand the online tool. With it, you don’t have to perform calculations by hand just to find out how many tiles you need for your project. Here are the steps to follow for this tile estimator:
- First, enter the value of the Tile Length and choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- Then enter the value of the Tile Width and choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- After that, enter the value of the Gap Size and choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- For the next step, you can either enter the values of the Area Length and Area Width separately or simply enter the value of the Area Size then choose the unit of measurement from the drop-down menu.
- Enter the estimated percentage value of Waste.
- Finally, enter the value of the Box Size.
- After entering all of the required values, this square foot calculator for tile automatically generates for you the values for the Tiles Needed, the Tiles Needed (including waste), and the Boxes Needed.
How do I calculate how many tiles I need?
Whether you’re still in the planning stage and you want to come up with a budget for the number of materials you need for tile installation or you plan to install your own tile floor at home, you can use this tile calculator to help you determine how many tiles you need.
Even if you plan to install the tiles on a wall, the steps remain the same. Before you can use the tile estimator, you must first take measurements. You need to know the size of the tiles you want to use as well as the total area of the space where you plan to install the tiles. Follow these steps to calculate how many tiles you need:
- Using a tape measure, take the measurements of the space. If you measure in feet, this is easy. But if you measure in inches, make sure to convert the value first in order to get the square footage.
- When measuring, make sure to cover the whole area. Whether you plan to tile a wall or the floor, measure the length and the width. These are essential values you need for using the tile calculator or for doing the computations by hand.
- Multiply the value of the length and the width. This is a simple calculation which provides you with the total area of the space. For instance, you have a room which floor measures 12-feet in width and 10-feet in length. Therefore:
12 feet x 10 feet = 120 feet2
- Now translate this value to the number of tiles you need. Usually, tiles come in boxes and you would have to purchase the entire box. So the next step is to divide the total area of your space by the total square footage of the riles in the box.
- Let’s assume that each tile box contains around 10-feet2 of tiles. Thus, if you need 120-feet2 of tiles:
120 / 10 = 12 boxes
- It’s also important to solve for the amount of overage or waste as you might end up wasting a few tiles during the installation process. You must never purchase the exact number of tiles you need as you also need some for mistakes, cuts, breaks, and waste.
- To solve for this value, multiply the total area of the space by 10%. Add the value you get to the total area of the space. The value you get here is the total amount of square footage you should purchase:
10% x 120 = 12
120 + 12 = 122
Aside from taking wastage into account, one more reason to purchase extra tile is that in the future, the tiles you’ve chosen may get discontinued. So if any of the tiles you’ve installed breaks, you would have extra to replace them. Otherwise, you would have to deal with the broken tile or change the whole flooring!
How much do tilers charge per hour?
Unless you have excellent, professional DIY skills, it’s always best to hire professional tilers to install your tiles. This is especially important if you have renovated the whole room and the tiles are just one part of it. The great thing about professionals is that they know what they’re doing and they won’t end up wasting your materials.
A lot of people choose to install their tiles on their own because they believe that hiring professional tilers will cost them too much. But how true is this? Are tilers really so expensive that you should opt to DIY the whole installation process?
Basically, tilers charge based on a per square meter rate. This means that the type and size of the tiles are their basis for determining their price. In general, you may have to pay anywhere between $35 to $150 per square meter. The more labor-intensive the tiles are, the more you have to pay.
How much waste should I figure for tile?
It’s important to note that one requirement of the tile calculator is the percentage rate of the waste. This makes it easier for you so you don’t have to perform the calculation yourself just to take wastage into account. As we have computed in our previous example, a 10% estimation for waste is good enough.
If you plan to install the tiles yourself or if you live in a house where you think your tiles have a tendency to break after some time, you may want to increase this percentage rate so you can use the extra tiles for repairs.
