Measuring for flooring?

Al killian

Member
Messages
1,940
Location
Floydada, Tx
OK, maybe my brain is way off here(which is 99.9999%):eek:. How do you figure how many board feet are needed for doing a hardwood floor?The wife found the floor she wants at only $5.20 a foot.:eek:, of course I said I can do that cheaper with the addition to my molding machine.The size of the floor that would be covered are 405 sqft (+/-).How do you do it? I know there are few few contractors in this group.
 
Seems like I have seen posts scattered around the net that recommend ordering 15% or more flooring material than the area to be covered to account for waste. I DO NOT know if this is an accurate estimate or not, and would most likely vary with the type and quality of the flooring material ordered.

Surely some flooring contractors will reply. You might also query a few flooring suppliers, (not Big Box sales personnel) as to what percentage you should allow for the particular flooring material you are interested in, and a reputable supplier would be able to give you good information.
 
I've always been told material + 10%. I guess however it depends on the quality of the flooring you start with. If it's the highest quality you should need less if it's a "rustic grade" I would think you'll need more for waste.
 
So you are going to mill your own flooring? That sounds like a LOT of work. Hope you get the raw materials real cheap!

Don't you also have to account for the tongue? What I mean is if the surface is 3" wide the actual board before milling is 3.25". The percentage this is depends on how wide each board is. I've already had my coffee but don't really want to figure it out. How about just adding 5% to be safe and account for any low-caffine math errors?
 
John, I have a 25" woodmaster. It is able to due three sides in one pass. A guy down the road is going to buy the addon for me in turn I am going to make the molding for part of his house.:thumb:
 
I figure about 25% over the measured square footage when working with rough lumber for flooring. You will waste alot of lumber when straightening long boards & cutting the tounge. That is when working with lumber that is free of knots.
 
I paid $4.90 for prefinished red oak, select + better. So IMHO, $5.20 is not that bad.

So far you're just talking about cutting the wood, but you also need to face sanding it and finishing it. You're going to need to vacate the house for a few days while you do that. At least, if you are at all bothered by the scent of finish curing... A LOT of finish.
 
Art, Could I prefinish the floor out in the shop prior to installing it in the house? I am still not sure I am goin to do this. Just looking at it as a option.
 
Art, Could I prefinish the floor out in the shop prior to installing it in the house? I am still not sure I am goin to do this. Just looking at it as a option.
Hi Al :wave:,
You might be able to do that if infact you bevel both top edges of the boards and sand them real well before the finish. The installation would need to go real smooth as there is no room for error beings that they are pre finished. Maybe you could do a final top coat after the install, this would leave you a little latitude for mistakes.
Shaz :)
Keep in mind I have done several floors but am no contractor of flooring.
Another thing, consider the tool you will be using to install the flooring, what potential damage does it cause, however small?:dunno:
 
Thanks for the help and advive. This flooring will be going into my new house or what the wife kindly calls "THAT RAT HOLE":rofl:. She just doesnt see the way it will look when finished.:rolleyes: Will let you know how it goes and waht I decide on.
 
Top