# Hardwood and laminate flooring calculator

> 14′ × 12′ floor: 168 sq ft is 10 boxes (20 sq ft each), with a ¾″ gap at the walls and the underlayment and fasteners counted. Install solid or engineered hardwood or laminate, or sand and refinish an old wood floor.

## What to buy (14′ × 12′ floor)

Every line shows the quantity to buy and how StudSheet got it: the spacing, the waste and the package size, so you can check it before the supply house or the quote.

| Buy | Material | How StudSheet counts it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **10 boxes** | Solid hardwood flooring ¾″ (20 sq ft per box, 3¼″ boards, prefinished) | 168 sq ft + 10% for cuts (straight layout) = 185 sq ft ÷ 20 sq ft per box. Buy it all from one lot so the color matches. | Solid boards, nailed down over plywood or OSB. Sold by the box, prefinished or unfinished. |
| **1 roll** | Asphalt felt #15 (36″ × 144′ roll (432 sq ft)) | 168 sq ft with 4″ overlaps + 5% = 198 sq ft ÷ 432 sq ft per roll. The NWFA wants a vapor retarder under nailed floors over wood: asphalt felt (ASTM D4869), not plastic. | The vapor retarder under nailed wood floors over plywood or OSB (ASTM D4869). Not plastic: wood needs a retarder that breathes a little. |
| **2 boxes of 1,000** | Flooring cleats or staples (2″ cleats or staples) | 620 ft of 3¼″ boards, one fastener every 6″ (NWFA: 6–8″ for boards 3″ and wider), 1–3″ from each end, + 5% = ≈1,303. | Fasteners for the flooring nailer, sized to the boards: 2″ for ¾″ solid, 1½″ for thinner engineered. Boxes of 1,000. |
| **1 box** | Finish nails (15 or 16-ga) (2″, 15-ga) | Face-nail the first and last rows, where the nailer can’t reach. Pre-drill hardwood so it doesn’t split. | Face-nail the first and last rows where the flooring nailer can’t reach. Pre-drill hardwood. |
| **7 pieces** | Quarter-round molding (shoe or quarter-round, 8 ft lengths) | 49 ft around the room (minus doorways) + 10% for miters. It covers the ¾″ gap. | Covers the expansion gap. Nail it to the baseboard, not the floor. |
| **1 box** | 18-ga brad nails (1¼″) | Into the wall or the baseboard — never down into the floor. | For quarter-round and baseboard. |
| **1 tube** | Painter’s acrylic caulk (paintable) | Top edge of the trim and the miters. | Fills gaps between trim and wall. |
| **1 piece** | T-molding or reducer (T-molding, matching) | One per doorway: a T-molding to the floor at the same height. | Bridges to another hard floor at a doorway. |

### In Canada (4.27 m × 3.66 m floor)

Set to Canada, the Sheet works the job out again for Ontario: metric sizes, bag sizes, the frost depth and the code notes. It doesn't just convert feet to meters. The first lines:

- **10 boxes, Solid hardwood flooring 19 mm:** 15.6 m² + 10% for cuts (straight layout) = 17.2 m² ÷ 1.86 m² per box. Buy it all from one lot so the color matches.
- **1 roll, Asphalt felt #15:** 15.6 m² with 102 mm overlaps + 5% = 18.4 m² ÷ 40.1 m² per roll. The NWFA wants a vapor retarder under nailed floors over wood: asphalt felt (ASTM D4869), not plastic.
- **2 boxes of 1,000, Flooring cleats or staples:** 189.07 m of 83 mm boards, one fastener every 152 mm (NWFA: 152–203 mm for boards 76 mm and wider), 25–76 mm from each end, + 5% = ≈1,303.
- **1 box, Finish nails (15 or 16-ga):** Face-nail the first and last rows, where the nailer can’t reach. Pre-drill hardwood so it doesn’t split.
- **7 pieces, Quarter-round molding:** 14.94 m around the room (minus doorways) + 10% for miters. It covers the 19 mm gap.
- **1 box, 18-ga brad nails:** Into the wall or the baseboard — never down into the floor.

## The steps, in order

> **DIY OK: you can do this yourself with standard tools.** About 12–18 hours of work for this example.

1. Job site ready: heat or air conditioning running at living conditions (60–80 °F, 30–50% humidity) for at least 5 days, and drywall, paint and other wet work done and dry (NWFA).
2. Let the wood adjust to the room: open the boxes and spread the boards out, then read the boards and the subfloor with a moisture meter each day until the readings stop changing.
3. Prep: pull the baseboards (or just the shoe molding), undercut the door casings and jambs, and scrape, sweep and vacuum the subfloor.
4. Check the subfloor: screw down squeaks and loose spots, flat within ¼″ in 10 ft, and plywood or OSB at 12% moisture or less, within 2% of the boards (NWFA).
5. Roll out #15 felt across the floor, seams overlapped 4″, stapled flat.
6. Snap a starting line ¾″ off the straightest long wall, across the floor joists, and check it for square.
7. First rows: face-nail along the line (pre-drill), then blind-nail through the tongue until there’s room for the flooring nailer.
8. Lay the field from several boxes at once: end joints at least 8″ apart, no H pattern; cleats every 6–8″, 1–3″ from each end.
9. Last rows: rip the final board to leave ¾″ at the wall, pull it tight and face-nail it.
10. Transitions at the doorways, then the trim — nailed to the wall or baseboard, never down into the floor.

## Tools (25)

Must-have tools first, then the ones that help and the ones to rent for the day.

| Tool | Need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| **Tape measure (25 ft)** | **Must have** | The red boxes every 16″ on the blade are stud spacing. |
| **Carpenter's pencil** | **Must have** | Flat, doesn't roll away, marks rough lumber. |
| **Chalk line** | **Must have** | Snap the starting line and keep the rows straight |
| **Moisture meter** | **Must have** | Read the boards and the subfloor before and during the wait |
| **Hygrometer** | Good to have | Room humidity: 30–50% is the target |
| **Straightedge (6 ft)** | **Must have** | Check the subfloor for flat |
| **Miter saw** | **Must have** | Square end cuts and trim miters |
| **Job-site table saw** | **Must have** | Rip the last row to width |
| **Jigsaw** | **Must have** | Notches around vents, pipes and door jambs |
| **Jamb (undercut) saw** | **Must have** | Undercut door casings so the floor slides under |
| **Oscillating multi-tool** | Good to have | Undercuts faster than a jamb saw |
| **Hardwood flooring nailer** | Rent | Drives the cleats through the tongue at the right angle |
| **Air compressor + hose** | Rent | Runs the flooring nailer and the finish nailer |
| **Finish nailer (15/16-ga)** | **Must have** | Face-nails the first and last rows |
| **Cordless drill/driver** | **Must have** | Pre-drill face nails in hardwood |
| **Flooring board jack** | Good to have | Pulls bowed boards tight before nailing |
| **Rubber mallet** | **Must have** | Seat boards with a scrap block, never the bare face |
| **Pry bar** | Good to have | Pull old shoe molding |
| **Brad nailer (18-ga)** | Good to have | Trim; or hand-nail with a nail set |
| **Nail set** | **Must have** | Sinks finish-nail heads below the surface. |
| **Caulk gun** | **Must have** | Dispenses caulk and adhesive. |
| **Knee pads** | **Must have** | Flooring and tile are all knees. |
| **Safety glasses** | **Must have** | Every cut, every nail, every time. |
| **Hearing protection** | **Must have** | Nailers and saws are loud |
| **N95 dust masks** | **Must have** | Cutting dust |

## Mistakes and how the math works

### Mistakes that cost a callback or a second trip

- **Skipping the moisture check:** Boards laid wetter or drier than the subfloor cup, gap or buckle within a season. Meter both, and wait until they’re within 4% (2% for wide boards).
- **No expansion gap:** Wood moves with the seasons. Leave ¾″ at every wall, pipe and cabinet, hidden by the trim.
- **Boards from one box at a time:** Color and length bunch up in patches. Open several boxes and mix them as you go.
- **Boards along the joists:** Nailed boards run across the floor joists (or diagonally) over a single-layer subfloor, or the floor sags between joists (NWFA).

### What the calculator assumes

- +10% for straight layouts, +15% for diagonal, rounded up to whole boxes.
- Expansion gap: ¾″ for ¾″ solid (NWFA).
- Moisture (NWFA): subfloor 12% or less; boards within 4% of it (2% for boards 3″ and wider); HVAC on 5 days before; 60–80 °F and 30–50% humidity. No set number of days to wait — the meter decides.
- Fasteners (NWFA): 1½–2″ cleats or staples every 8–10″ on strip under 3″, 6–8″ on wider boards, 1–3″ from the ends; #15 felt with 4″ overlaps.
- Subfloor (NWFA): at least 5/8″ plywood or 23/32″ OSB on joists 16″ apart; boards across the joists.

## Code, permits and safety

The Sheet sets its code notes for the job's state or province. These are New Jersey's and Ontario's; the [code reference](https://studsheet.com/codes) has more. Always confirm with your building department.

- **Permits:** a job like this usually needs none, but towns set their own rules. Ask your building department if you're not sure.

## Questions

### What materials do I need to install hardwood or laminate flooring?

For the worked example, a 14′ × 12′ floor, the Sheet counts 8 lines with waste included, starting with solid hardwood flooring ¾″ (10 boxes), asphalt felt #15 (1 roll), flooring cleats or staples (2 boxes of 1,000), finish nails (15 or 16-ga) (1 box). Each line's math is in the table above. Put in your own sizes in the [wood floor calculator](https://app.studsheet.com/p/woodfloor) and every line is counted again.

### How long does it take to install hardwood or laminate flooring, and can I do it myself?

About 12 to 18 hours for the worked example, in 10 steps. StudSheet stamps it **DIY OK**: you can do this.

### What tools do I need to install hardwood or laminate flooring?

25 in all. The must-haves start with tape measure (25 ft), carpenter's pencil, chalk line, moisture meter, straightedge (6 ft), miter saw. On the Sheet you mark each one as owned, to buy or to rent.

## Ask about it

Stuck while you install hardwood or laminate flooring? Ask in the [Hardwood and laminate group](https://studsheet.com/forum/hardwood-floors) of the StudSheet community with this Sheet attached. Homeowners who've done it and verified pros answer, and anyone can read it.

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