How do I calculate the amount of tile I need?

One of the complications that we find when choosing tiles is knowing the number of meters we need, how should we do it so as not to make mistakes? Can we return the remaining material?

This is much easier than it sounds. The first step is to measure the surface that we are going to reform with the new tiles. Let's imagine that we want to reform the bathroom. To calculate the m2 we need of soil, we will measure the length and multiply it by the width. Easy right? We have to take into account that there will be a part that we will not cover and that we will have to subtract from the total calculated m2. This is the area of the shower tray where the floor will not be covered with flooring.

To measure the walls it is exactly the same as the floor. What we will have to do is measure the four walls and add them together to obtain the total area. We will take into account that since we usually combine bathroom tiles, we will have to identify well which model will go on each wall. In the same way that on the floor we have removed the surface of the shower tray, on the walls we will have to discount the door opening, which usually measures 0.75m x 2.10m approximately.

Once the area has been calculated, it is necessary to add a surplus for cutting. The tiles are standard measurements that it is impossible to exactly match the measurements of our bathroom. Depending on the measurements of the tile, the size of our bathroom and the type of placement, we will add more or less quantity. The most common is to calculate an additional 5% to 10%.

Although tile stores can make these calculations with the measurements that we carry, we must bear in mind that they are based on the measurements that another person has calculated. And although this helps us at first to have a first budget, it is advisable to check the measurements with the professional who will be in charge of the work.

At the moment ceramics (tiles, flooring, borders) are not products that can be easily returned if we make a mistake in the measurements. The high cost of distribution of these heavy materials that are at the same time fragile during transport, and the fact that in each manufacture the tone of the tiles varies and this makes the new sale difficult, means that the tile suppliers do not provide facilities for return your products.

We end with a tip that we think is interesting, and that is to ask for one or two more boxes (depending on the volume of the reform) to have a spare tomorrow. We know that it may seem like an unnecessary expense in addition to the space we need for storage. But we never know if tomorrow we may need it for any reason: a water leak in the bathroom, a break in the living room, an extension to the terrace ... Not finding the model we bought years ago, yes that could be a disruption that luckily can be avoided.