Vinyl flooring calculator
Sheet vinyl is cut from a roll and sold by the running metre, even though the price is often shown per square metre. The useful number when ordering is the length of roll — and ideally a roll wide enough to cover the room in one piece.
Your measurements
Result
- Net area
- 12.00 m²
- Area to order (incl. reserve)
- 13.20 m²
- Roll length needed
- 7.0 m
Easiest is a roll at least as wide as the room: it covers the floor in one piece, without seams.
How the calculation works
- Net area = length × width.
- Area to order = net area + cutting reserve (10% by default).
- Roll length = area to order ÷ roll width (2, 3 or 4 m), rounded up to the nearest half metre.
Worked example
A 4 × 3 m room has 12 m²; with a 10% reserve, 13.2 m². On a 2 m wide roll that is 6.6 m, rounded up to 7 running metres.
What the calculator assumes
- The 10% reserve covers trimming along the walls and fitting at thresholds.
- Vinyl is cut from the roll by the running metre, but often priced per m².
When to adjust the result
- The calculation is based on area, not on how the strips are laid: if the room width isn't a multiple of the roll width, an offcut remains along the full length.
- Simplest is a roll at least as wide as the room: for 4 × 3 m, a 3 m roll covers it in one piece of about 4.1 m, with no seams.
- Unroll the vinyl in the room for 24 hours before the final cut and gluing, so it relaxes.
Laying sheet vinyl well
Sheet vinyl shows every bump in the subfloor, so the base must be flat, clean and dry — level it with a smoothing compound if needed. Let the roll acclimatise in the room for 24 hours, flat or loosely rolled, before cutting.
Cut the sheet oversize, let it relax in place and trim to the walls with a sharp knife, leaving a small gap under the skirting. Lay rolls in the same direction and match the pattern at seams. Glue or double-sided tape is needed in larger rooms and wherever heavy furniture or chairs move.
Frequently asked questions
Which roll width should I choose?
The one that matches the shorter side of the room or is slightly wider, so the floor is covered in one piece. Seams are the weak point of sheet vinyl.
Sheet vinyl or click vinyl planks?
Sheet vinyl is seamless and good for wet rooms; click planks are easier to fit yourself in irregular rooms and can be replaced plank by plank.
Do I need to glue sheet vinyl?
Small rooms can be loose-laid, but larger rooms, seams and areas with rolling chairs need adhesive or tape to stop movement.
Can vinyl go over tiles?
Only if the joints are filled and levelled first, otherwise the grout lines show through over time.