Glossary of Flooring Terms

Waste factor is extra material added on top of your measured room size. It covers cuts, mistakes, broken pieces, and pattern matching.

Flooring is never installed straight from the box to the floor. Something is always lost.

Typical waste ranges:

• Simple rooms need less
• Angled rooms need more

Most installers add around 10%. That number exists for a reason. Skipping waste is how projects stall halfway through.

Purchase area is not the same as room area. This is where many people get confused.

• Room area is what you measure.
• Purchase area is what you actually buy.

Purchase area includes waste. Suppliers price from this number, not your room sketch. The calculator separates the two on purpose. That detail matters.

Underlayment is the layer between your subfloor and the flooring itself. It is not optional in many installs.

It can reduce noise, improve comfort, protect against moisture, and fix small imperfections. Some flooring includes underlayment. Some does not. Always check. Ignoring this can change the final cost.

The subfloor is the surface your flooring sits on. Usually plywood or concrete.

If the subfloor is uneven, damaged, or wet, installation costs go up. No calculator can fully predict this. Contractors care about subfloors. You should too.

LVP stands for Luxury Vinyl Plank. It is not the same as cheap vinyl.

LVP is designed to look like wood, but it handles moisture better. It is popular in kitchens and basements, and it installs quickly.

Prices vary widely depending on thickness and wear layer. That is why quality grade matters.

Tile includes ceramic and porcelain. Porcelain is usually harder and denser.

Tile waste is often higher because cuts are less forgiving. Labor costs for tile are usually higher than floating floors. The calculator reflects this difference.

Hardwood is real wood. It is not laminate. It costs more and installs slower.

But it lasts longer when maintained properly. That tradeoff is why people choose it.

Carpet is priced differently than hard flooring. Padding often matters more than people expect.

Seams, stairs, and room shape affect waste. Straight rooms cost less. Carpet quotes can vary wildly. Checking the math helps.

Most flooring is sold by the box. Each box covers a fixed area. You cannot buy half a box. Ever.

That is why the calculator rounds up box counts. Running short costs time and money.

Different countries measure area differently. That causes confusion.

• United States and Canada use square feet
• United Kingdom and Australia use square meters

One square meter is larger than one square foot. Mixing them up leads to bad estimates. The calculator switches units automatically based on region. Still, it is good to understand the difference.

Labor cost covers installation work. Not materials.

It may include removal of old flooring, basic preparation, and installation. It may not include subfloor repair or trim work. Always ask. Separating labor from material keeps quotes honest.