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Eurotiles & Bathrooms

How Many Tiles Do I Need?

So, you’ve made the decision to renovate and rejuvenate a space. Settled on a design style. And got as far as choosing your preferred tile. But exactly how many tiles are you going to need? Order too many and you’ve overspent, too few and you’ll be left with a part finished project. Working out the number of tiles required for your latest DIY project can feel a little overwhelming at times so we’ve created this handy guide to help.

How can we help you?

  • Easy to use tile calculator on every product page
    To help you accurately calculate how many tiles you’ll need, just choose your preferred design and enter the surface area of the space to be tiled
  • Free tile samples
    Order up to 4 free cut tile samples of any of our tiles to make sure your selection will work with your interior
  • All tiles are offered with an optional 10% overage
    10% overage on all orders to cover you in the event of any mishaps
  • Easy delivery options
    Order direct to your chosen location or click and collect from our stores
  • Our experts are on hand to speak to you
    Call today on 01903 775778, or send your enquiry to [email protected]
  • Our experts are on hand to design your space
    Visit our South East stores and speak to our experts, we offer a bespoke design service

Tools required to measure correctly for tiles

Preparation is the key to success. Before you start measuring up the space you’re going to  tile you’ll need:

  • Measuring tape
  • Note pad/piece of paper
  • Pen / pencil
  • Calculator

Choose the right type of tiles for the space

Once you’ve chosen your preferred style, design and tile colour you’ll need to decide whether to opt for a matt or gloss finish and whether you want to go with a larger or smaller tile. This will depend of course on your preferred aesthetic, but whether you’re hanging wall tiles, laying floor tiles or putting down outdoor tiles there are some things to consider before making this decision.

Matt or gloss?

Gloss tiles:

  • Modern and elegant finish
  • Because gloss tiles reflect the natural light they help improve the light in darker rooms as well as creating the impression of increased space
  • Typically require more regular cleaning than matt tiles
  • Note: Can be slippery due to gloss finish so worth considering if you intend to use them in wet areas such as bathrooms

Matt tiles:

  • Natural and rustic finish
  • Typically require less cleaning than gloss tiles, and are better at hiding smudges and stains, but can be more difficult to clean
  • Ideal bathroom tiles as they offer far superior grip to gloss tiles

Large format or small?

Large format tiles (>12×12):

  • Contemporary, minimalist finish
  • Suited to both smaller and larger spaces
  • Easier to lay than smaller tiles
  • Must be laid on a completely flat surface to avoid ‘lipping’
  • Less versatile with regards to the lay design

Small tiles:

  • Highly versatile with endless possibilities in the way that they are laid
  • Can overwhelm small spaces due to the increased number of grout lines, creating a ‘busy feel’
  • Will hide small imperfections, thus more forgiving if surfaces are not completely level
  • More difficult to lay than larger tiles

Measure your space

In order to work out how many tiles you need for the job you’ll need to first work out the surface area of the space you intend to tile in square metres, or total square footage if you’re using the imperial system. We list all of our tiles in millimetres (mm) and centimetres (cm) and metres (m), so taking your measurements using the metric system will make it easier to calculate how many boxes of tiles you’ll need later on.

Tips for measuring floor tiles

Let’s assume that you are tiling a room that is completely rectangular, although chances are you won’t be so lucky. You’ll need to calculate the length and width of the floor space before multiplying them, for example 300cm x 400cm = 120,000cm. To convert this to metres squared (m²) simply divide the figure by 10,000: 120,000 / 10,000 = 12m².

Typically you would calculate in a 10% allowance to compensate for any inaccuracies or breakage, but at Euro Tiles & Bathrooms we include 10% overage, free of charge, with every order.

In the instance that the space you intend to tile is not completely rectangular, simply break down the space into smaller chunks. Carry out the same calculations on each individual space before adding them together and hey presto – you have the magic number!

Tips for measuring wall tiles

Measuring for wall tiles follows the same principle, although typically walls will feature windows or doors which need to be accounted for. The simplest way to do this is to calculate the entire space using the same calculations as above, calculate the area of the window or door, and subtract that from your overall total.

For example, your wall measures 300cm x 260cm = 78,000cm or 7.8m². You have a window measuring 80cm x 70cm = 5600cm or 0.56m². You also have a door measuring 220cm x 80cm = 17600cm or 1.76m². Your calculation would be 7.8m² – 0.56m² – 1.76m² giving you a total area to be tiles of 5.48m².

FAQ’s

What will I need to work out how many tiles I need?

To get started you’ll need a pencil, notepad (or scrap of paper), tape measure and calculator.

Should I use gloss or matt finish tiles for my project?

The answer to this will depend on the type of finish you are trying to achieve, and where you intend to tile. Check out our blog post on How To Choose Matt or Gloss Tiles For Your Bathroom or Kitchen.

How do you work out how many tiles per m2?

You can work this out manually, however, we’d recommend using our handy online calculator to ensure that you get an accurate result.

We’d love to hear from you if you’re planning a tiling project, big or small

If you have any questions regarding any of the topics discussed in this blog post, or would like to speak to one of our experts regarding anything tile related get in touch today. Call us on 01903 775778, or send your enquiry to [email protected].

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If you’d like advice on outdoor tiles, get in touch with our team who are always happy to help

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