How Many Tiles Do I Need

[jesmond]

Must be doing something wrong with an online tile calculator but can anyone help work it out please? Tiles are 8" x 4" and area is 56" x 26". Its prob easy but only if you know how, appreciate any help.

[newmodarmy]

I'd say minimum 49 (assuming you can't use left over half tiles), but I'd buy more in case of breakages and in case it turns out your measurements are slightly out- eg rooms can be wider at the top than the bottom

[New Judge]

Seven rows of six tiles will cover 56" x 24". You then need seven rows of half tiles (8" x 2") which you can cut from four full tiles  to cover the remainder. So 46 tiles (well, 45.5 to be precise, but I soubt anybody will sell you half a tile! 😀).

[jesmond]

newmodarmy appreciate your help thank you

[jesmond]

NewJudge appreciate your help thank you

[Old_Geezer]

You need to add a percentage for potential breakages, click ups. And later repairs. Add what you feel. 5% to 10% say.

[newmodarmy]

How many are in a pack/box?

Are they plain or patterned?

You might get away with a few tiles less given that you need to leave a gap between tiles for the grout- you might save half a tile per row up and down

[youngmafbog]

It's not always that straighforward.  

In a room you should tile from the middle and a couple of tiles up.  This will mean more cuts and waste but it then looks balanced and more professional.

Dont forget spacers, can be from 1 mm to 4mm (or more).

General rule is get 10% more and make sure the code on the packs are all the same for colour continuity.  Most shops will take back unused packs.

[newmodarmy]

I've just noticed: 2 posters called New and one called Old

[newmodarmy]

...and now a Young!

[New Judge]

In a room you should tile from the middle and a couple of tiles up. 

But this is an area of just 4 feet by just over 2 feet, youngmaf. Seems to indicate it might be a "splashback" or similar. Usually tiles used for that sort of thing are bevelled and require no spacers. They are butted up to each other and the gap formed by the bevels takes the grout.

[The Builder]

Also.........  assuming they are plain tiles, you can often get a left hand and a right hand cut from one tile for the perimeter.

It all depends on how they work out.

Well worth marking it all out before you start

[Old_Geezer]

And not cutting until you find out how well the marking matched with the tiles you put up so far.

[newmodarmy]

Does it also depend whether the tiles are to go landscape or portrait? It may be the tile needs to be 8 inches high on a splashback/bath panel etc that's 26 inches high, so you may need 4 vertically if there's a pattern and 14 horizontally, which makes 56.

[jesmond]

All sorted now thank you to everyone who replied.