Measuring for wide LVP

[highup]

Two jobs, one my measure, the second, was the shop owner.....ran a little short. Same product.
Mine was about 1200sq feet.
The product measures 5 feet by 9" wide.
Is waste because of the width our issue?
They add 8% to my measurements. I've always measured the same way.

 

[Incognito]

Two jobs, one my measure, the second, was the shop owner.....ran a little short. Same product.
Mine was about 1200sq feet.
The product measures 5 feet by 9" wide.
Is waste because of the width our issue?
They add 8% to my measurements. I've always measured the same way.

Well, now they know you cant use 8% for every estimate. Width and length of the material both factor into waste. I convince our shop estimators/sales to list the waste factor on the work order. I also wanted to know up front if I was required to leave back a specific amount of attic stock. That's frequently in the specifications. So I may cheat a layout one way or another and also be extra frugal with the offcuts when I'm aware we're "tight".

We had the joke that when the estimators tell you it's tight that means they know it's short.

 

[highup]

Well, now they know you cant use 8% for every estimate. Width and length of the material both factor into waste. I convince our shop estimators/sales to list the waste factor on the work order. I also wanted to know up front if I was required to leave back a specific amount of attic stock. That's frequently in the specifications. So I may cheat a layout one way or another and also be extra frugal with the offcuts when I'm aware we're "tight".

We had the joke that when the estimators tell you it's tight that means they know it's short.

We had the joke that when the estimators tell you it's tight that means they know it's short.

I use graph paper and if a wall length is 26' 4 3/16", then that's exactly what I write down.
I can add or round up later. My drawings are like an architect drawing. More messy with all my numbers, and I draw in all the walls...... with that, if the customer decides on new base, I have the walls to scale.
Also, if a job like tomorrow's job is 50 miles away, it's hard to go check a measurement. If something looks off, I can back check a measurement from a different set of numbers.
All I do for the shop is draw the layout, give them the square footage. I even subtract a portion of the kitchen or bathroom cabinets. They know how measure, so THEY add the percentage.
I'd just like to know if there is some sort of industry standard % used for 5 inch planks and if it's different with wide planks like these 9 inchers. So far for 3 or 4 years this system has worked. Wide planks are getting more popular.

For carpet, I give them a layout including seam locations, linear feet of carpet to order including a cut sheet detailing the carpet cuts.
I add 4" to each carpet cut.
I tell them if furniture needs moving, or if anything else like prep or trims are needed.

 

[C.J.]

The installer can make or break a tight job. Wisely saving and using fall off pieces and thinking twice before calling a rip piece of material trash make a big difference. 1200 sq ft is a decent size job. You would think there would be plenty of opportunities to save the day.

Now if there was a pattern to the material I might think about bumping up the waste factor but with just plain ol wide plank material I woulda thought 8% would be enough to get you home.

 

[Incognito]

I'm also suspicious that 8% wasn't adequate for 1200' and from experience I know MOST guys are not particularly efficient.

I imagine if a computer wizard put his mind to it the software would be pretty easy so long as you defined all the parameters (layout specs).

 

[highup]

The installer can make or break a tight job. Wisely saving and using fall off pieces and thinking twice before calling a rip piece of material trash make a big difference. 1200 sq ft is a decent size job. You would think there would be plenty of opportunities to save the day.

Now if there was a pattern to the material I might think about bumping up the waste factor but with just plain ol wide plank material I woulda thought 8% would be enough to get you home.

The layout had a 19 foot hallway, 3 feet wide.
The plank layout ended up going the short direction.
The installer said he did the hallway like this.
I'm not sure why. Well, maybe I do.. It was a messy layout.
....again, these were 9 inch wide planks, so every scrap piece is 23% more than a 7" would be.

 

[Incognito]

The layout had a 19 foot hallway, 3 feet wide.
The plank layout ended up going the short direction.
The installer said he did the hallway like this.
I'm not sure why. Well, maybe I do.. It was a messy layout.
....again, these were 9 inch wide planks, so every scrap piece is 23% more than a 7" would be.

I guess that explains how you get to 8%. At least he didn't steal it.

 

[C.J.]

This product is so easy to install anybody can do it. lol.

 

[highup]

Here's a not to scale quickie sketch of part or the place. Looking to the right side, you see the hallway.
From the dining room, you can step into the hall, walk it's length, then step left into the laundry at the far end.
The dining room, kitchen and laundry is just 10 feet wide, maybe 10' 1" The planks are 9" by 5 feet. I can see how 10' 1" might create some additional waste because you can't start any run with a full plank.
Might have been closer to 950 or 1000 feet.

 

[highup]

Here's the big one I measured Friday.
I just did some calculations.
Measuring to 3 important areas, to the front door, to the top of the stairs, and the full width of the house..... All three measurements are borderline of being an exact number of planks.
That may or may not be an issue. If you added one additional plank to the 36' width of the home as a safety net, that's 62 sq ft. There are a limited number of places that other half of the plank will fit, so you could end up with a good portion of that as scrap, especially so with 5 foot long planks
The home is 65 to 82 feet by 36 feet.

 

[Incognito]

Here's a not to scale quickie sketch of part or the place. Looking to the right side, you see the hallway.
From the dining room, you can step into the hall, walk it's length, then step left into the laundry at the far end.
The dining room, kitchen and laundry is just 10 feet wide, maybe 10' 1" The planks are 9" by 5 feet. I can see how 10' 1" might create some additional waste because you can't start any run with a full plank.
Might have been closer to 950 or 1000 feet.

That looks like I'd be inclined to run the layout longways down the hall OR at least transition strips at those doors and turn it. Generally I'm inclined to run the planks the longways in the bigger picture rectangle. If I'm reading your sketch correctly I want to run my first rows 49' down the center, loop around down that corridor and do the 23' room the short ways last.

I'd bet you're not short if you do it that way.

 

[Incognito]

Here's the big one I measured Friday.
I just did some calculations.
Measuring to 3 important areas, to the front door, to the top of the stairs, and the full width of the house..... All three measurements are borderline of being an exact number of planks.
That may or may not be an issue. If you added one additional plank to the 36' width of the home as a safety net, that's 62 sq ft. There are a limited number of places that other half of the plank will fit, so you could end up with a good portion of that as scrap, especially so with 5 foot long planks
The home is 65 to 82 feet by 36 feet.

Again, I'm running that the longways. Something that cut up (in commercial) I'm not spending half a day figuring out every cut. I only did maybe 2-3 dozen click-lock LVP......probably less but my thoughts are to get through and around that center cabinet/counter in the kichen with my first rows to establish that long run......AND I like to get that awkward part out of the way to get the feeling of coasting downhill on the back end of the job.

 

[highup]

That looks like I'd be inclined to run the layout longways down the hall OR at least transition strips at those doors and turn it. Generally I'm inclined to run the planks the longways in the bigger picture rectangle. If I'm reading your sketch correctly I want to run my first rows 49' down the center, loop around down that corridor and do the 23' room the short ways last.

I'd bet you're not short if you do it that way.

I think he didn't want to put in transition strips in the hall opening or openings. I would have played it out lengthwise too. It was probably "easier" the just start on the living room wall at the beginning of the sketch and start plopping down planks. I care about the look and the customer. Installers look for easy and move on to the next job. Yes, laying the long way would certainly have been more efficient.

 

[highup]

Again, I'm running that the longways. Something that cut up (in commercial) I'm not spending half a day figuring out every cut. I only did maybe 2-3 dozen click-lock LVP......probably less but my thoughts are to get through and around that center cabinet/counter in the kichen with my first rows to establish that long run......AND I like to get that awkward part out of the way to get the feeling of coasting downhill on the back end of the job.

Yup, it's going the long way, right/left. Customer says so.
Me too.

 

[C.J.]

Here's the big one I measured Friday.
I just did some calculations.
Measuring to 3 important areas, to the front door, to the top of the stairs, and the full width of the house..... All three measurements are borderline of being an exact number of planks.
That may or may not be an issue. If you added one additional plank to the 36' width of the home as a safety net, that's 62 sq ft. There are a limited number of places that other half of the plank will fit, so you could end up with a good portion of that as scrap, especially so with 5 foot long planks
The home is 65 to 82 feet by 36 feet.

Scrap??? No such thing as scrap. It’s all ‘fall off’ and more than likely can be used on the other side of the wall that you just trimmed the plank for. Seriously, you just can’t go cutting Willy nilly these days. Furthermore, if that was my hallway and duder pulled some pattern like that, and the rest of the house wasn’t a continuation of that same stupid pattern, they would be replacing it.

 

[Incognito]

Scrap??? No such thing as scrap. It’s all ‘fall off’ and more than likely can be used on the other side of the wall that you just trimmed the plank for. Seriously, you just can’t go cutting Willy nilly these days. Furthermore, if that was my hallway and duder pulled some pattern like that, and the rest of the house wasn’t a continuation of that same stupid pattern, they would be replacing it.

It's really NOT gonna be 8% on basic square/rectangular contiguous area. Sure, because of the aggravation and potential cost you want to bump your estimate up around there for smallish residential--------50 miles from the shop. In commercial EVERY job seemed to be 50 miles travel. If I had to go to the shop to pick up one carton and go back a week later when it came from the distributor that's never going to cost them less than 4 hours + per diem.

 

[highup]

Scrap??? No such thing as scrap. It’s all ‘fall off’ and more than likely can be used on the other side of the wall that you just trimmed the plank for. Seriously, you just can’t go cutting Willy nilly these days. Furthermore, if that was my hallway and duder pulled some pattern like that, and the rest of the house wasn’t a continuation of that same stupid pattern, they would be replacing it.

I didn't sketch what he did, I just scribbled what he told me so I have no idea what it looks like.
I'm guessing willy nilly. I would have don't get rows in the kitchen, the done a few rows in the hall to try and make good use of material.
........no, actually I would have given the material quarter turn like incognito said. I would never have thought of making the hall look crappy.
I would have started estimating my layout with the hall being a focal point.... Might not have worked, but that's where I would have focused.
The hall is 36" wide ( plus doorways) and the planks are 9".
If I had more say, I'd have tried to talk the customer into a 7" plank.

And the customer may have wanted the planks running the direction he played them... That's entirely possible.

 

[highup]

It's really NOT gonna be 8% on basic square/rectangular contiguous area. Sure, because of the aggravation and potential cost you want to bump your estimate up around there for smallish residential--------50 miles from the shop. In commercial EVERY job seemed to be 50 miles travel. If I had to go to the shop to pick up one carton and go back a week later when it came from the distributor that's never going to cost them less than 4 hours + per diem.

I live on the coast and north or south, every town is 23 to 27 miles apart. I find myself going north 25 miles more that I used to and often 25 miles south. Today was just over 50. Installers here have that sort of a limit. 50 miles north of south.

 

[highup]

Here's the big one I measured Friday.
I just did some calculations.
Measuring to 3 important areas, to the front door, to the top of the stairs, and the full width of the house..... All three measurements are borderline of being an exact number of planks.
That may or may not be an issue. If you added one additional plank to the 36' width of the home as a safety net, that's 62 sq ft. There are a limited number of places that other half of the plank will fit, so you could end up with a good portion of that as scrap, especially so with 5 foot long planks
The home is 65 to 82 feet by 36 feet.

This material is 9" by 5' long. There are 8 pieces per carton. If we need an extra row because it misses consuming a full plank
...by "this much"..... well, I don't want to risk it.
..... I had him add two extra cartons above the percentage that he normally adds. 8 pieces per carton x5 feet equals 80 linear feet. That is the longest width of the home......(Length of planks)
This extra 80 feet is insurance that will remove any "what it's"

 

[C.J.]

Back in the day if the customer wanted it 1/4 turned I would have routed grooves and splined the hallway so it could be done without needing a transition. Woulda even replicated the micro bevel on my cut pieces. Nothin but fun!

To me consistency is key. Whatever randomness, or pattern, your layout has going on in the main areas has to be maintained throughout. You can’t be going random stagger in the living room then switch up to a subway set in the hallway because it saves you 8 planks then follow up with a 1/4 plank running bond in the kitchen. It’s gotta look consistent throughout. If you gotta pull some bullshit to save the day, that’s what closets are for, not the hallway.