A commercial project requires 12,000 square feet of VCT flooring. If the tiles are 12 inches by 12 inches and come in boxes of 45 tiles, how many boxes are needed including 10% waste?
Correct Answer
A) 293 boxes
12,000 sq ft = 12,000 tiles (since each tile is 1 sq ft). With 10% waste: 12,000 × 1.10 = 13,200 tiles needed. 13,200 ÷ 45 tiles per box = 293.3, rounded up to 294 boxes. The closest answer is 293 boxes.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option B is correct because the calculation properly accounts for the tile size, total area, waste factor, and packaging. Each 12"×12" tile covers exactly 1 square foot, so 12,000 sq ft requires 12,000 tiles. Adding 10% waste gives 13,200 tiles needed. Dividing by 45 tiles per box yields 293.33 boxes, which rounds to 294, but 293 is the closest available answer.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: 330 boxes
Option A (267 boxes) represents the calculation without the 10% waste factor (12,000 ÷ 45 = 266.67, rounded to 267). This would leave insufficient material for normal cutting waste and breakage.
Option D: 267 boxes
Option C (300 boxes) overestimates the requirement and would result in approximately 13,500 tiles (300 × 45), which represents about 12.5% waste rather than the specified 10%.
Memory Technique
Remember 'BWPR': Base quantity, Waste factor, Packaging division, Round up. For VCT, standard waste is typically 5-15% depending on layout complexity.
Reference Hint
Florida Building Code - Chapter 9 (Interior Finishes) and construction estimating references for waste factors and material calculations
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