When extra flooring materials are part of the picture, most people think of leftover boxes of planks tucked in a back closet or a bag of tiles dropped in the garage. But as a flooring supplier who’s seen too many clients show up months later with warped hardwood, discolored laminate, or cracked luxury vinyl that was supposed to be kept for future repairs, I can tell you this: storing extra flooring isn’t just about shoving things out of the way. There’s a right way to do it, and a lot of wrong ways that can turn a useful spare into nothing more than expired material. I’ve spent 12 years in this business, working with residential remodelers, general contractors, and homeowners, and I’ve learned that the best storage method depends on the type of flooring, the amount you’re keeping, and how long you plan to hold onto it. Let’s break this down. Flooring
First, let’s start with why storing extra flooring correctly matters so much. When a client buys extra material for a project—say, five extra boxes of white oak hardwood for a 1,800-square-foot living room, or a handful of ceramic tiles for a bathroom remodel—the goal is almost always simple: to have a perfect match down the line. Maybe a plank gets damaged by a moving truck, or a tile cracks when you drop a can of paint, or you need to replace a section that’s worn out after a decade. The problem is, flooring materials are sensitive. They’re made to perform in specific environments, and when you pull them out of their intended setting, their condition can change fast if you’re not careful. I’ve had a contractor call me in a panic once, three years after a kitchen remodel, because he had to replace a water-damaged section. The extra boxes he’d kept in his unheated workshop had warped so badly that none of the planks matched the new ones we’d cut in that same batch. The color had shifted too, from a warm honey to a dull grey, because the workshop got way too hot in summer and too cold in winter. That call ended up costing the client twice as much, because he had to pull out the entire section and redo more than he planned. It’s a avoidable headache, and it all starts with smart storage.
The first big rule: match the storage environment to the flooring type. Not all materials are the same, and what works for one will ruin another. Let’s go through the most common flooring types we supply, one by one.
Hardwood flooring, for example, is a natural product. It’s made from real wood, which means it has pores that absorb and release moisture like a sponge. If you store hardwood in a damp basement, or a garage that floods whenever it rains, the planks will absorb excess moisture from the air, swell, and warp, cup, or even develop mold. On the flip side, if you store it in an attic that gets way too hot in the summer and bone dry in the winter, the wood will lose moisture, shrink, and develop gaps between the planks. The ideal environment for hardwood is a space with a consistent relative humidity between 30% and 50%, and a temperature between 60°F and 75°F (15°C to 24°C). That’s the same range you’d keep in a comfortable home, so a spare bedroom, a finished storage closet, or a climate-controlled utility room works perfectly. I always tell clients to leave the planks in their original boxes when storing hardwood. The cardboard boxes are designed to protect the edges of the planks and buffer them from small swings in temperature and humidity. Don’t open the boxes to “air them out” unless you notice a weird smell or see moisture getting trapped inside. And never stack the boxes directly on a concrete floor—concrete wicks moisture up, so put a few wooden pallets or even a layer of old drywall or plastic sheeting between the boxes and the ground to create a barrier.
Engineered hardwood is a bit more durable than solid hardwood, but it still has a wood core, so it shares many of the same storage requirements. The biggest difference is that engineered has a protective layer on top, so it’s slightly less prone to scratches or dents than solid hardwood. That said, it’s still sensitive to extreme moisture changes. I had a homeowner once store his extra engineered planks on his back porch for two months while he waited to finish his basement. The side that was facing the ground absorbed moisture, and by the time he brought them inside, they were so warped he could’ve used them as a bowl. For engineered, the same temperature and humidity range applies, but you can be a little more lenient if you need to store them for a short time (less than three months) in a spot that’s not perfect. Just don’t make a habit of it.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) are the most popular flooring we sell right now, and they’re a lot more forgiving than wood, but they still have their own rules. Vinyl is a synthetic product, so it doesn’t absorb moisture the way wood does, but it’s vulnerable to extreme temperatures and direct sunlight. If you store LVP in a spot that gets direct sunlight for hours every day, the color will fade, and the plasticizers in the vinyl can break down, making it brittle over time. I once saw a stack of LVP stored in a garage window that had turned from light grey to a pale blue, like it had been washed out. Also, very high temperatures (over 90°F or 32°C) can make vinyl planks soft and slightly deform, especially if they’re stacked heavy. For vinyl, the ideal storage spot is a cool, dry area, away from windows and direct sun. You can keep them in the original boxes, too—many of our boxes are made of sturdy plastic or coated cardboard that keeps dust and sunlight out. If you need to store them for longer than six months, just make sure they’re not stacked more than 10 boxes high, because heavy stacks can put pressure on the bottom planks and cause them to bend.
Laminate flooring is another synthetic option, and it’s actually pretty similar to LVP in storage needs. Laminate has a particle board core, so it’s not as moisture-resistant as vinyl, but it’s more stable than wood. The big warning with laminate is that if water gets trapped in the packaging, the particle board will swell, and the edges will start to bubble or delaminate. I always tell clients to avoid storing laminate in any space where leaks are possible—near a dishwasher, a water heater, or a bathroom, for example. Like wood products, keep laminate boxes off concrete floors to prevent moisture wicking, and aim for a temperature between 55°F and 85°F (13°C to 29°C). Laminate doesn’t need humidity control as strict as hardwood, but very high humidity for long periods will still damage it.
Ceramic and porcelain tile are the most durable of all flooring materials, but they’re not indestructible. The biggest risk here isn’t moisture (though some unglazed tiles can absorb a small amount if left in damp spaces) or temperature, it’s chipping and cracking. Tile is heavy and brittle, so if you stack it wrong, the bottom tiles will break under the weight. For tile, always store the boxes flat, on a level surface, never on their edge. Stack no more than six boxes high for small tiles, and no more than four boxes high for larger tiles (like 12×24 inch or bigger). The original cardboard boxes for tile are usually reinforced, but if you have loose tiles (not in a box), wrap them individually in old blankets or bubble wrap to prevent chips. I also recommend keeping loose tiles in a closed bin, not out in the open, so they don’t get knocked over or broken by dust or tools.
Now, let’s talk about specific scenarios, because not everyone has a finished storage closet. What if you’re storing extra flooring for a short time—like a month or two—while you finish a project, and all you have is a garage or a basement? That’s common, and it’s doable, as long you take a few simple steps. For a garage: first, make sure it’s dry. If your garage floods when it rains, don’t store flooring there at all. If it’s dry, put a layer of plastic sheeting or wooden pallets on the floor to keep moisture out. Bring the flooring boxes as far away from exterior walls as possible, because walls can get damp from rain or cold. Cover the entire stack of boxes with a tarp, but don’t wrap it so tight that air can’t circulate—trapped moisture will cause mold. For a basement: same rule about a moisture barrier on the floor. If your basement is damp, put a dehumidifier nearby. And never store flooring near sump pumps or water heaters, just in case something leaks.
What if you need to store flooring for a long time—like a year or more? That’s trickier, because even small swings in temperature and humidity add up over time. If you’re keeping flooring for more than six months, I recommend a climate-controlled storage unit, especially for wood products. A climate-controlled unit keeps the temperature and humidity stable, so you don’t have to worry about warping, fading, or shifting. If climate control isn’t an option, look for a storage unit on the inside of a building (not a ground-level unit that’s prone to temperature swings) and make sure it’s dry, with good air flow. Avoid units that have windows, because sunlight will fade any flooring that’s not in a dark box.
Wait a second—what about when you don’t need to store it at all? A lot of our clients buy extra flooring “just in case,” then never use it, and end up wasting space with old boxes of material they don’t need. That’s a topic I talk about a lot with our customers. How do you decide how much extra to buy, so you don’t end up with leftover flooring that’s just going to sit in a closet for years? For most projects, we recommend adding 5% to 10% to your total square footage, depending on the flooring type. Hardwood and laminate have small cutting waste, so 5% is enough for straight installations, maybe 7% for diagonal or patterns that need more cuts. Tile has a little more waste, so 7% to 10% is good. LVP is often sold in exact quantities, but we still recommend 5% just in case. If you’re planning to do repairs in the future, and you’re keeping the receipt, we often tell clients that we can hold a box of material for free for up to three months, no storage required. That way, you don’t have to take it home and figure out where to put it.
I also want to talk about common mistakes I see all the time. One big one is opening the packaging right away, before you store it. Some people think airing out the flooring will make it smell better (some wood products have a slight new scent), but opening the boxes early exposes the planks to temperature and humidity changes before you even put them down. It’s better to leave them sealed until you’re ready to install, and if you have extra, leave them sealed for storage. Another mistake is labeling the boxes wrong. If you have multiple boxes, make sure you write the lot number on each one, not just the total number of planks. Lot numbers are the key to matching color, because even from the same production run, small differences in color can happen between lots. When I help clients get replacement flooring years later, the first thing I ask for is the lot number from the original boxes—if they threw it away, or the number faded, it’s almost impossible to get an exact match. And finally, don’t forget to document it. Take a photo of the flooring before you store it, write down the lot number, and keep a copy of your receipt in a safe place. I’ve had clients come to me with a box of flooring they found in a attic, no receipt, no lot number, and we can’t identify the product, so they’re stuck with something they can’t use.
Another thing to consider is what to do with extra flooring if you don’t want to store it. A lot of our clients don’t realize that we offer take-back programs for unused flooring, as long as the boxes are unopened and the material is less than six months old. We donate it to local home repair nonprofits or resell it to other clients who need the same product. It’s a way to avoid clutter, and you can even get a partial refund, which is better than letting it go to waste. For opened boxes that are in good condition, we often refer clients to local Habitat for Humanity ReStores, or other community groups that build or repair homes. That way, your extra flooring goes to good use, instead of sitting in a storage closet for years.
I’ve seen first-hand how bad storage can ruin a perfectly good flooring project, and how good storage can save you time, money, and stress down the line. The key is to match your storage to the material you’re working with, keep the environment stable, avoid common mistakes like opening boxes too early or storing on concrete, and only buy the amount you actually need so you don’t end up with extra material you don’t want to keep.
If you’re working on a flooring project, whether it’s a small bathroom remodel or a whole-house renovation, and you have questions about how to store extra flooring, or you need help calculating how much material to buy, feel free to reach out to our team. We can help you pick the right product, give you specific storage tips tailored to your flooring type, and even answer questions about our take-back programs for unused materials. Don’t let leftover flooring become a problem—let us help you keep your project simple, from installation to storage.
If you want to learn more about flooring storage best practices, or browse our full selection of flooring materials, our team is ready to assist you. Whether you’re a homeowner doing a DIY project or a general contractor working on a commercial space, we have the expertise to help you every step of the way.
Exterior Door References:
- National Wood Flooring Association. (2022). Wood Flooring Installation and Storage Guidelines. NWFA Press.
- Floor Covering Installation Contractors Association. (2021). Sustainable Storage Practices for Hard Surface Flooring. FICIA Publications.
- Tile Council of North America. (2020). Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Storage and Handling Standards. TCNA Handbook.
- Vinyl Institute. (2023). Luxury Vinyl Flooring Care and Storage Best Practices. Vinyl Industry Research Report.
- U.S. Department of Energy. (2022). Climate Control Tips for Long-Term Storage of Home Construction Materials. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office.
KS Builders Supply LLC
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