You’ve investigated the options, screened the catalog and examined the tile samples. The search is over and you have finally found the perfect flooring for your home. The final step before ordering is to measure the floor. This is an important part of the process. If the order is too small, all the effort of the product will be wasted, and if it is too large, the repair cost will be wasted. To measure the floor area correctly, follow these steps:
How to Measure the Floor Accurately
Step 1: Determine the shape and layout of the room
Square or rectangular room is the easiest to measure. If you are working in a circular or triangular space, you will need a different formula for your measurements. However, when viewed properly, most rooms consist of a series of rectangles. If the room is not a single open rectangle, divide it into a series of small rectangles. Sketch a floor plan of the room and write down the measurements for each area.
Be sure to consider obstacles like Kitchen Island. In these cases, the floor can be measured as large rectangles on both sides and small squares or rectangles above and below. Apply duct tape to the floor so that you can visualize the different areas you are measuring. Remember to include the width of the tape in the measurement.
Step 2: Measure and calculate
For each section of the room, you need to measure the width and length. In the rectangular area, you can easily calculate square feet by multiplying these measurements. If the room is multiple squares or rectangles, multiply the length by the width of each and add the resulting numbers to get the total square feet of the room.
If the room is a triangle, multiply the length by the width and divide it by 2. Circular spaces are more difficult. For circular space, you can use the equation (3.14 x radius x radius) / 2 to calculate the area of a circle.
Step 3: Review Waste Factors
Considering waste, you need to add a percentage to your order. This provides additional flooring to properly accommodate corners, corners and crevices. It also provides a safety buffer against any errors or corruptions that may occur during the installation process. Experts can work with a very small waste factor, but if you are planning DIY flooring, you should consider a waste factor of at least 5%.
If the room has a complex shape and there are multiple obstacles to avoid, increase the disposal factor to 10%. For a triangular room, a 15% drop-off factor is required to take into account the diagonal. The final calculation, including
square feet of space and the corresponding disposal factor, gives you the amount of flooring to order. Before you start laying, unpack the entire order, recheck its accuracy, lay out the flooring and make sure it fits properly. With proper calculations, you will need enough floor tiles or pieces of laminate for an exciting new flooring job.
