How to Measure for Carpets and Flooring

If you need a new carpet, or new flooring, such as tiles, hardwood, laminate or vinyl, getting the correct measurements is crucial in order for it to fit correctly. So how can you ensure you measure your floor space correctly and get the right fit for flooring?

Having new flooring put down can really brighten up a room and give your home a nice new look. Carpets have traditionally been the flooring of choice, but if you fancy something different there are lots of other options available too. Hardwood and laminate floorings are very popular, and easy to keep clean, ceramic tiles are popular in kitchens and bathrooms, or there are some nice vinyls available.

Before you’re able to order any carpet, it’s essential you know the measurements of the room where you want it fitted. If you’ve just moved in, then you may be lucky enough to already have a list of the key floorplan measurements, so keep this handy and you should be okay! But if you’ve lived in your home for a while, you may not be quite so clued up on the exact sizes of the rooms and will need to get out a tape measure and get measuring.

Some general tips for measuring include:

• Use a metal tape, instead of a fabric tape measure, as this is likely to produce a more accurate measurement.
• If you’re not exactly sure whether you’ve measured correctly, take the measurements twice to double-check.
• Clearly write down each of the measurements as you take it – it’s easy to forget them if you don’t!
• It may help to roughly sketch out a diagram of your floor and then write the measurements into the appropriate points.

How to Accurately Measure Your Floor

Measuring the floor space of a room shouldn’t be too tricky. Take your metal tape measure and measure the width and length of the room from the furthest skirting boards. If your room changes shape at all, then opt for measuring at the widest and longest points to get the most accurate measurement. Where there’s a door involved, measure from the skirting board on the other side of the room to where the carpet will finish underneath the door area.

When you come to purchase carpets, it’s always better to go for a size that is slightly bigger than the area you need. Although there will be a little bit of wastage this way (although you can always save the offcuts and use them in your garage, loft or shed, or even as mats), this will help ensure you have more than enough carpet to fill the space. It would be dreadful to find there’s not enough.

Once you know what your floor measurements are, it’s time to go shopping for flooring! The amount of ceramic tiles, hardwood or laminate flooring boards you’ll require depends on the size of the tiles and boards involved. Once you’ve got your flooring measurements, a specialist retailer will be able to advise on exactly how many boards and tiles you’ll require to fill the space involved.