HOW TO - Measure Rooms
Measure for Flooring
In order to determine how much flooring material you'll need for a project, it's important to go and measure the room(s). Flooring is typically sold by the square foot (sq ft) and that's exactly what we'll be working to determine with these measurements. Fortunately, it's a very simple and straightforward process; all you'll need is a tape measure, scratch paper, and something to write with!
Step 1: Draw the Area
Your first step will be to draw the area(s) for which you are purchasing flooring materials. No, the drawing doesn't have to be pretty or even to scale. You can crudely draw it on a cocktail napkin with a crayon and it will still serve its purpose. You will want to make note of the location of any doors, floor vents, built-in appliances or features (wood stoves, kitchen islands, bathtubs, toilets, etc.)
Step 2: Measure
This one is pretty straight forward. You're going to want to measure the length and width of the area(s) and make note of them on your drawing. You'll want to measure for the widest points of the room. Make sure to round up to the nearest half of a foot. For example, if you measure 8 feet and 8 inches, round it up to 9 feet. If you're looking to purchase laminate, vinyl plank, hard wood, or tile, this simple set of measurements will provide enough info to get an estimate for materials. However, if you're looking to purchase carpet or any other flooring that comes on a roll, it helps to be a bit more specific. Follow Step 2B for carpet or for more accuracy in determining your square footage.
Step 2B: Detailed Measurements
Because carpet typically comes on a roll rather than as individual pieces like tile or hardwood, it's helpful to be a bit more specific in your measurements for project areas. This will help give an idea of where cuts or transitions need to be implemented. If you take a look at the example picture you will see that the one room is able to be broken down into 3 different "areas." If your project area has a bit of a strange shape as the example room does, go ahead and figure out how you can break it down into similar areas. You'll want to go and measure the length and width of each of these areas and make note of each one.
Step 3: A Little Math
We're ready to use a bit of simple math to convert the measurements you took into square feet. All this requires is multiplying the length by the width. As shown in the example photo, if you have multiple areas, you would simply multiply the length and width of one area, write down the square feet, and do the same for the next area and so on. In the end you will add the square feet of all of the separate areas together to find the total which is the amount of space you should look to purchase material for. That's it! Get down to our showroom, provide this info, and we'll get you a quote based on your selections!
Note:
This method of measuring rooms may not be 100% accurate for your project. Its main purpose is to help you provide an estimated material need in order to get a quote on flooring cost. Once you have decided on flooring that fits your needs and budget, we strongly recommend that you have a flooring professional come and measure your project area(s) before making any final purchase decisions.
Measuring For Cabinets
Measuring an area for cabinets requires much more attention to detail than measuring for flooring. Fortunately, the folks in our cabinet department are ready and eager to visit your job site to take the detailed measurements for you! But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's show you what information we'll need in order to provide you with an estimated cost for your cabinet project.
Step 1: Draw the Area
Your first step will be to draw the area for which you are purchasing cabinets. All you really need to include are walls where cabinets will be installed and, maybe, the area where an island would be installed. Once again, this is going to be a very basic diagram of your project area - we'll get more accurate measurements and details later on down the line.
Step 2: Measure
Measure the length of each wall and make note of it in inches. Be sure to round up to the nearest whole inch. For example, if a run of wall is 108-1/4" round up to 109". Make note of each of these measurements on your drawing and be clear on which measurement is for which wall. Your initial drawing should look similar to our example photo. Finally - take a measurement from floor to ceiling to determine how tall the room is. If you have a vaulted or a cathedral ceiling, measure from the floor to the lowest point of the ceiling and make note of it on your drawing.
Step 3: Make Notes
Draw in any windows or doors and indicate where any plumbing, water lines, electrical outlets, floor vent, or ceiling vents are located. You'll want to measure the width of any doors or windows and how far away they are from an adjacent wall. Look at the example photo to get an idea of what this final sketch should look like. That's all you'll need to provide our cabinet department in order for them to get an idea of your space. This will help work toward providing you with an estimated cost for cabinets for your project.
