When it comes to laying new flooring, one of the most crucial aspects is accurately measuring your floor space. Whether you're installing hardwood, laminate, vinyl, or any other type of flooring, having the right measurements can help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure a smooth installation process. In this guide, we'll cover four simple and effective ways to measure your floor space accurately.
The House Plan Method
If you're fortunate enough to have a builder's house plan, this method is the most accurate and straightforward. Here's how you can do it:
- Check the Scale: Ensure the plan is at a scale of 1:100. This means 1cm on your ruler equals 1m of real floor space. If not, use a photocopier to enlarge the plan to 1:100 scale.
- Highlight and Box Off Areas: Use a highlighter to trace the areas where you'll put your new flooring. Then, use a red pen to box off these areas into square or rectangular shapes.
- Measure Length and Width: Measure the length and width of each boxed area and multiply these numbers to get the total square meterage.
- Calculate Total Meterage: Write down the measurements of all areas and add them up to get your net meterage. Add 7% for waste.
- Determine Boxes Required: Divide the total meterage by the square meters in a box of your chosen flooring to determine the number of boxes required. Round up to the nearest whole number.
The House Plan Method Without a Photocopier
If you don't have access to a photocopier, you can still use the house plan method:
- Find the Scale: Determine the scale of the plan and highlight it.
- Measure Areas: Measure all areas as before, knowing they will be out of scale.
- Adjust for Scale: Multiply your meterage by the scale factor (e.g., 1.5) twice, as you're working in square meters.
- Add Waste and Calculate Boxes: Add waste and calculate the number of boxes required as in the previous method.
The No-House Plan Method
If you don't have a house plan, you can use graph paper to sketch out your floor space and measure each area:
- Sketch Your Floor Plan: Use graph paper to sketch your floor space, with each grid representing a square meter.
- Measure and Calculate: Measure the length and width of each room and calculate the square meterage.
- Add Waste and Calculate Boxes: Add waste and calculate the number of boxes required as before.
Additional Tips
- Measuring Curved Areas: Be sure to box off curved areas and unusual angles to ensure you order enough flooring.
- Skirting and Scotia: Measure the perimeter of the area you'll be laying flooring on and tally it up to the nearest lineal meter. Consider doorways and trims when calculating.
By following these methods, you can accurately measure your floor space and ensure a successful flooring installation. Remember, it's always better to have a little extra flooring than to run short during the installation process.