How to Measure For New Laminate Flooring.

How to Measure for FlooringBefore measuring, collect a pencil, paper, calculator, and a tape measure. It is best to use a calculator, even though the maths is simple, to avoid making mistakes!The formula for determining square footage is the same for metres or feet. The measurement for a room that is square or rectanglular begins by measuring the length of the room. If the room is a perfect square, it is advisable to measure two different walls anyway - just to make sure!. Next, measure the width of the room and write it down.Simple MathsMultiply the length by the width to determine the room’s square footage. For example:10 feet x 12 feet = 120 square feet. Measure each room separately, write it down, and do the math.Measuring Odd Shaped RoomsOdd shaped rooms make measuring more challenging. If the larger part of a room is a rectangle, but there is a small hall or doorway, measure it in two sections. Measure the hall as a separate rectangle then measure the larger part as a second rectangle. Write it down separately, do the maths separately, and add the square footage together to get the total for the room. If you have some graph paper available, drawing out the floor plan would be very beneficial.Add Extra Because there may be an ugly flaw in a piece of flooring or a cutting mistake made, extra is flooring is often needed. After finding the square footage of a room, add 10 percent to the total. For example, 10 percent of 120 square feet = 12. Simply add 120 + 12 and buy 132 square feet of flooring for that room. Do this for each room measured; add the totals together, and take the square footage total to the store. At the store, check the square footage available in each package of flooring. Divide the square footage of the room by the square footage of the package to determine how many boxes of flooring to buy. Whew!ExtrasTo finish the laminate flooring project, you may need end caps for covering where different flooring materials meet, reducers to adjust where different flooring levels meet, T moulding for finishing doorways, or beading to cover the expansion gap. If the laminate is covering concrete, Damp Proof Membrane (PMP) is needed. Take pictures of every room to be floored, including doorways, steps, and sliding glass doors. Show the pictures to a flooring professional at the store and discuss necessary extras.