How to Measure Your Room for Flooring
Here at Leader Online, we have years of experience fitting flooring, and over the years, we have been asked lots of how to measure questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to measuring for flooring.
How do you measure a room for flooring?
It depends on the shape of the room you are fitting your flooring in, but here is a quick breakdown of how to measure certain rooms.
How to measure rectangular rooms
- Measure the length of the room.
- Measure the width of the room.
- Multiply the two numbers.
- Add an extra 5% for wastage.
How to measure L-shaped rooms
- Split the room into two rectangular sections.
- Measure the length of one section.
- Measure the width of the other section.
- Work out the area of both sections.
- Add the numbers together.
- Add an extra 5% for wastage.
Good news - you have the easiest job! All you need to do is measure the length of the room, then the width, and multiply them together!
For Example:
Your room is 4 metres long and 8 metres wide.
4 x 8 = 32
So the area of flooring you’ll need is 32 square metres!
This is a little trickier, but it should still be no problem to calculate. All you need to do is split the room into two rectangular sections. Find the area of each of the rectangles, then add them together to get the full area.
For Example:
One part of your room is 4 metres long and 8 metres wide, and the other part is 5 metres by 5 metres.
4 x 8 = 32
5 x 5 = 25
32 + 25 = 57
So the area of flooring you’ll need is 57 square metres!
If you’ve got a room with lots of different corners and areas, we sympathise. This is going to be a bit more of a faff, but it’s not impossible at all! You just need to break the room up into smaller rectangles and squares, work out all the individual areas and add them all together.
For Example:
The main part of your room is 3 metres long and 6 metres wide, it has an L shaped join that is 2 metres long and 3 metres wide, it also has an annex that is 1 metre long and 2 metres wide, and another extension that is 4 metres long and 3 metres wide.
3 x 6 = 18
2 x 3 = 6
1 x 2 = 2
4 x 3 = 12
18 + 6 + 2 + 12 = 38
So the area of flooring you’ll need is 38 square metres!
Once you have your measurements, it’s usually a good idea to add an extra 5% to the area. This means that you’ll have spare flooring just in case any wastage occurs while it’s being installed. All you need to do is multiply the total area by 1.05.
If you don’t fancy calculating it all yourself, you can pop your measurements into our flooring calculator that appears on each flooring product page - we’ll even tell you how many packs you’ll need to buy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many packs of flooring do I need?
On each of our product pages, you will find a calculator that will help you calculate the number of packs required to fill your room. All that you need to know is the area of the room that you want to fill.
How many square feet is a box of laminate?
Typically a box of laminate flooring will cover around 2.5-3 meters squared; however, if you would like to calculate the number of boxes that you will need to fill your room, we have a calculator that figures out how many you need on each product page.
How much do contractors charge to install laminate flooring?
You can expect to pay around £10 per square metre for laminate flooring fitting. Some fitters charge for installation per day at around £100-200 per day, depending on the level of expertise, size of the project and skill required for the flooring type. You can also expect to pay more for extras such as disposal of old materials and underfloor heating.
How much does a box of laminate flooring cost?
Here at Leader Online, we have a range of laminate flooring available at a variety of prices. Laminate flooring options within the range start at around £15 a pack and can range up to around £55 a pack for more premium options.
