Tips on How To Measure Carpet for Your Home

When you make a significant investment, such as purchasing a new carpet for your home, you need to order the correct amount. Too much material will stretch your wallet, but not enough will lead to an incomplete project and unfinished floors. Explore these tips on how to measure carpet for your home for some step-by-step instructions on figuring out how much material you need to order.

Draw a Diagram

For the first step, you’ll want to draw a diagram of your home on a piece of paper or in computer software. The chart doesn’t need to be to scale; you’ll just use it as a guide to track your measurements. Make each floor of the home its own diagram. For L-shaped rooms, think of those as two different spaces. Record closets as their own room, as well. Note doorways, even if they won’t lead to rooms with carpet. This drawing will serve as your frame of reference for the measuring process.

Measure the Length & Width

On the floor plan, identity one side as the length of your home and then the corresponding width. It doesn’t matter which direction you choose to be the length and width; you just need to be consistent throughout the entire building.

Once identifying your chosen length and width, measure each wall with a tape measure or laser measurer. Record your measurement by feet. Then, you’ll want to fill your diagram in with the accurate measurements of your entire home.

Add a Few Inches

However, you don’t want to order the exact measurements. You’ll want to add about two to three inches to every room with a door, and if there is a door on both sides of the room, you may need to add up to six inches. This way, you have enough carpet for beneath the doorways.

Calculate Square Footage

Then, you’ll want to calculate your square footage based on the measurements with the door additions. The equation for square footage is length times width. Do this for each room, and then add their square footage together to get the total area.

But you’re not done yet! You’ll also need to add some insurance material for cutting and possible mistakes. So, add five percent off the house’s square footage to the total. This adjusted amount will give you the total footage of carpet you need to order. Also, depending on where you are ordering, you’ll need to convert your total to yards, which you can do by dividing the sum by nine.

With these tips on how to measure carpet for your home, you can get the right amount of material you need for your flooring project. Once you have your measurements, take them to Koeckritz Rugs to get expertly crafted cut-to-fit outdoor carpet or anything else you may need.