When measuring for your floors always allow SEE HERE for waste properties, and if you are really sensible, add an extra box. This is due to the fact that flooring like, wallpaper, is batched and flooring from two different batches may not fit together or be in the same dye lot. They should, but due to the re-sharpening of the machine tools involved with making the complex joints, you can never be sure.
When measuring very awkward rooms, like an hexagonal conservatory, just treat the measurement as if it were a rectangle, the measures taken at the longest walls. Don't try and cheat, you'll come unstuck, there's nothing worse than being half a plank short, to complete the job!
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There are many configurations of room size and shape, however most rooms breakdown into two shapes, the rest are in between. For this you can use your ingenuity.
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The most common room is the rectangle, usually with one door and perhaps 1 or 2 windows. This shape accounts for nearly all rooms in one way or another. The two basic dimensions are the width, usually the shorter of the walls, and the length. When measuring it is easy to make a mistake, and when calculating an area this mistake is compounded. So always remember Measure Twice. Measure both walls, the width and the length.
Jot down the measurements : i.e.: width = 3.5 ft and the length 4.0 ft To calculate the area just multiply width x length
Area = 3.5 x 4.0 = 14.0 sq. ft < usually rounded up > |
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The next room type is the L-shaped room, which accounts for lots of room styles, including hall-ways, lounge and kitchens etc. Measuring this room is just as easy. All you do is split the L into two rectangles. Always draw a little plan of your room, to help when jotting down measurements:
For example: the top rectangle (A)= 4.5 ft x 1.2 ft and the bottom rectangle (B)= 1.8 ft x 1.2 ft
Area A = 5.5 ft Area B = 2.5 ft then add those 2 numbers rounding up and adding the perspective waste % depending on your flooring application
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