Customer Guide
How to Measure for Flooring
Everything you need to measure your room accurately and order with confidence.
“Getting your measurements right is the most important step before ordering flooring. A few minutes spent measuring carefully can save time, money and disappointment.”
What You'll Need
Before you start, gather your tools and have them ready. Measuring accurately the first time saves time and avoids the need to reorder.
Expert Tip
A steel tape measure gives more accurate results than a fabric one, especially over longer distances.
Measure Your Room
Always measure at the widest point of the room, including any alcoves or bay windows.
Measure the length and width of your room at the widest points. Always include alcoves, bay windows or any areas where existing fitted furniture will be removed.
Measure in metres and record your measurements clearly on a rough sketch of the room. Measure twice to confirm accuracy before placing your order.
Expert Tip
Always measure at the widest point of the room, even if the shape is irregular. This ensures you have enough flooring to cover the entire area.
Allow For Wastage
Measured Area
17.1 m²
e.g. 4.5m × 3.8m
Order This Amount
18.9 m²
+10% wastage allowance
Always add a wastage allowance to your total area. This covers edge cuts, fitting adjustments and the occasional mistake during installation.
For standard rectangular rooms and straight plank layouts, add 10%. For herringbone or chevron patterns, add 15% to account for the additional diagonal cuts required.
Expert Tip
Ordering a little extra is far less expensive than placing a second order from a different production batch, which may not be an exact colour match.
Awkward Shaped Rooms
Divide the room into simple rectangles. Calculate each area separately, then add the totals.
For rooms with alcoves, chimney breasts, bay windows or L-shaped layouts, divide the room into simple rectangles. Calculate the area of each rectangle separately, then add the totals together.
Always include doorway recesses or areas beneath fitted furniture that will be removed. Do not deduct areas where fitted units will remain unless they are permanent.
Expert Tip
When breaking the room into sections, measure each rectangle at its widest point. It is always better to have slightly more flooring than not enough.
Calculate Your Area
(1.10 = 10% wastage allowance · Use 1.15 for herringbone / chevron)
Once you have your measurements, multiply the length by the width of each section to get the area in square metres. Add any sections together for the total, then apply your wastage allowance.
Round up to the nearest full pack when placing your order. Most flooring packs will display their pack coverage on the product page to make this straightforward.
Ready to Order Your Flooring?
Browse our full range of premium flooring, or use our product pages to calculate exactly how many packs you need for your room.
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