Measuring Your Room

Before we get too far into the project, let's first figure out how much material we'll need. This is a determining factor in some instances since one product or line of products may vary substantially in price. So you need to know how much it's going to cost you.

For a square or rectangular room, it's pretty straight forward. Like you see here in the diagram, simply measure the length and width. Multiply those numbers. Always round up. For example, if your room measured 11 1/2' by 14' 3", just go with 12' by 15'. A 12 x 15 foot room would be 180 square feet. Different flooring options have different amounts of product in the box, so check to see how much is in the box. The Bruce flooring that we're using here has 15 square feet in a box, so it would take 12 boxes (not counting waste) to do that 180 square feet room.

Difficult Measurements

In most cases, you're probably not going to do just a simple rectangle room (if you do, you're set). Most of the time there are hallways, or adjoining rooms, or entry ways, or something to mess up the simple 'rectangle' shape. In those cases, look at the entire picture and try to break it down into smaller rectangles. For example, in the diagram here we have a dining room and a hallway that leads to two other rooms. I measured the dining room and then invisioned some imaginary rectangles and measured those areas. Write down all your measurements, then multiple each one and add up the answers. This will give you the total square feet that you're planning to cover.

How Much Material Do You Really Need

Now you know the square feet that your covering, but is that how much you purchase? Nope. Add about 10%, even if you rounded up on some measurements. It won't hurt to have a box laying around that has some of the material left over. If you come up with 370 square feet, adding 10% will give you 407. At 15 square feet per box, you'll have to buy 28 boxes.

Also take into account things like space under the dishwasher, stove, and refrigerator. Look for closets that you might want to cover. You can figure these items individually and add them to the total.

Next up, we'll look at trim pieces to consider.