How to Measure a Floor for Laminate, Tile, or Vinyl
Floor area plus the right waste factor for your material. Three minutes with your iPhone gives you the number that turns into a shopping list.
Flooring is sold by the m² (or sq ft in the US). The conversion from "I want to redo this room" to "I need to buy 9 boxes" is two steps: measure the floor area, then add a waste factor specific to your material. Both done in under 5 minutes.
لماذا تقيس هذا
- Buy the exact number of boxes/rolls (no second trip)
- Compare brand pricing per m² apples-to-apples
- Plan installation pattern (diagonal lay uses more)
- Document for any warranty or insurance issue
ما تحتاجه
- iPhone with Ruler AR
- Room Scan or Manual Room Builder
- Material Calculator → Flooring
خطوة بخطوة
- Capture the room shape. Open Ruler AR. Walk around the room (LiDAR) or tap each corner (Manual). The app computes floor area from the polygon, accurate within 2-5% for typical rooms.
- Subtract permanent obstacles. Kitchen island, fireplace, built-in cabinetry, these stay. In the 2D editor, drag them onto the floor plan. The app subtracts their footprint from the floor area.
- Choose your material and waste factor. Open Material Calculator → Flooring. Each material has a default waste factor: 10% straight lay, 15% diagonal, 20% herringbone. Adjust based on your specific pattern.
- Get the quantity. The app outputs the total m² needed and (if you set a box coverage) the number of boxes to buy. Round up to whole boxes, half-boxes are not sold.
- Add transitions and trim. Each doorway needs a transition strip. Each wall needs baseboard/quarter-round. Measure separately: doors × 1 each, baseboard = perimeter − door widths.
نصائح
- Buy 2-3 extra boxes of tile from the same lot for future repairs, production batches vary in colour
- For laminate/vinyl, account for the underlayment separately, sold by the m²
- Removing old flooring? Measure the subfloor too, if uneven, you may need leveler
أخطاء شائعة
- Measuring wall-to-wall instead of usable floor area
- Forgetting to subtract islands, columns, and built-ins
- Not adding enough waste for diagonal or herringbone patterns
أسئلة متكررة
How much waste should I add for laminate flooring?
Straight lay: 10%. Diagonal: 15%. For rooms under 10 m², lean toward 12-15%, there's less room to absorb cutting mistakes.
Should I include the area under permanent cabinets?
No, flooring doesn't go under permanent built-ins. Subtract them from your floor area before calculating quantity.
How accurate is the iPhone measurement?
For rooms under 30 m², within 2-5%, well within the waste factor you're adding. Good enough that you won't need a second supply trip.