How to measure for laminate flooring

Need a quick and easy guide that will teach you how to measure for laminate flooring? You have come to the right place.

We've broken this guide up into easy sections so you can get straight to learning how to measure for laminate flooring.

Glossary

Tools

Handy tips

How to measure for laminate flooring

Glossary

Here is a list of handy terminology you might hear us use during this set of instructions.

- Warp: Wood is a natural material and may change form or shape when it is subjected to any long-term changes in temperature. ‘Warp’ is the word we use to describe these changes.

- Expansion gap: This is the amount of space you need to leave to allow for the natural growth of the flooring in different temperatures.

- Area and metres squared (m²): Area is the term we use to describe the size of a room. We work out area by multiplying the its length (L) by its width (W). The number this sum equals to is the size of the room and the size is recorded in metres squared (m²).

- Beading: Beading is the decorative trim that runs around the edge of your installed laminate flooring, covering the join between wall and skirting board and providing space for an expansion gap.

Tools

The tools for measuring laminate flooring are fairly straightforward. You will need:

- Paper (plain A4 is fine)

- Pencil (in case you make any mistakes)

- Tape measure

If you need extra accuracy when taking a rough drawing of your room, ask a friend to help you by holding the other end of your tape measure. 

Handy tips

Before we begin: some handy tips

When thinking about how to measure for laminate flooring, always consider a 10mm ‘expansion gap’ between the flooring and the floor beading. This gap will act as space for your laminate to expand into.

The benefits are of an expansion gap twofold. First, it will protect the final appearance of your laminate post-installation. Second, it will protect your laminate flooring planks from the different types of warping that it may be in danger of. The most common types of warping are explained in detail on here. For now, consider them under 5 categories: bow, kink, twist, cup and crook.

How to measure for laminate flooring

1. Start by roughly drawing the shape of your room on your paper. The best way to measure room size is to work in rectangles. This means that even if a room is an odd shape or size, it will always be uncomplicated and easy to manage. Here, the left picture is a ‘normal’ shaped room, and the right is an ‘odd’ shaped room. The odd room has been broken into two rectangles to make it easier to work out its size with accuracy.

2.  Label one pair of walls as the length (L) and the other pair of walls in a room as the width (W). In an irregular room, label both rectangles up as above.

3. Measure the length and the width to find the measurements you need. In an odd shaped room, measure the length and width of every rectangle you have drawn out.

4. To make sure these measurements are correct, take a second measurement of both your length and width from a different point in the room. Remember, most rooms aren’t square and therefore will need to be double checked at two different points to ensure accurate measurements are recorded. In an oddly shaped room, repeat the measurements twice in each rectangle you have drawn as seen above.

5. To find the final total measurement of laminate flooring you will need, complete this sum: Length x Width = Total

	A) From our example’s measurements, that sum would look like this in a normal room.
	B) An oddly shaped room is a little different. First, add your two length measurements together for a total length measurement. Then, add your two width measurements together for a total width measurement. C) Finally, multiply your total length by your total width for your final total measurement.
	D) Don’t forget: Add 10% onto your final total. This acts as a ‘waste factor’ that ensures accurate and tidy fitting.

Remember: When you move on to fitting your laminate, leave an expansion gap of 10mm. Keep an eye out for our fitting guide for laminate flooring that is coming soon.

Return to Start

Learning how to measure for laminate flooring really is that straight forward. However, if you have finished measuring and still feel unsure, we are here to help. You can always book a free, no obligation measure and estimate with your local store for complete peace of mind.

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