Measure Carpet Like a Pro in Just 3 Easy Steps
This is singlehandedly the most common issue we see on a daily basis. Whether it’s from a contractor that doesn’t quite get the difference between measuring for carpet and measuring for LVP. Or whether it’s from a client who can’t figure out how to go from square feet to yards. We understand how confusing it can sound, but we’re here to prove it can be a lot simpler than it seems.
Disclaimer: This post focuses on standard 12 ft widths, not 15, for educational understanding and uniformity.
Step 1:
First, measure the length and width.
It’s important to note that carpet is manufactured on a machine and is not always accurate. So, if you order a 12 ft long piece, it might actually come 11’ 6”. This is why we advise people to add up to 6 inches to their measurements.
Let’s look at an example:
Say you have a room that measures 11’ 8” x 10’ 1”. The piece you order is always going to come 12 ft wide, so then you’re adding your safety inches to the 10 ft number. In this example, your measurement should be 12 x 10’6.
Step 2:
Next, determine the square footage for the last step.
All you have to do is multiply your length and width. Following the example from above, you would multiply 12 x 10.5. That gives you a square footage of 126.
Step 3:
This is what confuses most people. Carpet is made and ordered by the yard, NOT the square foot. So, when people are going to stores and picking out what they want to buy, they’re getting confused by the price tags that show everything by the square foot to appear cheaper.
This is an easy trick to figure it out:
Take your square footage that you determined in the last step and divide it by 9.
Following the example again, the square footage was 126. Divide that by 9 and you get 14. So, that room would need 14 yds of carpet.
There you go, you did it!
Rooms With Seams:
Now our example from above is a room that is under 12 ft on all sides so there wouldn’t be a need for a seam. If the room you are trying to measure is bigger than 12 ft wide, then you will need a seam and the process is slightly different.
There is no one single way to teach you how to measure for a seam. This is because it’s entirely dependent on the layout of the room and how many seams are needed. However, the basic idea is this:
Since the carpet is not getting any wider than 12 ft, and all carpet needs to run the same way or it will look different, you need to add to the length. This extra length then gets cut off to make the seam piece(s).
As pros, this is what we consider when figuring out the placement of seams:
How to reduce? Is there a way to cut down on the number of seams in this room?
Sunlight: This makes seams look more visible and fades wherever it shines, which over time can cause a color difference between seam pieces and the whole piece.
Direct lighting: What is the lighting like in the room? Overhead/direct lighting can again make seams look more visible. While it won’t cause fading like sunlight, it will cast shadows that can make the color from a seam piece and a whole piece look different.
Closets: What are the closets like? Do they have built-ins? Are they separate? Are they walk-ins? All of these determine if a separate piece of carpet is needed to finish them off, and that could mean another seam or multiple.
Doorways: How many doorways are there? What kind of floor is in the hallway or room that connects to this room? Are transition strips needed? This again reveals if more seams are needed and clues us in on if additional materials are needed.
Furniture: Is furniture moved a lot? This can impact the integrity of the seams. If not, the placement of furniture can be helpful in deciding where to put seams in smaller rooms so as to avoid sunlight and/or harsh lighting.
Final Note:
As you can see, measuring for carpet can be as easy as three simple steps so it doesn’t have to feel like a scary thing to do. We shared how to do this on our Instagram with diagrams, which might be even more helpful for you. You can check it out here