When it comes to flooring, laminate has become a top choice for many people, and it’s not hard to see why. Laminate is affordable and easy to maintain and looks incredibly stylish. As a bonus, it’s also fairly straightforward to install. As with any DIY job, taking accurate measurements is the key to success, so here are some tips to achieve this with your new flooring.

Always Use a Tape Measure

When laying of new flooring, you need to have accurate measurements of the floor space, so get out a tape measure and jot the length and width down. Never rely on guesswork. According to Factory Direct Flooring, round up your final figures to the nearest foot, as this ensures you don’t risk running out of flooring to cover the area. Add the measurements together to get a total in square feet.

Measuring Underneath Objects

Although it might seem obvious, people often overlook objects, such as appliances, when taking measurements for new flooring, so do take this into consideration. Always include the area underneath objects where the floor will be fitted. This may involve moving appliances, so get some help with this if needed. This could include your current column radiators or perhaps you need to look at changing your older style system. There are plenty of different variations available so while having the work done you may ask How much do column radiators cost.

More Is Better

When undertaking any DIY task, it’s always better to have more of what you need than not enough. The same is true for fitting laminate flooring. Getting towards the end of the job and realising you don’t have enough flooring is a nuisance and can push the finish line back as you wait to top up your supplies. It’s worse if the flooring becomes discontinued or you’re struggling to get hold of the extra materials you need.

You can avoid this by rounding your measurements up and then adding on around 10-15% to your figures. This makes sure you have enough materials to hand and compensates for any cutting waste.

If you’re unsure if you’ve got enough flooring, speak to an expert who will be able to double-check you’ve got the right amount of materials for the job.

Don’t Forget the Underlay

Once you’ve got your calculations for your flooring, you may also need to use these figures to work out how much underlay you might need. This layer of cushioning provides extra support and insulation and reduces wear and tear on your flooring.