HOW TO MEASURE FOR CARPET
Tricks of the Trade from a Retired Professional Carpet Installer...
"Why do I need to Measure for Carpet?"
I'll answer that in a moment. First you need to know How To Measure For Carpet. There is a right way and a wrong way. You need to know how to measure for carpet because this is the first step in getting a great deal from a great Discount Carpet Warehouse.
These places are "Wholesale only" or Wholesale to the public. They do not offer measuring services so you do a little bit of easy legwork to save a lot of money. They are not going to teach you how to measure. If you are going the route of a full service carpet store and that store is providing the installation all included then this helps keep them honest.
Unfortunately, there are many scams and ripoff artist out there and my customers tell me about them from time to time. The most common is that the carpet company will charge you for much more carpet than you actually need. The other is that a carpet store will intentionally under charge about 50% and halfway through your carpet installation you are hit with a big surprise. When you measure yourself you can avoid costly mistakes.
Another is a company that promises if you pay for one room, you get two rooms free. Come on folks! If it sounds too good to be true it probably is? Unfortunately, many people tend to believe everything they see on TV or read in the papers.
Measuring for Carpet... The Do's and Don'ts...
There is a right way how to measure for carpet and a wrong way. The first step in getting a great deal on Discount Carpet is to take accurate measurements of the areas you plan to carpet and bring these to the Discount Carpet Warehouse you choose. Before you can do that you first need to know how to measure for carpet.
Oh, and please do your friends a favor and share with them how to measure for carpet the right way.
"The Goal when Measuring for Carpet is to have a Blueprint so you can accurately Estimate how much carpet to purchase".
Before going over how to measure for carpet it is advisable to make a rough sketch of the area that you want to cover. This way you will see any areas you may have missed. Don't forget the closets, hallway and stairs.
* Then, using (ideally speaking) a 25' or 30' tape measure, simply measure the widest part of each room and the longest part. DO NOT write 147" x 150" but instead write 12'-3" x 12'-6". If not, the salesperson will have to convert to feet. No big deal (for the salesperson) unless you are in a hurry.
* Keep in mind that the carpet installer will put the seams where the door closes so if you measure from wall to wall, the room measurements will be 6 inches short on every wall where there is a door so be sure to measure from doorway to doorway.
* Also, the installer will cut the carpet seam edge on each side of the seam to ensure you have a straight edge (if the seam edges are not straight, the seams cannot be "invisible") to seam so you will loose AT LEAST a couple inches at each seam. Another thing to consider is the fact that rooms are never exactly square. I have seen supposedly "square rooms" with one wall 2" longer than the other.
Measuring for Carpet in a "L" Shape Room.
A common example would be a combination Living/Dining room. In this case, simply measure each room separately.
How to Measure for Carpet on a Staircase.
The part of the step that you actually walk on is the Horizontal platform called the Stair "Tread" and the vertical part is called the Stair "Riser". Notice if there is a wall on each side of each step AND the carpet drops down the riser like a waterfall. If so, these are Standard box steps which are the easiest to measure and install. Measure the width and then count how many.
CUSTOM STEPS
These include, floating steps (popular in the sixties), capp steps, upholstered steps, pie shape steps, over-sized steps, steps with an outside corner, bed platforms etc.
Measuring for Carpet in Odd shape rooms.
The best thing is to simply measure the widest point and the longest point and accept the fact that you may have extra waste. Now you know how to measure for Carpet like the pro's.
Do not skip the important next step. The next step is
To go from How to Measure for Carpet to the page on Estimating Carpet Yardage.
This will tell you how much Carpet to purchase. Then find out about the insider secrets and How to Buy Carpet. If you already read about the Carpet Buying Tips, Selecting the right Carpet, Choosing a Carpet Pad, and Carpet Warranties then the next step if you live in the Los Angeles or San Fernando Valley area is you want to find a great
Discount Carpet Warehouse.
You can always go from the How to measure for carpet page to the
Home Page.
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