How to Measure Rugs and Carpets to Avoid Common Problems

Carpets and rugs add to the beauty of your room. They also protect your flooring. Apart from this, carpets and rugs also make it easier to walk bare feet in your room. When it comes to carpets or rugs, their dimensions are very important.

You do not want to have a carpet that does not fit properly in your room. Similarly, a shorter or longer rug can ruin the aesthetics of your room. Therefore, it is important to measure the dimensions for carpets and rugs properly.

A simple measuring tape can be used to take the dimensions for your carpet or rug. All you have to do is to measure the longer side, called length, and the shorter side, called width, of either your room or the carpet.

Common Problems That Occur Due to Improper Measurement

Following are some of the common problems that you may face if you do not measure your carpet properly:

1. The Fitting Issue

If you do not measure the size for your carpet or rug properly, you will end up having a carpet or rug that does not fit properly in your room. It is very obvious that to get a good fit for your carpet, you have to take correct measurements for your room and also for the piece of carpet or rug.

Running short is a major problem. You will not be able to fit that carpet in your desired room. The only way out is to find a smaller room where you can use that piece. Running long can be fixed by cutting the carpet. But you will end up getting unusable carpet pieces which you could have avoided had you taken the correct measurements.

2. Cost Issue

If you buy a carpet that is much bigger than what you require, you are sampling wasting your money. You can very easily avoid this problem by taking correct measurements of your room first. Then you have to ensure you get a cut that is closest to your desired room size.

3. The Corner Issue

If you take the dimension of your room without noticing the corners or protrusions, you may end up getting a shorter carpet. For example, if the width of your room without the protruded fire place is 10 feet, you have to add the protrusion in this width to get the true breadth of your room. This breadth will be greater than 10 feet.

5 Best Ways to Measure Rugs and Carpets

Measuring carpets and rugs is not difficult. It is a simple process and requires only one tool: a measuring tape. If you do not have one, [amazon link=”code” title=”this”/] is where you can get one that will best serve your needs:

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It is important to have a measuring tape that has a hook. Hook allows you to complete the process alone without needing the help of anyone else. You just hook your measuring tape to one end and move towards the other to get the required dimension.

Moreover, having a self-lock is also important. It locks the measuring tape automatically when you open it. This helps in minimizing human error associated with taking measurements.

Now that you know the importance of a good measuring tape, I will tell you 5 easy steps that you can use to easily measure your carpets and rugs. By following these 5 steps, you can measure your carpet or rug like a pro!

1. Measure Your Room

Measure the length and width of your walls from one end to the other. Ignore any protrusions such as fireplace that come in the way.

First of all, you have to measure the room in which you want to lay the carpet or rug. You need to take two important dimensions. The length of the room and the width of your room. Usually, the longer side of you room is called the length and the shorter side is room’s width. But it is entirely possible to have a square room which has equal length and width.

In any case, take your measuring tape out. Fix its hook on one side along the length. Move along the length to reach the other corner. Note the reading on your measuring tape to get the length of the room. Repeat the same process for the width of your room by measuring along the wall that is adjacent to the length wall.

In case you want to have a rug on a specific area in your, mark that area. Note down the length and width of this area to get a rug that fits the desired spot in your room.

2. Measure the Carpet or Rug

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Once you know the actual size of your room or the size of the desired portion in your room, it is also important to measure or the size of carpet or rug. Usually, carpets and rugs come in standard sizes that fit the standard size rooms. In any case, you have to make sure you measure the carpet or rug as well.

To do that, spread open your carpet or rug on a flat surface. Measure the longer side by hooking the tape on one side and moving along the carpet to get length. Repeat the process for the shorter size to get the width of the carpet. Make sure that the surface on which you have spread the carpet and your hands are clean to avoid any spots on the rug or carpet.

3. Measure the Corners and Protrusions

Once you know that your carpet or rug is the size of your room, it is time to take measurement of corners and protrusions. There are two things you must keep in your mind doing this process.

First, you have to know if the protrusion is on the length or width of the room. Second, you have to know if the protrusion is into the wall or out of the wall.

Use a pencil to place markings on the opposite side of your carpet or rug as per the dimensions of your protrusion. For an into the wall protrusion, the overall width of your carpet must be shorter than that of the protrusion combined. The reverse is true for an out of the wall protrusion.

4. Measure the Folds

Wall folds can give your measurements a degree of tolerance. If you go off by a few inches, these roll overs can help offset that.

Some people prefer to let their carpet roll over the walls for up to 6 inches. If you are interested to cover the down borders of your walls with carpet, you have to incorporate these in your measurements as well.

If your room length is 12 feet and its width is 10 feet and you want to roll 6 inches of your carpet over the wall from the bottom, add 6 inches to both the length and width of the room to get actual size.

5. Measure the Floor Matts

Some people prefer to lay matts of the same carpet outside the entrance of their room. If you wish to do the same, you can have two options.

You can either use the leftover pieces to make a floor matt or you can add the desired floor matt dimensions in your original calculations. The latter will increase the overall size and cost of the carpet. But it will leave you with enough pieces that you can use to cover any wear and tear at the later stage.

Conclusion

Having the right measurement for your carpets and rugs is important. You have to cover a lot to get a perfect fit for your room. You can do that by taking care of 5 basic measurements. By following these 5 measurements, you will avoid a lot of common problems that arise while laying a carpet or rug in room.

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