Tips for Measuring Carpet

Add a Few Inches

• Your room may be 20x15 feet, but you will need a bit more carpet than that to actually carpet your room. Add 3 to 40 inches onto the measurement for length and width, which will give you extra room for tucking the carpet under baseboards and keep you from having to move the carpet constantly during the carpet kicking, or carpet stretching, phase of installation. If your room is shaped irregularly, or you need to account for partial walls, add extra carpet around all of these measurements as well.

Reduce the Need for Seams

• Seams add an extra step when you are laying carpet. Instead of using two or more pieces to cover a room, use no seams at all or the least amount possible. Carpet widths come standard at measurements between 12 and 15 feet, so some seams may be necessary for a large room. Use your measurement of the room to use one piece of carpet that will cover the entire area, or at least place seams strategically where they will not wear out and become noticeable. Measure so that seams are placed closer to walls or near areas were foot traffic is not a major issue.

Measuring Carpet for Stairs

• Stairs can be tricky, but with a flexible measuring tape, like those used for sewing, measuring stairs can be easier. Measure the length of the stairs with the measuring tape, pressing the tape into the back corner of each step. Ask someone to help you hold it in place, or use tape to keep it in place until you are finished. Add an extra 1 1/2 feet to that measurement to allow for errors and fitting. Measure the width of the stairs as well, and add 3 inches to that measurement.

Find the Square Footage

• Finding the square footage of the room you are carpeting is the way you find the price for the carpet and padding. Measure the perimeter of the room and make a sketch of it, complete with the measurements along each wall. If the room has more than four walls, section it off into squares and rectangles so that you have each area with a definite width and length. Multiply the width of each section by its own length. If your room already has only four walls, you're finished, and the number you come up with is the room's square footage. If you have several sections, add the square footage of each section to come up with the total square feet.