Guides
Longer reads on measuring, buying and not over-ordering.
The calculators answer one question each. These guides cover the things that sit underneath all of them — how to measure a room that is not a rectangle, how to read the coverage figure on a bag, how much waste to add and why the usual ten per cent is wrong for half of it, and what order to do a room in so you are not buying anything twice.
Each one is written to be read once and remembered, not skimmed. They are the parts of estimating that do not fit in a calculator.
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How to Measure a Room for Materials
What to measure, what to deduct, and how to handle L-shapes, alcoves and sloped ceilings without guessing.
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Coverage Labels: Turning Square Feet Into Things You Can Buy
Nothing is sold in square feet. How to read the coverage figure on a bag, box or can — and which of those figures you can actually trust.
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How Much Waste to Add to a Material Order
Ten per cent is not a universal rule. What to add for each material, when to go higher, and why carpet does not work in percentages at all.
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The Order of Operations for a Room Renovation
What to do in what order, and — more usefully — what you can order at each stage and what you have to wait to find out.