The procedure for carrying out renovations in a room requires mandatory calculation of the area of the walls, ceiling and floor. Since at the time of purchase building materials These values help you not to make a mistake in their quantity. We’ll talk about methods and examples of calculating the area of a room below.
Reasons for calculating the area of a room
Exists a large number of reasons for determining the area of walls, ceilings or floors in a room. In some cases, data on the total area of the room is required. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most common reasons for determining the area of a room or its individual parts:
- if installation work is planned suspended ceilings, then it is necessary to determine the total area of the ceiling to determine the amount of materials used during the work;
- during installation suspended ceilings, you also need to calculate the total ceiling area in order to pre-plan material resources;
- to paint or finish the ceiling, you should also know its area; almost all paint and varnish products and primers have technical specifications consumption rate per square meter;
- finishing walls with plasterboard requires calculating the total area of the walls in order to purchase the required amount of material;
- when hiring builders, for example, to finish a floor with tiles, each square meter has a certain cost, which is calculated at the end of the work;
- when selling a house or when decorating it, such parameters as living space, kitchen area and other rooms are also particularly important.
Room area: calculating floor area
To determine the floor area there are different reasons: repair and purchase of materials for its finishing, thermal insulation, calculation of usable area, etc.
The easiest way to determine the area of a room is square or rectangular. In this case, you will need the length and width of the floor, which are multiplied by each other. This option does not require emptying the room of cabinets and other furniture. Simply measuring the distance is enough. However, if there is a fireplace in the room, its area should be subtracted from the total result obtained.
In principle, all items that are permanently on the floor and cannot be moved, such as built-in wardrobes, are calculated from the total floor area.
It seems more difficult to calculate the floor area in a room that has irregular shape. Standard rooms, of course, have the shape of a rectangle or square, although there are rooms with various kinds niches, recesses, arches, projections, etc. This option for calculating the floor area is more complex, since it requires calculating the area of the figures that make up the room separately.
To calculate the total area, you should divide the space into several regular shapes, in the form of rectangles, trapezoids, squares, etc. For example, if the room has L-shape, then it is enough to divide it into two rectangles, calculate the area of each of them and summarize the results.
If the room has an L-shape, but it does not run at a right angle, then in addition to two rectangles it also contains a triangular space, the area of which is also calculated. To calculate the area of a triangle, it is enough to multiply one leg by the other.
If there are semicircular fragments in the form of cylindrical or segmental particles, the calculations become more complicated. To calculate the floor area in such a room, you also need to divide the space into several parts, the area of which is calculated separately.
There are options for rooms that have different floor levels, that is, elevations or slopes. Thus, the room is divided into several zones. For example, in the kitchen there is a dining area and a working area. The same thing happens with a ceiling, for example, a multi-level one. To calculate the area of a floor with ledges or hills, you should again divide the space into parts in the form of rectangles or squares, and measure those same ledges with a ruler and calculate their area. In this way you can calculate the total area of the room.
Please note that in this case it is preferable to use a tape measure that is installed near the base. In addition, you will need a pencil and notebook to write down all the values. As a result, purchasing paint and determining the amount of finishing material for the floor will be completed quickly.
Do not take measurements from the wall as it may be crooked and will cause inaccuracy in determining the floor area. Particularly difficult is the work of determining the area of the floor on which there are ledges in the form of a semicircle or wave. This situation involves measuring each of the arcs, finding the radii and dividing the area into several geometric shapes. By determining the area for each of them, the general formula for an asymmetric segment is calculated.
Determining the area of a rectangular room and ceiling
A rectangular room is the most typical and common option. To calculate the area, simply multiply the length of the room by its width. For example, if the length of a room is 3.40 m and its width is 5.20 m, then to determine the ceiling area, 3.40x5.20 is enough, resulting in 17.68 meters square areas. To calculate the perimeter of the ceiling, another formula is used, which implies the sum of twice its length and width. That is, the perimeter of the ceiling is 2x3.40 + 2x5.20 = 17.2 m.
Therefore, in the process of purchasing profiles, 17.2 meters of material will be required. However, it is recommended, even when making accurate calculations, to buy material with a margin of 10-15 percent, to compensate for various types mechanical damage and joints.
What is the area of the room in which there are niches and projections
To determine the area of such a room, you should work hard and perform the following actions:
1. Make a room design taking into account all design features.
2. Measure and mark the heights and lengths along all flat walls.
3. Using a ruler and a square, divide the space into several zones in the form of regular shapes.
4. Each side of the figure should be measured and marked in the project.
5. According to the formula for calculating the area of a figure, determine the values of each of them and summarize the results.
How to determine the area of a room with uneven walls
If there is a room in which the walls have the form of polyhedra or indirect disproportionate figures, calculations are much more difficult to carry out. Measuring the perimeter in such a room is quite simple. You should use a tape measure and walk around the entire room with it, measuring each section separately.
The area of the room is determined by sketching and designing the room. After the sketch is ready, we divide the space in such a way as to obtain maximum amount proportional figures in the form of a square, triangle or rectangle.
In order to determine the area of a segment that has the shape of a rectangle with identical edges, it is enough to measure the size of the legs, which are multiplied among themselves and divided in half. That is, to determine the area of a triangular segment with legs of 0.5 and 0.9 m, the following calculations should be made:
0.5x0.9/2= 0.225 square meters.
How to calculate the area of a room that has a multi-level ceiling
A ceiling with ledges is more difficult to calculate, but it is quite possible. There are multi-tiered ceilings that have the shape of straight lines and are easy to calculate, but there are structures that require special care, since they consist of arcing or wave-like fragments that require special efforts to calculate.
Calculating each of the sections is too time-consuming and costly, especially since the end result is not always the correct result. After all, arcs designed on the ceiling can be arbitrary.
The easiest way to determine the area of a room is by the total floor area. To do this, you should perform a number of actions:
1. Measure all straight sections of walls.
It is preferable to take measurements closer to the ceiling, since the length of the wall above and below the room may differ.
2. Determine the floor area using the previously indicated methods.
3. On each of the vertical sections, measure their height and length and multiply these indicators.
4. Add them to the total floor area.
Determining the total area of the room
In order to answer the question of how to find out the area of a room in square meters, we suggest that you read the instructions that will help you complete this task:
1. Take care to clean the space near the walls.
The walls of the room must be freely accessible. This will improve the accuracy and precision of the measurement. If possible, it is better to vacate the entire room, since certain calculations will require measuring the central areas.
2. Identify areas in the room that have the correct shape.
If the room has the shape of a rectangle, then it does not need to be divided. Otherwise, the room is divided into shapes in the form of squares, semicircles, trapezoids, triangles or rectangles.
3. Make a sketch of the room, this will make the work easier.
Measuring the area of the room must be done according to a sketch on which all measurements are noted. Tip: If there is no paper and if you need to take urgent measurements, use adhesive tape that is attached to each wall.
4. Length and width of the room, area.
Each wall should be measured in width and length, preferably twice. In order not to measure the entire wall, it needs to be divided into several fragments, and in the end, the results obtained must be summed up.
In order to ensure that the calculation is correct, if there is free time, measurements are taken twice.
5. Determine the area of each plot:
- The area of a rectangle is equal to its length times its width;
- The area of a square is one of its squared sides;
- the area of a triangle is the height and side, multiplied together and the resulting value is divided by two;
- The area of a circle is Pi multiplied by the radius squared.
6. The areas of previously determined areas are added together.
Determining the minimum area of a room
1. Plots in the form of a rectangle.
Using a tape measure, the length and width of the area are measured and multiplied. Data is most often rounded to the nearest centimeter.
2. Triangle.
The area of a given area is determined by multiplying one side of the triangle by its height, that is, the line drawn from the top of the triangle that divides it into two equal parts. The resulting value is doubled.
3. Circle or semicircle.
Definition of radius. This value is squared and multiplied by Pi. If there is a semicircle, the value is divided into two.
In addition, there are special online calculators, allowing you to carry out all calculations quickly and efficiently. To work with them, just select the shape of a section of the room, measure it with a tape measure and enter the data. The program will do everything itself necessary calculations and determines the area.
Optimal room area
Each room has its own size and during the planning of the house, this factor is taken into account according to their purpose. The minimum area of an ordinary living room is eight square meters.
Square common room or living room should be from 13 to 23 square meters. The bedroom should be located in the corner of the house, and should not be a walk-through room.
The minimum height of a living space is 240 cm. It is not recommended to equip rooms with a height of more than 300 cm, since they are completely impractical for heating them in winter time a large amount of material investment will be required.
Each room should have natural light. At least 30% of all walls should be windows. Please note that it is preferable to install windows on the south side, since in winter, on the north side, they will provoke large heat losses.
If the living area of a house or apartment is from 15 to 55 square meters, then the minimum kitchen area should be 6 square meters. When planning a kitchen in buildings with a living area of more than 55 square meters, the kitchen should occupy at least a fifth of the entire house.
If the kitchen occupies more than 10 square meters, it is possible to use it as a dining room or a room for entertaining guests. Minimum width The hallway is 140 cm and should also have natural light.
For a children's room, an area of 10-15 square meters is enough. The smallest ones should be the bathroom and toilet. Their area is 4-8 square meters.
Let's say you want to start renovating your own apartment. To do this, you need to decide on the quantity necessary materials and the amount of money that will be spent on them. So, the budget for repair work is directly related to the quadrature, i.e. with the area of the room measured in square meters. Today we will figure out how to calculate the area of your (or any other) room or even an entire apartment. Let's consider some aspects and nuances.
How to calculate the square footage of a room
Now let's take a closer look at how area is calculated. It is worth considering that the shape of the room is not only rectangular. There are other cases, in each of them the calculation occurs differently. Let's look at various examples.
What is needed for calculation
In order to quickly calculate the required area you will need:
- Tape measure (with or without lock);
- Paper where you will write everything down, pencil and pen;
- A calculator for calculations, but you can do it in your head and in a column on paper.
This entire set is available in almost any home. It's better to take measurements with someone. It will be more convenient, but you can also do it yourself.
The first thing you should do is measure the walls. This is done along them. You can also measure in the middle if they are filled with furniture.
3 by 3 how many square meters
To calculate a room 3 by 3 square meters, there is a fairly simple formula: you simply multiply the measured length by the width. That is, we take 3 and multiply it by 3 and it turns out that a room 3 by 3 meters is 9 m².
3 by 4
Here it is calculated in the same way as in the previous formula. We take and multiply the two values 3*4 and get 12 square meters.
3 by 6 how many m² will it be
And nothing new appears here. Again we take two values - 3 and 6, and then multiply them. The result is 18 m².
Rectangular room
If the shape of the room is correct, which is very convenient, and there are no protruding parts, you can easily measure the area of the room.
Take a tape measure and use it to measure the length and width of the room. Write down the obtained values on a piece of paper so as not to forget. Record the value in meters. Then these numbers should be multiplied to get the area of the room in square meters. By the way, it is advisable to leave two digits after the decimal point, so if anything happens, you need to round it off.
Irregular shape of the room
Sometimes in apartments, and most often in private houses, there are rooms that differ from the rectangular shape.
To measure the square footage of a room that is not rectangular or square in shape, you will have to divide it into various shapes such as rectangles, triangles, and so on.
- If you need to calculate the area of a room in the shape of a circle, you should use the formula S = D2/4, where D is the diameter of the room.
- The area of a triangular section is calculated using Heron's formula S = √ (P/2(P/2 -A) x (P/2 - B) x (P/2 - C)), where the letters A, B, C mean its sides , and P is the perimeter, respectively.
- To calculate the area of the terrace if you have a private house, you need to sum up the area of the rectangle and the semicircle.
- In the case when a segment needs to be calculated, the formula R2/2 (/180 – sin) is used. This is a rather complicated calculation. The letter “a” refers to the angle of the segment, which is expressed in degrees.
How to calculate the square footage of a wall
Calculating the area of the walls is necessary when you are purchasing materials - wallpaper, plaster, etc. In this case, in order to calculate the square footage of the wall, additional measurements will be needed, for example, how high is the ceiling.
Wall, excluding windows, doors
Calculate the square footage of the walls easy, since the simplest formula is used - the length of the wall is multiplied by the height. Let's say the height is 2.7 meters and the width is 7 meters, then S = 7 * 2.7 = 18.9 m2. This is how the wall area is calculated.
How to calculate the square footage of the floor
In this case, it all depends on the geometry of the room. If the room correct form, then to find out the floor area, you should measure the length or width of a rectangle or square. Square meters are calculated using the formula S = H*B. Where "H" means the length of the room, and "B" the width. If the room is square, it is enough to simply square the length of the side.
Floor excluding stove, fireplace
To do this, you should exclude these elements from the total area, that is, before calculating the total area, you need to find out square meters specific object:
- We calculate what size your floor is.
- Then you should calculate the square footage of the area where the stove or fireplace is located.
- Now from the total area you need to subtract the one that touches the stove or fireplace.
Room volume
In some cases, you need to calculate the volume of the room. This is not difficult to do, you just need to multiply three values: width, length, height. This quantity is measured in cubic meters and is also called cubic capacity. That is, the same formula as for calculating the area of a room, only a third value is added, and that’s it.
Conclusion
Now you have received the answer to the question of how the area of any room is calculated. Even if it is complex, it’s okay, you need to break it down into simple shapes. You can also use an online calculator to calculate the square footage of the room. It can be a great help in some cases. By the way, always have 5-10% of materials in stock, as there may be errors in the calculation.
The same online calculators may also not work correctly. The best way calculate everything - do it yourself.
Are you planning to buy or sell an apartment, furnish it, or are you just starting a renovation? In any such case, the price of the issue depends on the exact dimensions of each individual room. You can hire specialists to carry out the calculations, but this will entail additional costs. To avoid them, we suggest you find out how to calculate the area yourself.
How to calculate the area of a room - step-by-step instructions
When calculating the area you need to know the length, width and height of the roomYou can, of course, look at the technical documentation of the house and see all the necessary characteristics in it. But, firstly, there are often errors, and secondly, sometimes it’s easier to calculate everything yourself than to find documents.
To carry out the calculations, we will need certain tools, most of which can be easily found in every home. Namely:
- roulette;
- pencil;
- note paper;
- calculator (you can use the calculator located on our website);
- sobriety of mind and clarity of thoughts.
Floor
It is better to take measurements at the base of the walls, and for this it is advisable to move or remove all the furniture. But, if such a procedure was not part of your plans, you can measure in the center. The main thing is that the imaginary line along which the measurement will be made should be located at an angle of 90° to the wall.
After the measurement data has been received and verified, it must be multiplied using the formula, where S is the area in square meters, a and b are the length and width, respectively.
If there is a niche or some other adjacent to the main room, its area must be calculated using the same algorithm, and the results added to the area of the room. If there are various protrusions that occupy part of it, they should also be measured and the resulting result subtracted from the total.
With squares and rectangles everything is simple. How to calculate if it has an irregular shape? Here you will have to apply logical thinking and remember a little about the school course in algebra and geometry. But let's take things in order.
Calculator
If the room is of irregular shape
Try to mentally or on paper divide the room into simple elements(squares, rectangles, triangles). Next, you will need to calculate the sizes of each of them and add the results.
- for a triangle - . Where a is the length of the base of the triangle, b is the height drawn from the top to the base;
- for a circle - . Where 3.14, r is the radius of the circle (to find out the radius, use a tape measure to find the longest distance between the walls and divide it by 2);
- for a semicircle - ( letter designations coincide with the previous paragraph).
As it turned out, in this case there is nothing complicated. The main thing is to carefully check the measurement results so that a random error does not creep into the calculations and they do not have to be done again.
And further. If you want to carry out installation, do not forget to separately calculate the area that the furniture occupies and subtract it from the total value for the room.
We've sorted out the floor. But when preparing, for example, for re-pasting wallpaper, this will not help you much. You will need to find out the exact number of square meters that the walls occupy.
Walls
The area of each individual wall can be calculated in the same way as the square footage of the floor. Only now, instead of the width of the room, you will need to measure its height. We multiply the length of the wall by the height and get the result we need in square meters.
Or you can calculate for all walls at once. To do this, you will need to know the perimeter of the space. Take a tape measure and measure the length of each wall, add up the results - this will be the perimeter. All that remains is to measure the height of the room and use the following formula: , where p is the perimeter, and h is the height.
Now you need to deal with window, door and other openings present in the room.
To get accurate numbers, builders recommend measuring the wall in three places (at the beginning, middle and end). After which the obtained data should be summed up and divided by 3 and thus the arithmetic mean should be calculated. This procedure helps to avoid errors, even if.
When measuring windows and doors, you should not calculate the correctness of their shape.
It is better to measure all four sides yourself, and not just the two touching ones. This approach will protect you from the consequences of builders’ negligence and extra costs(for example, when replacing windows or doors).
Whatever the reason why you decide to figure out how to calculate the area of a room yourself, remember that it is advisable to do any work efficiently. Therefore, try to carefully plan the entire process, prepare necessary tools, and feel free to start taking measurements and calculations. And our advice, we hope, will make it easier for you to implement them.
Video: calculating the area of a room
Choose a tape measure or tape measure. Choose a tape measure or tape marked with centimeters (cm) or meters (m). This device will make it easier to calculate the area in square meters, since they were developed in the same measurement system.
- If you can find a tape measure in feet or inches, measure the area using the available units, and then move on to the step that describes how to convert other units to square meters.
Measure the length of the area you have chosen. A square meter is a unit of measurement for the area or size of a two-dimensional object such as a floor or field. Measure the length of one side from one corner to the other and write down the result.
- If the length is more than one meter, then count both meters and centimeters. For example, 2 meters 35 centimeters.
- If the object you are measuring is not a rectangle or square, then read the third section of this article - “Measuring the area of complex shapes.”
If you can't measure the length at once, do it in stages. Lay out the tape measure and make a mark where it ends (for example, 1 meter or 25 centimeters), then lay it out again and start from the marked area. Repeat until you have measured the entire length. Then add all the measurements together.
Measure the width. Use the same tape measure to measure the width of the object. You need to start measuring by placing the tape measure at an angle of 90º in relation to the length of the object that you have already measured. That is, two lines of a square adjacent to each other. Also write down the resulting numbers on paper.
- If the measured length is slightly less than one meter, then round to the nearest centimeter when you take measurements. For example, if the width is slightly larger than the 1 meter 8 centimeters mark, then simply write down “1 m 8 cm.” and don't count millimeters.
Convert centimeters to meters. Usually measurements cannot be made exactly in meters. You will get indicators in both meters and centimeters, for example “2 meters 35 centimeters”. 1 centimeter = 0.01 meters, and therefore you can convert centimeters to meters by moving the decimal point 2 digits to the left. Here are some examples.
- 35cm = 0.35m, so 2m 35cm = 2m + 0.35m = 2.35m
- 8cm = 0.08m, so 1m 8cm = 1.08m
Multiply the length by the width. Once you convert all measurements to meters, multiply the length by the width to get the area of the object being measured. Use a calculator if necessary. For example:
- 2.35m x 1.08m = 2.538 square meters (m2).
Round up. If you get a lot of numbers after the decimal point, for example, 2.538 square meters, then round, for example, to 2.54 square meters. It's likely that you didn't measure to the nearest millimeter, so the final numbers won't be accurate anyway. In most cases we round to the nearest centimeter (0.01m). If you need more accurate measurements, read this material.
- Whenever you multiply two numbers with the same unit of measurement (for example, meters), the answer must be written in the same unit of measurement (m 2, or square meters).
If you are planning to make repairs, the first thing you need to do is plan a budget for repair work, and for this, in turn, you need to know how much construction and finishing materials, provided, of course, that you have already decided on the design project and know exactly where the tiles will be installed, which walls will be “suitable for painting” or textured plaster, and where the built-in wardrobe will be located.
If you are interested in the cost of services for repair work, you will notice that all prices are usually “tied” to square meters. Actually, the apartment renovation budget is directly related to the area of your square meters. So we come to the main question of our article - how to calculate square meters?
Take a close look at your room. The room consists of walls, floor and ceiling, it also has windows and doors. So you will need to calculate the area of all surfaces that will be exposed to repair work, taking into account all additional components, such as windows and doors.
Each of the walls, as well as the ceiling and floor, is either a square or a rectangle. The walls have width and height, the floor and ceiling have length and width, measured in meters. How to calculate square meter?
So, the area of a rectangular or square surface is calculated by the formula:
S= a x b, where
a and b - sides of the rectangle (walls, ceiling, floor).
Suppose your room is 6 meters long and 4 meters wide, then:
- The floor area of the room will be 24 square meters:
Now let's calculate the area of the rooms based on the walls. Let's assume your ceiling height is 3 meters, then:
- The area of the room along one wall will be equal to 18 square meters
- the area of the room along the other wall will be 12 square meters
- The area of four walls is 60 square meters
S = (18+12) x 2
How to count square meters, you already know. But for repairs and accurate calculation of area, for example plastering works, you need to calculate from the total area of the walls the area occupied by windows and doors. After all, there is no need to plaster or putty them.
Similarly, calculate the area of the rectangle occupied by windows and doors. Let's assume the height of the door is 2 meters and the width is 0.90 m, then:
- square door leaf equal to 1.8 square meters
We calculate the area occupied by the window opening. If the height of the window is, say, 1.5 meters and the width is 1.6 meters, then:
- The window area in our example is 2.4 square meters
If the room has one door and one window, then from the total area of the walls it is necessary to subtract the area occupied by the windows and doors:
S = 60 - 1.8 - 2.4
So, the total wall area is 55.8 square meters, the floor and ceiling area is 24 square meters each.
Expert commentary
Igor Voropaev - leading lawyer at Prosper-Consulting
Consultant of the PropertyExperts portal
I have been working in a construction company for several years and go out almost every day to measure the dimensions of rooms. Anyone who plans to use the services of our company, before starting work, must call a specialist and measure the geometric perimeter, determine the shape of the room (maybe even a triangle), the number of simple and complex shapes (protrusions, niches), and also determine the values of other quantities in cubic and linear meters.
If this external finishing, the roof and the entire structure are also measured. A student also arrives to carry out the calculations (it may take several minutes, as the measurements need to be multiplied). Having translated the indicators and units, he will present a quick final result with the presence correct sizes, according to which the cost of conducting various works(number of rolls of paper, lining, bathroom coating, weight of putty).
Based on this data, the total cost of the work will be set. We do not charge for this work if the repair is ordered from us. It is in this case that problems with materials or scope of work are eliminated, which is convenient for everyone.
