Stretching tape measure math continues to surprise me

I figured out yesterday that a 10 foot wide room really needs about 12 feet of carpet after you factor in seams and waste, and that number came straight from a CRI installation guide I found online. The 20% waste rule felt like a scam until I laid out a pattern match in a Denver living room with a 45 degree angle and lost 4 feet to trimming. Anyone else run into a bigger waste surprise than the book says, or am I just bad at estimating angles?

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jana3093d ago

Honestly, I think people get way too caught up in the "waste factor" like it's some big conspiracy... yeah, 20% sounds high until you realize carpet comes in 12 foot rolls and your room is 10 foot wide. That's not bad estimating, that's just how the rolls work. I've installed a few rooms myself and the angles always eat more than you think, but I also see folks on here acting like they discovered fire when they have to trim an inch off a seam. It's carpet, not rocket surgery... you cut it, it's gone, that's the gig. If you're off by 4 feet on a 45 degree angle, I'd say the guide was being generous, not the other way around. Maybe just measure twice and stop expecting the book to fix real world floors.