Home project guides

Step-by-step explanations for the measuring and converting that come before any material estimate, each with diagrams and worked examples.

• How to Measure Square Footage

  A step-by-step method to measure any floor or lawn: sketch it, split it into rectangles, triangles and circles, and add the areas, with worked examples and a diagram.

• Cubic Yards Explained

  What a cubic yard is, how to get it from length, width and depth, how much ground one cubic yard covers at each depth and how many bags that is, with diagrams and tables.

• How to Measure for a Fence

  How to count posts, sections, rails and pickets for a fence that goes around a yard, why corner posts are shared and how a gate changes the count, with a top-down diagram.

• Roof Pitch Explained

  What a roof pitch such as 6/12 means, how to measure it from the attic or from the end of the house, and how the pitch turns a roof footprint into a real roof area, with diagrams and a table.

• How Much Paint Do You Need

  A five-minute method to estimate the gallons of paint for a room from its walls, doors, windows and coats, with a diagram of the walls laid flat and a worked example.

• How Many Tiles Do You Need

  How to turn a floor or wall area into a number of tiles and boxes, why the grout joint matters, and how much extra to add, with a diagram and worked examples.

• Deck Boards and Joists

  How the joists, deck boards and fasteners of a deck fit together and how to count each one from a few measurements, with a top-down diagram and tables for joist spacing and board length.

• How to Order Sod

  How to measure a lawn, add the right allowance and convert square feet into rolls, slabs and pallets, plus what extension services say about delivery, timing and laying, with a diagram.

Looking for a number rather than an explanation? Try the calculators.