Understanding if a room fits perfectly together helps you in the furnishing phase from an aesthetic point of view, but it is also very useful information during the design phase of some works. Fortunately, this is a simple operation for which you will only need a tape measure and a pencil. If you need to square a room to proceed with the flooring, skip to Method 3 in this article.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Measure the Diagonal
Step 1. Measure the diagonals from the four corners
Take a tape measure and measure the distance that separates one corner from its opposite diagonally and then proceed in the same way for the other pair. If you drew lines during these measurements, you would create an "X".
Step 2. Check if the values of the two diagonals coincide
This is all there is to it! If the measurements are different, adjust the design until they are identical.
Method 2 of 3: Using the Pythagorean Theorem
Step 1. From one corner of the room measure 3 meters along the wall horizontally
Make a mark here. You can use any constant unit of measurement you prefer.
Step 2. On the adjacent wall, measure 4 meters in the same way
Again, draw a pencil mark.
Step 3. With a spirit level or other straight object, measure the diagonal distance between the two points
If this value corresponds to 5 meters, then the angle is perfectly 90 °.
- The mathematical foundation behind this method is called the Pythagorean Theorem. This theorem states that the sum of the squares constructed on the legs is equal to the square constructed on the hypotenuse: a2 + b2 = c2. The Pythagorean Theorem applies only to right-angled triangles, so if the equation expressed above is not valid, then the angle in question is not 90 °.
- You don't have to use the numbers 3-4-5 for your calculations, you can also double or triple these numbers. Using the values 6-8-10 is exactly the same thing.
Step 4. Repeat the process for the remaining three corners
If all are straight and the walls are equidistant, then the room is square.
Method 3 of 3: Squaring a Room to Lay the Flooring
This method differs slightly from the previous ones. Instead of determining if the room is perfectly squared, this technique teaches you to find the exact center of the floor if it is square. This is an important step when laying wood or ceramic flooring.
Step 1. Find the exact center of each wall
Take the tape measure, measure the length of each wall and then divide the value by two. Draw a mark at this midpoint.
Step 2. Join each midpoint with that of the opposite wall using pinstripe wire
Tighten the pinstripe thread and then snap it to the center of the room where the midlines will cross. Repeat the process for the other pair of walls. Eventually you will find a "+" sign in the center of the room.
Step 3. Start by laying the tiles using the "+" as a starting point
If you are laying parquet, remember to leave 1.2 cm of margin on each wall, as wood needs space to expand and contract. If you install the parquet in contact with the wall, the wood will crack because it does not have enough space to expand.
