How do I know how much carpet I will need for my room?

First of all, you have to measure your room. Measuring the length and width of a room is a relatively simple matter, however there can be several reasons why the quantities of the material you need come out larger than expected. When measuring for ceramic tile, keep in mind that tile comes with a certain amount of square feet per box and cannot be broken into pieces. With tile you typically want to allow for more than you actually measure for in case you run into a problem with installation. Another great reason to figure for extra is for future use. You may have a situation where a tile breaks over time or you want to add tile to another area. Like any flooring, tile becomes discontinued over time and it can be impossible to find a match down the road. The same way there are certain square footages per box for tile, there are for wood as well. Wood is another material that you should figure in more than you’ve actually measured. Wood can also become damaged or discontinued over time and it is good to keep some extra with you. Transition pieces often must be custom ordered to match your new wood floor. With any type of flooring, don't forget to get good measurements for transition pieces (ex: from tile or wood to sheet vinyl or carpet).