Thinking of getting a new sectional sofa, but don’t know if you have enough space in your living room for it? Well, you have come to the right place because in this article we are going to be teaching you how to properly measure a sectional sofa. With the help of this, you would be able to make sure that not only does your new sectional sofa fit into your living room perfectly, but it is also able to get through doors to reach your living room.
How To Measure A Sectional Sofa
What is a Sectional Sofa?
Sectional sofas are extremely versatile and practical, yet stylish pieces of furniture that are currently regaining their former popularity and can be found in many living rooms. Their practicality comes from their ingenious design featuring various independent sofas of different shapes that can fit together and form one giant seating area. And so, as each piece of sofa can be separated and moved independently, it makes the sofa easy to move and transport as they are not one giant unit.
Furthermore, they are also quite easy to adjust in your living room too, as you can arrange the individual pieces in a way that is space-efficient as well as fits well with your existing furniture. If your living room is on the smaller side, you can push them against the wall with each of the pieces joined together so that it becomes compact but is still able to seat more people than a traditional couch.
But while this quality makes sectional sofas quite versatile and practical, because of the different shapes and lengths of each of the separate sofa pieces, measuring them can get quite tedious. And it is important to measure them because before buying you need to make sure that you have enough space in your room for a sectional sofa. And even if you believe that you have enough room for sectional sofas, if you do not know their dimensions, then you would have to deal with the nightmare of them not fitting through your doors to actually reach the room you plan to put them in.
How to Measure an L-Shaped Sectional?
There are two main types of sectional sofas, L-shaped sofas, and U-shaped sofas. When it comes to the former, it usually consists of two pieces, a chaise sofa, which is the long sofa piece that lets you sit with your legs extended, and a standard two-seater sofa or a loveseat. And to properly measure an L-shaped sofa, you need to first measure the width of each piece. To do that, using your measuring tape, measure the distance between the armrest of the loveseat the place where this sofa meets the chaise.
After that, measure the length of the loveseat by measuring the distance between its back and its front. Next, to get the width, you need to measure the dimensions of the chaise. For that, measure the distance between the point where the chaise meets the loveseat and the armrest of the chaise. To find out its length, measure the distance between the back of the chaise and its front.
You can then find out the overall width of the sofa by adding the width of the loveseat to that of the chaise. And for the length, you just need to use the length of the chaise. The height of each of the sectional sofas would be the same; therefore, you need to measure the height of only one of them. To do that, measure the distance between the top of the sofa and its base, at the back. And so you will get the individual as well as the overall height of your sectional sofa.
Although you can measure the overall width of the sofa by measuring it all in one go and the overall length by just measuring the length of the chaise, it is important that you find the dimensions of each piece. This is because as you will be moving them into your living room individually, you need to make sure that the dimensions of each sectional sofa are compatible with your doors and hallways so that they do not get stuck in them.
How to Measure a U-Shaped Sectional?
A U-shaped sofa, on the other hand, is made up of more components than an L-shaped one. This is because, unlike an L-shaped sofa, a U-shaped one has two sides, rather than one, extended forward to provide an extra seating area. Its allure comes from the fact that it can wrap around your coffee table and provide you seating for a large number of people while taking half the space of a standard seating arrangement. Furthermore, the two extended sides provide a better environment for socialization, as the people sitting on them can enjoy the face-to-face conversation.
And while the increased number of sectionals in a U-shaped sofa has a lot of advantages, one of their disadvantages is that it can be even more difficult to measure each piece. And, so to get the dimensions of a U-shaped sofa; first, you need to measure the overall length and the width of the sofa. For that, measure the entire back of the sofa, including all the sofa pieces that make up the back in your measurements, and you will get the overall width.
Next, you can get the height of the sofa by measuring the distance between its top and its base on the back. After that, you will get the individual as well as the overall height of the sofa. And so, you can move on to measuring the overall length of the sofa; for this, you need to measure one of the extended sides. If your u-shaped sofa is asymmetrical, with one side longer than the other, then measure the longer side, and that would be the overall length of the sofa.
Furthermore, some U-shaped sectionals have a curved corner sofa which can make it difficult for you to pinpoint the exact place where you need to start your measurement. In these cases, using tape, mark the floor along the length of the sofa, extending the marking a little beyond the back. Do the same thing with the width, and the point where the two markings meet is where you need to begin your measurements.
When it comes to finding the individual measurements of each of the sectional sofas of a U-shaped sofa, the process is somewhat the same as that of an L-shaped one. And so you can measure the chaise and the loveseats, in the same way, that you are shown above for the L-shaped sofa. But for the corner sofa, measure the width by measuring the back of the sofa, and for the length, measure the side of the sofa. If the corner sofa is curved, then you can measure the two dimensions using the tape method mentioned above.
FAQs
How are sectional couches measured?
To measure the overall width of a sectional sofa, measure the entire back of the sofa, including all the different pieces that make it up. To get the overall length of the sofa, measure the side of the chaise in the case of an L-shaped sofa or the side that extends longer in the case of an asymmetrical U-shaped sofa. And to get the height of the sofa, measure the distance between the top and the base at the back of the sofa.
Are sectionals good for small living rooms?
Yes, sectionals are great for small living rooms as they provide a large seating area while taking up less space. This is because as sectionals are made up of individual pieces of sofas, they can be joined together to form a larger couch. While traditional two or three-seater sofas need to be placed at a distance from each other for a neater appearance and so a lot more space is used up providing the same seating space.
Wrapping Up
Sectional sofas are a great option for those who have smaller living rooms, and either has a large family or love to socialize and usually have company over. This is because they provide you with a large seating area while taking up less space than normal sofas and couches. And so if you wish to get one for your living room, this article shows you exactly how to measure a sectional sofa properly so that you are able to get one that fits perfectly in your place.
You can also learn about how to cover a sofa here!
