RoomCalcs
DIY guides and material tables
Plain answers to the questions people ask before they buy materials, each with a table worked out by the calculator it links to.
- Guide5 marla and 10 marla house plans – free layouts you can change in 3DA 25 × 45 ft 5 marla plan with 2 bedrooms, TV lounge, drawing room and car porch, and a 35 × 65 ft 10 marla plan. Open either one free and change it.October 21, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow many bricks, how much cement and steel to build a house?Measure the walls along their middle, count shared walls once, add footings, slabs and plaster. A worked two-bedroom example in 9-inch brick with 50 kg bags.October 18, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow many sheets of plywood do I need? Plan the cuts, not just the areaDivide your parts' area by the sheet for the minimum, then plan the cuts. With a 1/8 in blade a 4 × 8 sheet gives nine 12 × 24 in shelves, not sixteen.October 18, 2026 · 7 min read
- GuideHow to draw a floor plan of your home for free, with 3D and a materials listMeasure each room inside, draw the rooms and push them together, add doors and windows, then see the home in 3D and get every material. Free, no sign-up.October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideHow to measure a room for flooring, tiles and paintFloor = length × width. Walls = perimeter × height, less doors and windows. Skirting = perimeter less the doorways. Worked for a 12 × 10 ft and a 4 × 3 m room.October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideHow to write a quote for building work, with the right VATA quote is a fixed price for the work it describes, so spell out the job, labour and materials apart, the VAT rate, what is excluded and how long it holds.October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideWhere to start tiling a floor so you don't end up with thin cutsNot in a corner, and not always dead centre: start on the line that leaves cuts of at least half a tile at every wall. Worked examples in mm and inches.October 18, 2026 · 6 min read
- GuideBathroom remodel cost: what it costs, and how much tile, grout and paint to buyA midrange US bathroom remodel averaged $26,138 in 2025 and an upscale one $81,612. What drives the price, and the tiles, adhesive, grout and paint for a 5 × 7 ft bath.October 16, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideCAF Housing Aid (APL) for International Students in France: the 2026 RulesSince 1 July 2026, most non-EU students in France can only get CAF housing aid with a Crous grant, a job or an apprenticeship. Who still qualifies and how to apply.October 16, 2026 · 6 min read
- GuideHome maintenance checklist: every month, every season, every yearA practical house upkeep checklist — monthly, spring, summer, autumn, winter and yearly jobs — with how much caulk, paint, mulch or insulation each one needs.October 16, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideHostels in Islamabad for Students: Areas Near Each University (2026 Guide)Where to look for a hostel in Islamabad and Rawalpindi: the sector of every main university, the Metro lines that reach them, tenant registration and safety rules.October 16, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideHostels in Karachi for Students: Areas Near Each University (2026 Guide)Where to look for a hostel in Karachi: the University Road belt (KU, NED, Sir Syed), Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Stadium Road, Clifton, Saddar, transport and registration.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow many bags of concrete do I need? Per cubic yard, per m³ and per slabA cubic yard of concrete takes 45 bags of 80 lb or 60 bags of 60 lb; a cubic metre about 86 bags of 25 kg. Tables for common slabs and site-mixed concrete.October 16, 2026 · 3 min read
- GuideHow many rolls of wallpaper do I need? The strip method and a tableCount strips, not square feet. A 12 × 12 ft room with 8 ft walls takes 10 US rolls; a 3 × 4 m room with 2.5 m walls takes 9 standard rolls. Tables and method.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow many solar panels do I need? System size, roof space and batteryDivide your yearly kWh by what 1 kW of panels makes where you live. A home using 900 kWh a month with 5 sun hours needs about 7.4 kW, or 18 panels of 430 W.October 16, 2026 · 7 min read
- GuideHow much laminate flooring do I need? Waste %, boxes and a room tableFloor area plus 8 % spare for a straight lay, 15 % for diagonal or herringbone, divided by what one box covers. A 12 × 14 ft room needs about 10 boxes.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow much paint do I need for a room? Litres, gallons and a tableOne litre of wall paint covers about 10 m² per coat (one US gallon about 350 ft²). See litres and gallons for common rooms, and what changes the amount.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow much plaster do I need per m²? Bags for skim, undercoat and boardsA 25 kg bag of finishing (skim) plaster covers about 10 m² at 2 mm; undercoat covers about 2.7–3 m² at 11 mm. Tables per thickness, per board and per room.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideHow much tile adhesive and grout do I need per m² (and per 100 ft²)?Tile adhesive takes 2–5 kg per m² depending on the trowel notch; grout 0.1–0.8 kg per m² depending on tile size and joint. Tables, formulas and a worked example.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read
- GuideInsulation R-value per inch: spray foam vs XPS vs rock wool vs fiberglassClosed-cell spray foam gives about R-6 per inch, XPS R-5, rock wool R-4, fiberglass R-3 to 3.7. How thick each must be for R-13, R-19, R-30 and R-49, and in mm.October 16, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideStudent Housing in Australia for International Students: Bond, Rent and Your Rights (2026)Finding student accommodation in Australia: on-campus, homestay and share houses, bond limits by state, rent in advance, condition reports and 2026 renting rules.October 16, 2026 · 6 min read
- GuideStudent Housing in Canada for International Students: Residence, Rent and Deposits (2026)How international students find housing in Canada: residence deadlines, rents in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, deposit rules by province, no credit history.October 16, 2026 · 6 min read
- GuideStudent Housing in France: Crous Rooms, Visale, Your Rental File and the DepositRenting in France as a student: Crous dates and the €70 booking fee, the free Visale guarantee, the documents a landlord may ask for, the deposit and insurance.October 16, 2026 · 5 min read
- GuideStudent Housing in Germany: Anmeldung, Deposit, WG Rooms and Scams (2026)Renting in Germany as an international student: WG rooms and halls, what rooms cost, the Anmeldung within two weeks, the deposit rules, SCHUFA and rental scams.October 16, 2026 · 9 min read
- GuideStudent Housing in the UK for International Students: Halls, Guarantors, Deposits and the 2026 RulesRenting in the UK as an international student: halls or houses, guarantors, the 5-week deposit cap, the Renters' Rights Act from May 2026, Right to Rent and scams.October 16, 2026 · 7 min read
- GuideStudent Housing in the USA: Dorms, Leases, Deposits by State and Renting Without an SSNRenting as a student in the USA: dorms vs off campus, joint and individual leases, security deposit limits in big student states, renting without an SSN, and scams.October 16, 2026 · 7 min read
- GuideFurnished vs Unfurnished Accommodation for StudentsWhat furnished really includes in Pakistan, what to confirm in writing, the true cost of furnishing a room yourself, and when unfurnished makes more sense.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideHostel, Apartment or Private Room: Which Suits a Student?Hostel vs apartment vs private room for students in Pakistan: cost, bills, food, freedom, safety and notice compared, plus paying guest and shared flats.October 16, 2026 · 7 min read
- GuideHow to Budget for Student Accommodation in PakistanPlan the monthly and one-time costs of a hostel or shared flat in Pakistan: rent, mess, electricity and AC, deposit and moving, with a worked example budget.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideHow to Choose Accommodation Near Your UniversityHow to choose student accommodation near your university: weigh rent against travel, check the area at night, power, water and food, and score your shortlist.October 16, 2026 · 7 min read
- GuideHow to Find Student Accommodation in PakistanA step-by-step plan for finding student accommodation in Pakistan: when to start, a real budget, where to search safely, what to check, and how to book.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideMoving Into a Hostel: Packing List & First-Week ChecklistHostel packing list for Pakistan: documents, bedding, study, mess, toiletries, load-shedding kit, winter and summer items, plus move-in and first-week steps.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideRental Agreement in Pakistan: What Tenants Should KnowWhat a rental agreement in Pakistan should include, stamp paper and e-stamps, the rent laws in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad and KP, police registration and hostels.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideSecurity Deposit and Advance Rent in Pakistan ExplainedHow security deposits and advance rent work in Pakistan: the difference, refundable or not, receipts, deductions and how to get your deposit back.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideShared vs Private Room: How to Choose as a StudentSingle, double, triple or dorm sharing? Compare the real cost per person, privacy, study space and roommates, plus a roommate agreement checklist.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideStudent Accommodation Safety: Rent Safely, Avoid ScamsRent a hostel or room in Pakistan safely: common rental scams, checking the owner, paying safely, girls' hostels, gas heater safety and where to report fraud.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideUniversity Hostel vs Private Hostel: Which Is Better?How university hostel allotment works in Pakistan (PU, NUST, UET, QAU), the rules you live by, and how a private hostel near campus compares on cost and food.October 16, 2026 · 8 min read
- GuideWhat to Check Before Booking a Hostel: A ChecklistA hostel checklist for Pakistan: owner, room, washroom, water, UPS backup, mess, Wi-Fi, safety, rules, costs and area, plus questions to ask and red flags.October 16, 2026 · 9 min read
- Guide5 Best Areas to Find a Hostel in Lahore (2026 Guide)Where students in Lahore look for hostels: Johar Town, Township, Gulberg, Model Town and DHA, the nearest area to each main university, and what to check before booking.October 16, 2026 · 4 min read