How to measure your space for a steel almirah

How to measure for an almirah: the 3 numbers

Every made-to-size almirah starts from three measurements. Take each one in more than one place, because walls and floors are rarely perfectly straight.

These numbers are for a rough rate and for planning the design. The final measurement is taken on site before work starts. Not sure yet whether to get one made to size or buy readymade? Read custom vs readymade almirah: which suits you.

What you need: a tape, your phone and paper

• A steel measuring tape: the metal kind that locks. A tailor's cloth tape can stretch and sag over a long width, so the reading comes out wrong.
• Your phone camera: for a photo of the whole space, and close ones where the tape's numbers can be read.
• Paper and a pen: draw a rough box for the wall and write each reading where you took it.
• A helper and a stool: one holds the tape, the other reads it. Stand on something steady for the top readings.

Step by step: measuring the space

Clear the space if you can, so the tape sits flat against the walls and floor. Then take these readings one by one.

1. 1Width at the top, middle and bottom. Measure wall to wall, or side to side of the niche, at three heights. The numbers often differ a little. Write all three and use the smallest, because the almirah has to fit the narrowest point.
2. 2Height at both ends. Measure floor to ceiling at the left and right ends. If a beam or a loft (taand) runs over the space, measure to its underside instead. Use the lower number.
3. 3Depth. Measure how far the almirah can come out from the wall before it blocks a bed, a door or the walking path. For a niche (aala), measure back wall to front edge, at the top and bottom.
4. 4Skirting. Measure the height of the tile strip along the bottom of the wall, and how far it sticks out. An almirah pushed back touches the skirting first and leaves a gap above it.
5. 5Switches and electrical points. For every switchboard, socket, wire or pipe on that wall, note its distance from the nearest corner and from the floor. A board hidden behind an almirah is no use, so decide which ones you will still need later.
6. 6Doors and windows nearby. Note any door or window that opens towards the space. The almirah's own doors need clear floor too: a hinged door swings out about as far as it is wide.
7. 7Ceiling clearance. If you want it up to the ceiling, say so, and note any beam, light or curtain rod. A tall almirah tipped upright inside a room needs a little more height than its own while it turns, so leave the final height to the maker.
8. 8Uneven walls and floors. If the two heights differ, the floor or ceiling is not level. Check with a spirit level, or put down a marble and see which way it rolls.
9. 9Corner spaces. Measure along each wall from the corner to where the almirah should end, and note any door or window on either wall. An almirah door right next to a side wall may not open fully, so say which way the doors should open.

The method is the same for a freestanding almirah and a wall-fit almirah built wall to wall. For a freestanding one, also measure the room door, the stairs and any tight turn on the way in.

Measuring a brick wall almirah for gates and a frame

A brick almirah is built into the wall by the mason, with an open front. For steel gates and a frame, you measure that opening. It is built by hand, so its sides are rarely perfectly straight.

• Each opening on its own. Two almirahs side by side can look the same and still measure differently, so number each one (1, 2, 3) and write its readings separately.
• Width at the top, middle and bottom, and height on the left, middle and right. Use the smallest of each.
• Depth of the side walls, where the frame will sit, and the depth inside to the back wall.
• Both diagonals, corner to opposite corner. If they match, and the top and bottom widths and the left and right heights match too, the opening is square. If not, note the difference.
• The shelves inside. Note the height of each stone or concrete shelf from the floor. It helps decide where the upper and lower gates split.
• Finished work only. If plaster, tiles or stone work around the opening is still pending, have the final measurement done after it, because it changes the size.

We make steel gates and frames for brick wall almirahs, with lockable gates for the upper and lower sections. Before making the gates, we come and measure each opening ourselves. In Agra this visit is free.

A worked example (only an example)

Say you want a wall-to-wall almirah on one bedroom wall. The readings might look like this. These numbers only show the method: they are not a VIP size, and your wall will be different.

Two things stand out. The bottom is narrowest because the skirting on each side wall takes half an inch. And the height at the right end is 1 in less, so the floor or the loft is not level. The maker needs to know both.

Your WhatsApp message for this wall can be just this: wall-to-wall almirah. 7 ft 1½ in wide, 7 ft 3 in high to the loft. 4 ft 6 in clear in front. 4 in skirting. Switchboard on the back wall near the right corner. Add two photos and that is enough for a rough rate.

Common measuring mistakes

Most wrong measurements come from a few small slips:

• Measuring the width or height only once, at the easiest spot.
• Forgetting the skirting, the beam or the loft.
• Not measuring the room door and stairs a freestanding almirah has to come through.

What to check before it is made, and why we measure ourselves

Rough numbers are enough to talk about the design and get a rate. Before the steel is cut, the person making it should check these on site:

• The smallest width and the lowest height, from fresh readings, not from a photo.
• Whether the space is square and level: the diagonals of an opening, the corners, and which end of the floor is lower.
• Depth and obstacles: the real depth after skirting, pipes or wiring, and where switchboards, doors and windows are.

That is why we come and measure ourselves, at no charge in Agra, especially for wall-fit almirahs and almirah gates. These are made for one space, so a mistake of an inch can't be fixed by moving them to another wall. We build to the size we measure. For what happens after the visit, see how ordering works with us.

There is no fixed price list: the rate depends on size, sheet and design, as what decides a steel almirah's price explains. To see the kinds we make, look at our steel almirahs in Agra. Both photos below are our own wall-fit work.

What to send us on WhatsApp

Send these before you call or book a visit. It saves time on both sides.

WhatsApp the photos and numbers to us on 98970 18245. We will tell you the rate and fix a time for the free measurement visit.