Measuring L-shape, U-shape and trapezoid

Besides rectangle, circle and oval the configurator knows further shapes: trapezoid for slopes, roof surfaces and niches, skewed quadrilateral for corners without right angles, L-shape for corner worktops, angled tables and window sills with a recess, U-shape for corner kitchens, desks with a recess and horseshoe tables.

You enter all dimensions in centimetres, accurate to a millimetre; only the corner radius is in millimetres. Always measure the surface that the film is to cover, not the furniture around it, and measure in several places.

For the L-shape you first measure the enclosing rectangle: overall width and overall height. In addition come the width of the vertical leg and the height of the horizontal leg, that is how wide and how high the two “arms” of the L are.

The configurator rejects dimensions that do not produce an L: the vertical leg must be narrower than the overall width, the horizontal one lower than the overall height. A corner worktop with arms of equal width you therefore measure at the corner and at the ends of the arms.

The U-shape consists of two legs of equal width above a base. You measure overall width and overall height, the width of each leg and the height of the base. The configurator does not know unequal legs; in that case you order via freeform or send us a photo and dimensions.

Here too the rule applies: the two legs together must be narrower than the overall width, and the base must be lower than the overall height. Otherwise the configurator rejects the input and names the reason.

For the trapezoid you measure the bottom and top sides, the height and the offset of the top side relative to the bottom one, positive to the right, negative to the left. If the top side lies centred over the bottom one, the offset equals half the difference between the two sides.

If the dimensions of a surface differ, it is not right-angled. Then you choose skewed quadrilateral or trapezoid. For the skewed quadrilateral you measure three sides and two angles: the bottom, left and right sides as well as the angles at bottom left and bottom right. If the values do not produce a quadrilateral, the configurator says so.

Trapezoid and skewed quadrilateral have a corner radius if the corners are rounded. It describes the rounding in plan view, not that of the edge in cross-section. If the corners are sharp, it stays at zero.

For each of these shapes the configurator creates a trial template at 1:1. Lay it on the surface before ordering: if it fits, also at the corners, you order with the same dimensions. The cut is the plan view of your surface.

A corner worktop is 120 centimetres wide and 100 centimetres high. The vertical arm is 40 centimetres wide, the horizontal one 40 centimetres high. You enter this in four fields: overall width 120, overall height 100, width of the vertical leg 40, height of the horizontal leg 40.

The area is 0.72 square metres. These are the same figures as the preset values of the configurator, so you see straight away what the L looks like and adjust the fields to your panel.

The most common mistake is to take the outer dimensions of the base cabinet instead of the surface the film is to cover. The overhang of the panel is included if the film is to cover it. The second mistake is to measure the arm in only one place although furniture is rarely right-angled to the millimetre.

A third mistake concerns the angles: for the skewed quadrilateral you need two angles, which you determine with a protractor. Draw the surface beforehand and enter the dimensions.